#144 1870 90¢ With grill

Basic Information

Color: Carmine
Subject: Commodore Perry
Paper: Hard white wove paper
Printing method: line-engraved intaglio on flat plates
Printer: National Bank Note Co
Perforations: 12
Plate #: 23
Grills: H or I grill (see below)
Scott #: 144 (H grill) 144A (I grill) one example exists
Quantity issued: 53,000 (estimated)
Issued: April 12th, 1870

Value

An unused stamp with perfect gum: H grill - I grill -
An unused stamp with gum and a hinge mark: H grill $20,000 I grill -
A used stamp: H grill $700-$900 I grill $18,000

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 (#144)
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 (#144A)
It is small, typically measuring 8½ x 10mm with 10 vertical rows. There is oly one known example of the 90¢ I grill

Usage

Usages of the 90¢ 1870 Stamp:
There are no known covers with #144. If used it would have been used for heavy items or for paying a multiple of a rate to a foreign country.

The Inspiration for the Design

William Walcutt's statue of Commodore Perry

The inspiration for the design of the 90¢ stamp, featuring Commodore Perry, was a statue by William Walcutt.

In June 1857, Cleveland City Council unanimously adopted resolutions to erect a monument to Commodore Oliver Perry in the city's Public Square. By October, Thomas Jones & Sons Marble Works, of Cleveland, was selected as contractor. The project had a budget of $6,000, to be raised from contributions by the citizens of Cleveland. Prominent sculptors Hiram Powers, Thomas Ball, and E. D. Palmer were approached for the Perry statue, but demurred due to the limited budget. The contractor turned to William Walcutt, who produced a new design that was endorsed by the monument committee. The statue was erected in 1860.