15¢
Indigo, deep indigo
Printing Method: Engraved
Subject: Henry Clay
Number issued: 5,548,710
Perforations: P12
Watermark: Unwatermarked
Scott #: 227
Issued: February 22nd, 1890
Used
$1.50 - $6
No postmark with gum (MH)
$35 - $110
Full perfect gum, no postmark
no trace of stamp hinge mark (MNH)
$200 - $550
The earliest recorded date of use, April 8th, 1890
The 15¢ stamp paid the overseas registration rate
Brookman refers to a purple grid cancel. The one above is not a grid cancel. He states it is rare and calls it a snowshoe cancel If anyone has an example of this please can you send an image of it to rogerkirby9@gmail.com
On the left is shown the detail of a stamp from the 1890 series, note the absence of a triangle in the top corners of the design. All the Bureau (after 1894) issues had a triangle cut into the design as shown on the right
#227 was issued with the following plate #
200 subject plates
22
The source photograph used for the design.