1868 1c Franklin, Pale Blue, F Grill, Perf. 12

U.S. #92a
Series of 1867 1¢ Franklin
“F” Grill

• Pale blue variety
• One of ten stamps in the series to embossed with the “F” Grill
• Grill measures 9x13mm (12x16 to 18pts)
• Hard-to-find well-centered             
•  

Stamp Category:  Definitive
Series:  1867
Value:  1c
Earliest Documented Use:  August 11, 1868
Printed by:  National Bank Note Co.
Format:  Printed in sheets of 200 stamps, divided into vertical panes of 100 each
Printing Method:  Engraving
Perforations:  12
Color:  Pale Blue

Why the stamp was issued:  The 1¢ Franklin stamp was issued to pay the postage on drop letters, newspapers and advertising circulars.  The grill was added to deter reuse of the stamp.  This stamp is a variety of US #92.

About the printing:  The design was engraved on a die – a small, flat piece of steel.  The design was copied to a transfer roll – a blank roll of steel.  Several impressions or “reliefs” were made on the roll.  The reliefs were transferred to the plate – a large, flat piece of steel from which the stamps were printed.  

About the design: The image of Benjamin Franklin is based on a sculpture by Jean Antoine Houdon.  The bust of Franklin is located in the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia.    

About the 1867 Series:   The series consists of US #79-101.  The same face values, subjects, colors and designs found in the 1861-66 series were used in its creation. 

History the stamp represents: 

Grills were introduced because the U.S. Post Office department was worried about the removal of cancellations, allowing for fraudulent reuse of a stamp.  Grills were made by embossing the stamp with a pattern to break down paper fibers, allowing cancellation ink to soak deeply into the paper.  This made it impossible to remove cancels, as even regular pen ink, used to manually cancel stamps at smaller post offices, would penetrate the fibers. 

There were several proposals for different ways to solve the problem.  Charles Steel, who oversaw stamp production at the National Bank Note Company in the 1860s, developed and patented the grilling method.  He was granted a patent for the process on October 22, 1867.  Steel also saw the process as helping stamps adhere better to mail. 

According to Steel’s patent, “The object of my invention is to produce a stamp which shall stick better than usual, and which it shall be impossible to fraudulently remove and use again.”  Steel’s simple machine used a roller pitted with either small depressions or small raised pyramids to break fibers in the stamp paper.  The rollers with depressions created a “points up” pattern while those with raised pyramids made a “points down” pattern.

The United States was the first country to issue grilled stamps and was the only country to do so until the mid-1870s, when Peru also began using grills.  The National Bank Note Company was responsible for producing both countries’ stamps.

Grills were made by embossing the stamp, breaking paper fibers, and allowing canceling ink to soak deeply into the paper. This made it difficult to remove cancels and reuse stamps. Charles Steel, who oversaw postage stamp production in the 1860s, patented the grilling method. It was used nine short years – 1867 to 1875. Grilling resulted in some of the greatest U.S. stamp rarities, including the legendary “Z” Grill U.S. #85A.

Series of 1867

Grills are classified by the dimensions of the grill pattern and are measured in millimeters or by counting the number of grill points. There are eleven major classifications.

“A”            Grill            Covers the entire stamp
“B”            Grill             18x15mm            (22x18pts)
“C”            Grill            13x16mm            (16-17x18-21pts)
“D”            Grill            12x14mm            (15-17-18pts)
“Z”            Grill            11x14mm            (13-14x18pts)
“E”            Grill            11x13mm            (14x15-17pts)
“F”            Grill            9x13mm            (11-12x15-17pts)
“G”            Grill            9 ½ x9mm            (12x11-11 ½ pts)
“H”            Grill            10x12mm            (11-13x14-16pts)
“I”            Grill            8 ½ x10mm            (10x11x10-13pts)
“J”            Grill            7x9 ½ mm            (10x12pts)

The letters that classify the various grill types do not denote the size, shape, or appearance of the grills. Rather, they simply indicate the order in which they were discovered.

The exception to the rule is the “Z” grill, which was identified by William L. Stevenson. Stevenson could not decide to which family of grills this particular type belonged. Nor did he know which other families it preceded or followed and so he designated it as “Z Grill,” where “Z” signifies the unknown. 

Visible in general from the back of the stamp only, grills may also be felt by lightly running a fingertip over the surface. Depending on which type of roller was used, the pattern may be “points up” or a “points down.” The ridges on an indented roller force the paper into the recesses, creating raised points, while a roller with raised pyramids will cause the points to be forced down into the paper, forming a series of depressions.

The United States was the first country to issue grilled stamps and was the only country to do so until the mid-1870s, when Peru also began using grills. The National Bank Note Company was responsible for producing both countries’ stamps.