#142 1870 24¢ With grill

Basic Information

Color: Purple
Subject: General Winfield Scott
Paper: Hard white wove paper
Printing method: line-engraved intaglio on flat plates
Printer: National Bank Note Co
Perforations: 12
Plate #: 21
Grills: H or I grill (see below)
Scott #: 142 (H grill) - no I grills are known
Quantity issued: 8,500
Issued: April 12th, 1870

Value

An unused stamp with perfect gum: H grill -
An unused stamp with gum and a hinge mark: H grill Only used copies exist
A used stamp: H grill $3,500-$19,000

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 (#142)
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
There are no known examples of a 24¢ with an I grill

Usage

#142 on a cover to Singapore

Usages of the 24¢ 1870 Stamp:
24 cents was a common rate for pre-paid single-rate letters to various European countries, including Britain, during the late 1860s and early 1870s, as well as multiple-weight rates for shorter distances. It was frequently used for registered letters (which required additional postage) to foreign destinations, often in combination with other denominations.

The Inspiration for the Design

William John Coffee's marble bust of General Winfield Scott

The inspiration for the design of the 24¢ stamp, featuring General Winfield Scott, was a marble bust by William John Coffee.

Winfield Scott (1786–1866) was a towering figure in the U.S. Army, serving as a general for 47 years and as Commanding General from 1841 to 1861. A hero of the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War, he was known as "Old Fuss and Feathers". Scott also ran as the 1852 Whig presidential nominee.