#140 1870 12¢ With grill

Basic Information

Color: Dull Violet
Subject: Henry Clay
Paper: Hard white wove paper
Printing method: line-engraved intaglio on flat plates
Printer: National Bank Note Co
Perforations: 12
Plate #: 24
Grills: H or I grill (see below)
Scott #: 140 (H grill) 140A (I grill)
Quantity issued: 66,000
Issued: April 18th, 1870

Value

An unused stamp with perfect gum: H grill $259,000 I grill -
An unused stamp with gum and a hinge mark: H grill $11,500 I grill $30,680 (unused)
A used stamp: H grill $650-$1,300 I grill $41,300

About the large bank note stamps

A National Bank notes from 1870
Click image to enlarge

"Large Bank Note" stamps refers to a major definitive series of postage stamps issued between 1870 and 1890. They are called "Bank Notes" because they were produced under contract by three private security printing firms—the National, Continental, and American Bank Note Companies—before the Bureau of Engraving and Printing took over production in 1894.

Key Characteristics
Size: They are called "Large" to distinguish them from the "Small Bank Notes" (or "Baby Bank Notes") issued from 1890 to 1894, which were reduced in size to cut production costs.
Paper and Grills: Early issues (National) often feature "grills" (embossed patterns intended to prevent reuse), while later issues moved from hard paper (National and Continental) to soft porous paper (American).
Secret Marks: To identify which company printed which stamp, "secret marks" (tiny design modifications) were often added to the original plates when contracts changed hands.

Historical Timeline
National Bank Note Co. (1870–1873): The original printers who introduced the designs.
Continental Bank Note Co. (1873–1879): Took over the contract and added secret marks to the 1¢ through 15¢ denominations.
American Bank Note Co. (1879–1890): After merging with Continental, they printed the same designs on soft porous paper and later introduced re-engraved versions with slightly modified details.

Grills (H, I and J grills)

H Grill 11-13 x 14-16 points 10 x 12mm
I Grill 10-11 x 10-13 points 8½ x 10mm
Click image to enlarge
The grills as they appear on the stamp
Click image to enlarge
It is common to see only a partial grill
Click image to enlarge

The H grill (#140)
The H grill is often confused with the I grill. If a grill measures roughly 10 x 12 mm, it is generally considered an H grill, while smaller ones are I grills. If an identification cannot be firmly made, the default classification is usually the H grill, as it is generally more common than the I grill

The I grill (#140A)
It is small, typically measuring 8½ x 10mm with 10 vertical rows. Examples, such as on the 30-cent stamp, are extremely rare

Usage

#140 on a cover to Sweden

Key Usages of the 12¢ 1870 Stamp:
A few less common countries required the 12¢ rate, however the stamp was mostly used in conjuction with other stamps to pay for higher rates.

Shades of the dull violet 12¢ and the reasons behind them

The color variations in the 12¢ dull violet issue were primarily due to inconsistencies in ink mixing, printing batches, and different formulas used by the various printers. While officially issued as "brown," this specific stamp exists in shades ranging froma dull violet or gray violet to a deeper violet

The Inspiration for the Design

Joel Hart's marble bust of Henry Clay

The inspiration for the design of the 12¢ stamp, featuring Henry Clay, was a marble bust sculpture by Joel Tanner Hart.

Hart initially created a plaster model from life, which served as the foundation for his later marble and bronze works. Clay himself reportedly admired Hart’s talent and approved of his likeness, a rarity given that Clay often disliked how artists rendered his face.