About This Stamp
The Italian sculptor Giuseppe Ceracchi (1751–1801) came to Philadelphia in 1791, hoping to create a major piece of art for the new country. He succeeded in sculpting busts of many statesmen attending the Constitutional Convention, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin. The buff-colored 1-cent 1869 issue design was inspired by Ceracchi's modeling of Franklin. This design for the 1-cent denomination is consistent with all earlier U.S. stamp issue designs (1847–1869) featuring Franklin. In 1869 a single 1-cent stamp on a cover would have been used for drop letters in places without carrier delivery. The National Bank Note Company printed a total of 16,605,150 of these 1-cent stamps.
First Day of Issue Ceremony
First Day of Issue Date: January 1, 1869
First Day of Issue Location: TBA