#105 1875 5¢ Re-Issue

Basic Information

Color: Brown
Subject: Thomas Jefferson
Printing method: line-engraved intaglio on flat plates
Printer: The National Bank Note Company
Perforations: 12
Watermark: none
Plate: 58
Scott #: 105
Quantity issued: 10,000 (672 sold)
Issued: 1875

Value

An unused stamp with perfect gum: -
An unused stamp with gum and a hinge mark: $450-$650
A used stamp: $2,100

Identification

Both #76 and #105 are classified by Scotts as brown. As you can see from the images above there is a distinct difference between the shades of brown. The crispness of the printing and the hard white paper are other features of #105.

About the Reprints

A poster for the 1876 International Exhibition
Click image to enlarge

The 1875 Reprints

In 1876 the United States celebrated 100 years of nationhood. A huge International Exhibition in Philadelphia, parades and events around the country were held as part of the celebrations. For it's part the Post Office re-issued all the stamps that had been issued up to 1875. They did not sell well and most of the production had to be destroyed. With the exception of the 1847 stamps they were valid for postage so used examples can be found.

These have been called the “special printings" of 1875. All the original plates were used bar US #1 and #2. The 1847 plates had to be reproduced as the originals were lost to history.

All the printings were on harder whiter paper than the originals and most had a shade difference from the originals.

The Inspiration for the Design

The inspiration for the US Scott #12 5-cent stamp, issued in 1856, was a portrait of Thomas Jefferson by the renowned American artist Gilbert Stuart.

The portrait for the stamp was engraved by William Marshall, a prominent engraver for the National Bank Note Company.

Research using X-rays revealed that Stuart, dissatisfied with his 1800 work or finding it outdated as Jefferson aged, painted the 1805 likeness directly over the original 1800 canvas. This led to historical controversy over the "missing" original portrait.