#87 1867 2¢ E 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: E
Scott #: 87
Plate: 5
Quantity issued: 25,000,000
Issued: Third week of February, 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

E Grill Detail

Over 95% of grills are either E or F grills. The A, B, C, and D grills had proved to be unsatisfactory, mostly due to their presence on the stamp making the stamp difficult to separate. The Z grill did not have that problem but for whatever reason it was printed in very limited quantities. The E grill is often confused with the Z grill as the size of the grill is similar and they are on the same values. Close examination of the E grill will reveal the grills have a vertical orientation as shown above. Whilst the Z grills have a horizontal orientation. Both the E and Z grills have their grill points facing down

Points: 15 x 17 points.
Size: 11 x 13mm

Usage

Earliest known use of #87, March 7th, 1868

A new stamp was needed to pay for the increased 2¢ rate for circulars and drop letters. #87 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.