#85E - 1868 Z grill 12ยข
See below for details
Basic Info
12¢ Black, intense black
Z GRILL
Printing Method: Engraved
Printer: The National Bank Note Company
Subject: George Washington
Number issued: 100,000
Perforations: 12
Watermark: Unwatermarked
Scott #: 85E
Issued: First week of February, 1868
Earliest Known Use: 12th February, 1868
Value
Certificate Required
Used
$600 - $1,700
No postmark with gum (MH)
$1,500 - $5,500
Full perfect gum, no postmark
no trace of stamp hinge mark (MNH)
No sales recorded
Earliest Documented Use
The earliest known use of 85E, February 12th, 1868
Multiples
A rare multiple. This particular strip shows two sizes of the Z grill, 13 x 18 and 14 x 18.
About the Z grill
This is the first grill to be issued after the experimental A and C grills. It was produced In January 1868, with the 1¢, 10¢ and 15¢ not being printed until almost at the end of the Z grill life span. They were printed for perhaps only a few weeks and as such they are rare. The grill points are facing down and the grill is horizontal (see types of grills).
Only two copies are known to survive. One is in private hands, the other is on display at the National Postal Museum.
The Z grill was discovered in 1913 by William L. Stevenson who created the grill letter classification system. At the time he could not match this grill with any other grills, one year later, because of its unknown nature he assigned the letter Z to this grill.
Counterfeits
The Z grill on #85E is not commonly counterfeited. There are no points on the counterfeit grill
1868 Z Grills
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