#85B 1867 2¢ Z grill

Basic Information

Color: Black
Subject: Andrew Jackson
Printing method: line-engraved intaglio on flat plates
Printer: The National Bank Note Company
Perforations: 12
Watermark: none
Type of Grill: Z
Scott #: 85B
Plates: not known
Quantity issued: 500,000 (estimated)
Issued: February 8, 1868

Value

An unused stamp with perfect gum: -
An unused stamp with gum and a hinge mark: $1,300-$1,800
A used stamp: $300-$550

Z Grill Detail

This is the first grill to be issued after the experimental A and C grills. It was produced In January 1868, with the 1¢, 10¢ and 15¢ not being printed until almost at the end of the Z grill life span. They were printed for perhaps only a few weeks and as such they are rare. The grill points are facing down and the grill is horizontal.The Z grill was discovered in 1913 by William L. Stevenson who created the grill letter classification system. At the time he could not match this grill with any other grills, one year later, because of its unknown nature he assigned the letter Z to this grill. The 2¢ denomination is the most common of the Z grills. The 1¢ the least common.

Points: 18 x 13-15 points
Size: 11 x 14mm

Usage

#85B used on a cover from California

A new stamp was needed to pay for the increased 2¢ rate for circulars and drop letters. #85B was primarily used for prepaying the 2¢ postage rate for "drop letters" (delivered within the same post office), circulars, and newspapers during the early Civil War era. It was the standard adhesive for low-weight, local mail and printed matter.

Drop Letters: It was used for local "drop letters" (mail delivered within the same post office area).
Printed Matter: Used for newspapers, circulars, and unsealed printed matter for up to 4oz. There are no surviviing examples of #73 on such.
Make-Up Rate: It was frequently used in combination with other stamps to make up higher rates, particularly during the Civil War, or sometimes cut in half to act as a 1-cent stamp (see below)

The Inspiration for the Design

John Wood Dodge painting of Andrew Jackson

The Portrait
It is believed that the engraved head is after a miniature painting of Jackson, at age 78, done by John Wood Dodge (1807-1893). Jackson is said to have sat for the painting in 1842, at which time he was living in retirement at the Hermitage, his home near Nash­ville

The Political Motivation
The choice of Andrew Jackson was highly symbolic during the Civil War. Jackson was a transformative figure in the Democratic Party who was also a staunch Unionist, and placing his likeness on a stamp was intended to send a strong pro-Union message to the Confederate States of America.