US 1851 Issue

About US 1851 Issue

The 1851 definitive series featured Benjamin Franklin and George Washington in new designs by Toppan, Carpenter, and Company. The 1 cent Franklin featured an unusual imperforate design. The 3 cent Washington was the workhorse of US mail for over a decade. The 12 cent Washington is the rarest regular issue of the series. The 1851 stamps were printed from plates that produced numerous varieties, making this series a rich field for specialist collectors. Over 150 plate varieties of the 3 cent alone are catalogued.