United States 1c Benjamin Franklin, Imperforate

United States · 1851 · 1c

This imperforate stamp features a right-facing portrait of Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. The design is based on a bust by French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon. As one of the earliest U.S. postage stamps, it was printed in various shades of blue and required scissors for separation from the sheet.

Issued in 1851, this stamp was part of the second series of definitive U.S. postage stamps. It was created to meet the new, lower postal rates established by the Act of March 3, 1851, which made prepayment of postage compulsory.