#387 1910 1¢ Coil

Basic Information

Color: Green
Subject: Benjamin Franklin
Watermark: SINGLE-lined USPS
Printing method: Flat plate
Perforations: 12 vertically
Scott #: 387
Quantity issued: 3,794,000
Issued: November 5th, 1910

Value for singles

An unused stamp with perfect gum: $35-$80
An unused stamp with gum and a hinge mark: $9-$17
A used stamp: $25-$35

Value for pairs

An unused pair with perfect gum: $100-$250
An unused pair with gum and a hinge mark: $40-$60
A used pair: $75-$200

About #387

A used #387

#387 was only on sale for two months. However many were collected by philatelists so whilst uncommon, it is not rare. The 12 gauge perforations were not a success, like all 12 perforations it made the stamps break apart from each other too easily. This problem was excerbated by the fact that these coils primary purpose was for stamp machines. They were replaced with the 8.5 perf, which caused the opposite problem.

As in the previous issues they were made from the regular 400 subject sheets which were perforated twelve in the horizontal spaces between the stamps and then cut into strips of twenty. The horizontal guide line appeared in the middle of each of these strips, which were pasted together by hand and rolled into coils of 500 and 1,000. These were coiled on one half inch diameter pasteboard cores. A "paste up" or line pair, therefore, occurred every twentieth stamp and are about eight times scarcer than the ordinary pairs.This type of coil was never as popular among users as the endwise coil.

Usage

A first day of issue cover, November 5th, 1910

The 1¢ Benjamin Franklin stamp was used specifically for:
Postcards: The standard rate for sending a postcard anywhere in the United States. It was the primary use for this stamp.
Third-Class Mail & Printed Matter: Bulk circulars, newspapers, and printed items (priced at 1¢ for every 2 ounces).
Make-up Rate: Combined with other denominations to meet higher or odd postage rates.

The Plates

The plate numbers on the top and bottom were cut off and those on the sides were covered by the paste up. Normally the plate number would be covered by the pasted end of the next strip, however in a few instances the plate number is still visible.

Identifying the Watermark on #387

The SINGLE lined USPS watermark of #387

A DOUBLE lined USPS watermark

Between 1895 and 1916 the U.S. government used two different watermarks, double line and single line with the letters "USPS".

By placing the watermark face down on a dark surface or holding it up to bright light you might be able to see the watermark. If you cannot see the watermark it might be a good idea to invest in watermark fluid and a watermark tray. Ronsons lighter fluid works just as well as watermark fluid. Both fluids evaporate quickly.

Pour a little fluid in the tray, lay the stamp face down. In a few seconds the stamp will absorb the fluid and reveal the watermark to you.

As you will see from the illustrations the letters can span several stamps, so on the watermark, for instance, you can see only part of the letter S in one corner and only part the letter P in the other corner.

The purpose of the change in the watermark was to strengthen the paper and to give it a more uniform thickness. The old double line watermark covered too much space and made the lettered area quite a bit thinner than the rest of the paper, which caused variation in the shrinkage of the paper. The new watermark was also smaller, occurring 400 letters to a full sheet instead of 360.

The Inspiration for the Design

Benjamin Franklin bust by Jean-Antoine Houdon

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

It has been much debated whether Franklin actually sat for Houdon or if the sculptor captured his vividly accurate image from mere passing acquaintance. He would have had ample opportunity to observe the American minister at the Masonic lodge of the Nine Sisters to which they, as well as many other artists and patrons in the expatriate community (e.g., Count Stroganov; see Voltaire and Diderot), belonged. This cleanly truncated version, in modern dress, was clearly preferred by contemporary American statesmen and anticipates George Washington's insistence that Houdon's statue of him.