George Washington 3¢ Dull Red, Type I

United States · 1851 · 3¢

This definitive stamp features a left-facing bust of George Washington, based on the sculpture by Jean-Antoine Houdon. The design is framed by intricate scrollwork, with the denomination 'THREE CENTS' at the bottom and 'U.S. POSTAGE' at the top. This issue, known as the 1851 series, was the first to include a three-cent denomination, which paid the standard rate for a domestic letter under 3,000 miles.

Issued following the postal rate reduction of 1851, this was one of the first U.S. stamps to be issued in a perforated format, although early printings were imperforate. It became one of the most widely used stamps of the pre-Civil War era.