United States First Issue, 5c Red Brown, Benjamin Franklin

United States · 1847 · 5c

This stamp features a portrait of Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, based on a drawing by James B. Longacre. It is printed in red-brown ink and was one of the first two official postage stamps issued by the U.S. federal government. The design is simple, with the denomination 'FIVE CENTS' at the bottom and 'U.S. POST OFFICE' at the top.

Issued on July 1, 1847, this stamp, along with the 10c Washington, marked the beginning of federally issued, prepaid postage in the United States, standardizing a system previously handled by individual postmasters.