#133 1880 1¢ Special Printing

Basic Information

Color: Buff
Subject: Benjamin Franklin
Paper: Soft porous paper
Printing method: line-engraved intaglio on flat plates
Printer: American Bank Note Company
Perforations: 12
Scott #: 133
Quantity sold: 5,000

Value

An unused stamp with perfect gum: $900-$1,100
An unused stamp with gum and a hinge mark: $225-$325
A used stamp: $200-$250

About the Special Printings

David McKendree Key
Postmaster General of the United States
1877 to 1880
Click image to enlarge

The 1880 Special Printings

The 1880 US reprint stamps, often referred to as the 1880 American Bank Note Company Special Printings (or "soft paper reprints"), were produced after the American Bank Note Company acquired the Continental Bank Note Company in 1879. These stamps were created as "Special Printings" of previous designs, featuring distinct color changes and printed on a softer, more porous paper, usually without gum. The Postmaster at the time, David M. Key produced these special printings specifically for collectors.

The Inspiration for the Design

The design of the orginal 1869 1¢ stamp (#112) was inspired by a sculpture of Benjamin Franklin, which is currently located in the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia.

The portrait was modeled after a bust (sculpture) of Franklin, not a painting, contrasting with many other 1861 issues that were modeled after paintings.