8¢ pale olive green, olive green
Printing Method: FLAT PLATE
Subject: Benjamin Franklin
Number issued: 108,500,000
Perforations: 10
Watermark: Single line USPS wmk
Scott #: 431
Issued: September 26, 1914
Used
$0.40 - $0.80
No postmark with gum (MH)
$13 - $30
Full perfect gum, no postmark
no trace of stamp hinge mark (MNH)
$40 - $60
The eight cent denomination was issued primarily to care for the payment of registration fees and also for letter postage in excess of three ounces.
The watermark consists of single lined USPS letters. A stamp may show only part of a letter or letters
The discontinuance of distinctive Parcel Post stamps brought this value back into general use and it was issued in constantly increasing quantities. Two different imprints are found on the plates used for this stamp, " Imprint, A and plate number" and "A and number" only. Both of these had 2.75 mm spacings and there was no difference in the appearance of the stamps. The use of the imprint "Bureau of Engraving & Printing" was discontinued on later plates as an unnecessary expense
#431 was issued with the following plate #'s
Imprint, "A" and number
(shown above)
5718-19, 21, 22, 24, 25.
5804.
"A" and number only
5846
The earliest known use of #431, January 20, 1915
431-P2a
Small die proof printed for the Panama-Pacific Exposition of 1915, post office exhibit
431-P2a