#85E 1868 12¢ Z grill

Basic Information

Color: Black
Subject: George Washington
Printing method: line-engraved intaglio on flat plates
Printer: The National Bank Note Company
Perforations: 12
Watermark: none
Type of Grill: Z
Scott #: 85E
Quantity issued: 100,000
Issued: First week of February, 1868

Value

An unused stamp with perfect gum: -
An unused stamp with gum and a hinge mark: $3,500-$4,250
A used stamp: $250-$750

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.

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

Usage

Earliest known use of #85E, dated February 12th, 1868

Mail to England: As of January 1st, 1868 the rate to England was 12¢ per half-ounce. Consequently the most common use of the 12¢ stamp was to Great Britain.
Other mail: Besides mail to England it was used as a make up stamp for other foreign destinations or heavy domestic mail.

The Inspiration for the Design

The inspiration for the US Scott #13 10¢ 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.