Issued in February 1903, the 1¢ stamp was one of the workhorse stamps of the 2nd Bureau issue. During the turn of the 20th century, the boom in the popularity of the penny postcard created considerable demand for the 1¢ franking. The stamp sought use on every form of mail paying virtually every rate.
Several Franklin varieties were produced including booklet panes, imperforate stamps, and coils.
There are numerous solo franking possibilities, including the penny domestic postcard, unsealed newspapers or magazines (2nd class mail, 1¢ / 4oz.), circulars (3rd class mail, 1¢ / 2oz.), and samples or merchandise (4th class mail, 1¢ / 1oz.).
Varieties (Scott catalog number):
US Definitive (300)
Booklet Pane (300b)
Booklet Pane Pair (300b)
Imperforate (314)
Horizontal Coil (316)
Vertical Coil (318)
Canal Zone Overprint (4)
Philippines Overprint (226)
Common Uses:
Postal card to Gabon, Africa
Solo Uses:
- Domestic postcard
- 1st class non-carrier letter
- 2nd class (< 4 oz newspaper or magazine)
- 3rd class (< 2 oz printed matter )
- 4th class (< 1 oz samples or merchandise)
Favorite Covers: