15¢ Black
Z GRILL

Printing Method: Engraved
Printer: The National Bank Note Company
Subject: Abraham Lincoln
Number issued: Less than 1,000?
Perforations: 12
Watermark: Unwatermarked
Scott #: 85F
Grilled: Between February 19 and 28, 1868

Used
$1,400,000

Only two copies known

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).

This stamp is as rare as 85A, but for some reason does not command the same high price.

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 this he assigned the letter Z to this grill.