#418 1912 15¢

Basic Information

Color: Gray
Subject: Benjamin Franklin
Watermark: SINGLE-lined USPS
Printing method: Flat plate
Perforations: 12
Scott #: 418
Quantity issued: 6,197,000
Issued: February 12th, 1912

Value

An unused stamp with perfect gum: $50-$140
An unused stamp with gum and a hinge mark: $15-$25
A used stamp: $1.50-$2.50

About 418

Old and new designs

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#418 features Benjamin Franklin. In 1912, postal officials split the Washington-Franklin series in half to prevent postal clerks from accidentally mixing up similarly colored stamps in poor artificial light. All stamps 7¢ and lower pictured George Washington, while all stamps 8¢ and higher pictured Benjamin Franklin.

The color was changed because the old 15¢ color was too close to the blue of the 5¢.

Usage

#418 earliest known date of use, 26th April 1912

In 1914, a single 12¢ stamp was primarily used to pay a first-class letter combined with the domestic registry fee, or a first-class In 1912, a 15¢ stamp was primarily used for specific heavy-weight and international mailings, as well as to fulfill large bulk postage fees.The three most common uses included:

Triple-Weight International Mail: It paid the three-times weight rate for international letters (which was 5¢ per ounce under the Universal Postal Union).
Heavy Domestic Mail: It was used for letters weighing over 7 ounces, or as a "make-up" stamp combined with others for large, heavy packages and foreign destination rates.
Parcel Post Service: Starting late in 1912, the Post Office introduced 12 specific parcel post stamps. The 15¢ version in this series (which featured an automobile service vignette) was used for designated parcel shipments

The Plates

#418 was issued with the following plate #'s

Number only
6809-19, 25, 33

Imprint, "A" and number
5747-55, 60, 66, 71, 75, 80

"A" and number
5850

Essays and Proofs

418-E1

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418-P2

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The Watermark

The SINGLE lined USPS watermark

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 Inspiration for the Design

Benjamin Franklin bust by Jean-Antoine Houdon

The portrait of Benjamin Franklin used for the vignette was adapted from a sculpted bust created by the renowned French artist Jean-Antoine Houdon in 1778. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing's primary designer, C. Aubrey Huston, utilized the profile from this famous sculpture for the Franklin profile, which was then engraved by artists Marcus W. Baldwin, Edward M. Hall, and Robert Ponickau.