#17 1851 12¢

Basic Information

Colors: Black, intense black or gray black
Subject: George Washington
Plates: 1
Printing Method: die-to-relief-to-plate intaglio engraving process
Printer: Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co.
Perforations: Imperforate
Watermark: none
Scott #: 17
Quantity Issued: 2,500,000
Issued: July 1st, 1851

Value

An unused stamp with gum: $2,300 - $2,800
A used stamp: $27-$50

Usage

Block of five on cover

Usage

The 12¢ George Washington stamp issued on 1 July 1851 was the highest denomination in the US at the time and did not correspond to a standard single-letter domestic rate. Instead, it served three primary purposes:

International Mail to England: Its most common use was in pairs to pay the 24¢ single-weight treaty rate to Great Britain.

Heavy Domestic Mail: It paid for quadruple-weight letters (under 3,000 miles) or double-weight letters for distances over 3,000 miles.

Other Foreign Destinations: It was frequently used for mail to Holland, Spain, Mexico, and Switzerland, often in combination with other denominations to meet specific foreign rates.

Bisects (17a, 17b)

A Bisect on cover

Bisects
17a - Diagonal Bisect
17b - Vertical Bisect
Due to the lack of a 6¢ denomination in the 1851 series, some users would cut the 12¢ stamp in half (a "bisect") to pay the 6¢ rate for letters traveling over 3,000 miles. This practice was officially banned by the Post Office Department; if caught, the letter was treated as unpaid, and the recipient was charged a 10¢ fee. The bisect is found mostly on covers originating from California to pay the 6¢ paid rate.

Printed both sides (17c)

Printed both sides

Scott #17c

The Inspiration for the Design

The inspiration for the US Scott #17 12¢ stamp, issued in 1855, was based on a portrait of Geroge Washington by Gilbert Stuart.

The frame and lettering were engraved by Henry Earle. Earle is credited with engraving the lettering and frames for the 1851–1861 Issue of U.S. stamps. This includes well-known denominations like the 1c, 3c, and 10c stamps of that era, but not the 5¢ Jefferson

The 10-cent stamp is noted for being more faithful to the original Stuart painting than the 12-cent version, specifically in retaining more of the portrait's details.

Stamps with perforations removed

Click the image to enlarge

It is worth looking out for an all too common bit of fakery. To the left is 1857 issue, #36, has had all its perforations trimmed off to imitate a imperforate 1851 10¢ issue. If you look carefully at the right top edge you will see the remains of perforations, this is the clue that the stamp has been trimmed.