United States Stamp Values

1908-9 Washington-Franklin Double Line Watermark Perforated 12

In 1908 the Post Office changed the design of its regular issue stamps once again. Collectors refer to the definitive stamps of 1908-22 collectively as “Washington-Franklins.” You will also find the stamp called the "Third Bureau Issue." The new designs were simpler. They used only two portraits and all stamps had identical frames. The new, simpler, approach was intended to make production easier. At the same, the Post Office began to experiment with a variety of papers, perforations, and watermarking combinations in an effort to arrive at stamps that were more resilient to storage and weather, easier for customers to handle and separate, and secure from counterfeiting. These experiments resulted in a huge assortment of collectible variations – in all collectors recognize more than 300 varieties of Washington-Franklin era stamps.

Denom.	Description	Mint	Used
1 cent	Franklin green	$10.75	$0.40
2 cent	Washington carmine	$9.50	$0.40
3 cent	Washington deep violet	$52.50	$2.85
4 cent	Washington orange brown	$65.00	$1.40
5 cent	Washington blue	$80.00	$2.50
6 cent	Washington red orange	$95.00	$6.00
8 cent	Washington olive green	$75.00	$2.75
10 cent	Washington yellow	$105.00	$1.75
13 cent	Washington blue green	$63.50	$25.00
15 cent	Washington ultramarine	$87.50	$6.25
50 cent	Washington violet	$435.00	$19.50
1 dollar	Washington violet brown	$675.00	$85.00

1908-09 Imperforate Double Line Watermark

The 1908-09 imperforate stamps were produced for private firms that in turn used the imperforate stamps to manufacture coil stamps that were issued via vending machines. The distinctive separations found on these stamps are called private perforations and they are usually attributed to their manufacturer such as Schermack or Brinkerhoff.

Denom.	Description	Mint	Used
1 cent	Franklin green	$6.50	$5.00
2 cent	Washington carmine	$9.75	$3.00
3 cent	Deep violet	$20.00	$19.50
4 cent	Orange brown	$30.00	$23.50
5 cent	Blue	$50.00	$37.50

1908-10 Coil Double Line Watermark Perforated 12 Horizontal

Denom.	Description	Mint	Used
1 cent	Franklin green	$55.00	$37.50
2 cent	Washington carmine	$95.00	$60.00
4 cent	Orange brown	$225.00	$150.00
5 cent	Blue	$240.00	$185.00

1909 Coil Double Line Watermark Perforated 12 Vertical

Denom.	Description	Mint	Used
1 cent	Franklin green	$130.00	$130.00
2 cent	Washington carmine	$130.00	$80.00
4 cent	Orange brown	$315.00	$200.00
5 cent	Blue	$335.00	$225.00

1909 Double Line Watermark Blue Paper

The blue-gray tint to the paper used in these stamps was the result of rag content being added to the wood pulp during manufacture. The Post Office was experiencing problems with sheets of stamps shrinking as they aged and it was hoped the different paper mix would help. The experiment was not successful and the blue paper was soon abandoned.

Denom.	Description	Mint	Used
1 cent	Franklin green	$130.00	$90.00
2 cent	Washington carmine	$130.00	$90.00

1909 Commemoratives

1909 saw several very popular commemorative series issued. A small size stamp celebrating the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth was based on a statue by Augustus St. Gaudens. The Alaska-Yukon issue featured William Seward who had negotiated the purchase of Alaska. The Hudson-Fulton issue recognized the 300th anniversary of Henry Hudson discovering the Hudson River.

Denom.	Description	Mint	Used
2 cent	Lincoln Perforated 12	$9.75	$1.85
2 cent	Lincoln Imperforate	$27.50	$21.75
2 cent	Lincoln Bluish paper	$295.00	$250.00
2 cent	Alaska-Yukon William H. Seward Perforated 12	$12.75	$1.95
2 cent	Alaska-Yukon William H. Seward Imperforate	$32.75	$22.50
2 cent	Hudson-Fulton Perforated 12	$16.00	$4.25
2 cent	Hudson-Fulton Imperforate	$39.50	$26.50

<--Previous Page

Home

Next Page-->

These prices for U.S. stamps are provided as a service to Hobbizine readers. They are derived from numerous sources such as dealer price lists, advertisements in philatelic publications, and public auction results. Use these values as a guideline for evaluating the reasonableness of dealer prices, setting up trades with other collectors, and estimating the worth of your collection. The value of an individual stamp is dependent on its centering and condition. The prices listed here are for well centered, undamaged stamps. A particularly nice example might sell for more than the amount listed, while a poor copy might be worth less.