#125 1875 3¢ Re-issue

Basic Information

Color: Blue
Subject: Locomotive
Paper: Hard wove paper
Printing method: line-engraved intaglio on flat plates
Printer: The National Bank Note Company
Perforations: 12
Scott #: 125
Quantity issued: 10,000, sold 1,406
Earliest known use: March 20, 1880

Value

An unused stamp with perfect gum: $29,000
An unused stamp with gum and a hinge mark: $800-$4,250
A used stamp: $14,500

Covers

The only known cover with #125

#125, although primarily sold as a souvenir stamp it was still valid for postage. There is only one known cover.

About the Reprints

The Machinery Hall, 1876 Centennial 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

Locomotive from the 1860’s
First use of a Locomotive engraving on a banknote
Click image to enlarge

The original stamp (#114) specifically depicts a classic 4-4-0 wood-burning locomotive, which was the dominant engine type for mail transport in the United States at the time

It was part of the 1869 "Pictorial Issue," which broke with the tradition of only portraying dead statesmen, instead choosing to highlight themes of American expansion, technology, and postal history.

Design Subject: The train depicted is a 4-4-0, frequently called the "American" type, which was common during the Civil War and expansion era. The image features a flared smokestack, typically indicating a wood-burner.
Context: The 1869 3-cent stamp was designed to celebrate the connecting of the continent, reflecting the postal service's growing speed and reach.
Popularity: The design was not universally welcomed at the time, as critics preferred portraits of national heroes over "pictorials”.