Issue of September 29th, 1851.
One Cent. Bust of Benjamin Franklin, in profile, to the left, on an oval disk, 15 by 17½ mm. with hatched ground, bordered by a colorless line between two fine colored lines. Frame, labels, etc., like the three cents, but with a colorless star between curved colorless lines at the end instead of the diamonds. The inscription is in colorless Roman capitals, on the upper label "Carrier's," and "Stamp" in the lower label.
Plate impression, 19½ by 24 mm., color, rose paper.
No value indicated, indigo blue.
Specimens exist in brick red, some of which show the crack in the die. These must be proofs, although a letter purporting to be from W. M. Ireland, Third Assistant Postmaster General, dated August 10th, 1869, and published in the August number of the American Journal of Philately, after describing this stamp says:
"Color, orange-brown, typographed in color on white paper. Proofs were issued printed in blue on pink paper; also in green and yellow. It was issued about September 29th, 1851, but was suppressed almost immediately, owing to its great similarity to the then three cent stamp. Only about 300,000 were ever issued. It has always surprised me that the Department has never kept any official history of its stamps."
This stamp was succeeded by the
Issue of November, 17, 1851.
One Cent. Eagle poised for flight, turned to the left, resting on a branch of laurel, on an oval disk, 18 by 13 mm., the ground of clouds and rays, surrounded by a fine colored line, a colorless line, and a band of solid color inscribed in colorless Roman capitals above "U. S. P. O. Dispatch," below "Prepaid, One Cent," with ornaments of oak leaves on the left and of laurels on the right.
Plate impression, 19 by 25 mm., color, white paper.