very rarepre-1900

United States First Postage Stamp, Benjamin Franklin

Name: United States First Postage Stamp, Benjamin Franklin
Brand: United States

United States · 1847 · 5c

This stamp features a portrait of Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. The design is based on a drawing by James B. Longacre. As one of the first two federally issued postage stamps in the US, it is a cornerstone of American philately.

Issued in 1847, this stamp, along with the 10c Washington (Scott #2), marked the beginning of standardized, nationwide prepaid postage in the United States, replacing the varied and inconsistent systems of local postmasters.

Printing Method

Engraved

Themes

statesmen presidents founding-fathers famous-people portraits

Catalog Numbers

scott1

Image: · License:

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Estimated Values by Condition

Superb(S)

Perfectly centered, fresh, no faults

$15,000

Extremely Fine(XF)

Well centered, fresh colors

$8,000

Very Fine(VF)

Nicely centered, minor flaws

$4,000

Fine(F)

Average centering, acceptable

$1,500

Good(G)

Off-center or visible wear

$500

Prices are approximate market estimates for educational purposes. Actual values depend on specific factors including cancel type, margins, and provenance.