Scotts #279 US stamps

#279 -1898 Green 1¢

1¢
Deep green, green, yellow green, dark yellow green

Printing Method: Engraved
Subject: Benjamin Franklin
Number issued: 5,216,159,932
Perforations: P12
Watermark: Double Line USPS
Scott #: 279
Issued: January 17th, 1898

Value

Used
20¢ - 40¢
No postmark with gum (MH)
$3 - $5
Full perfect gum, no postmark
no trace of stamp hinge mark (MNH)
$7.50 - $9

A full Pane

A full pane of 100 of #279, there were four panes to a sheet of 400

Plate #'s

The complete plate numbers for #279 are unknown

A change of color

As a postal clerk in a foreign country it was difficult to ascertain the value of the foreign countries stamp. In order to assist the Universal Postal Union (UPU) requested all its member countries to standardise the colors of each value. So a local standard letter rate would be red, a standard overseas rate blue, etc etc. To confirm with the correct color for the 1¢ it was changed from blue to green.

A "Putty faced Franklin"

Previous versions of Franklins portrait (shown left) on the 1¢ stamp had Franklin face portray an alert friendly expression. This was the principle reason that this design (shown right) was disliked by the general public. The NY Times said that Franklin's face had 'entirely altered his expression and making him resemble a putty-faced personification of senility'.