Scott #545 is one of the rarest stamps in the Washington-Franklin series, issued briefly in 1921 with an unusual perforation of 11, it was quickly replaced and never produced in large numbers relative to the rest of the run.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Catalog Number: Scott #545

• Denomination: 1 cent (1¢)

• Date of Issue: May 1921

• Printing Method: Rotary Press

• Perforation: 11

• Color: Green

• Subject: Portrait of George Washington, Washington-Franklin definitive series

CONDITION ANALYSIS (Seller-Assessed)

• Status: Used

• Grading: Fine

• Postmark: Light gray wavy-line machine postmark. Clean and well-placed without obscuring the portrait or principal design elements.

• Obverse: Design is clear and fully identifiable throughout. All framing elements, portrait, and denomination are legible.

• Reverse: No original gum, as expected for a used stamp. Back is clean with no visible thins or repairs.

• Centering / Margins: Perforations clear of the design frame on all sides.

• Perforations: No visible tears or missing perforations. Condition consistent with normal postal use.

HISTORY

The Washington-Franklin Issues ran from 1908 to 1922, one of the longest-lived and most complex definitive series in American philatelic history. Featuring portraits of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin across dozens of denominations, printings, perforations, and paper types, the series generated more catalog varieties than almost any other in U.S. philately. Collectors have spent careers untangling its variations.

Scott #545 occupies a specific and notable place within that complexity. Issued in May 1921 with a perforation gauge of 11 (unusual for rotary press stamps of this era, which typically carried perf 10 or 11 x 10½) it was produced for only a short period before production shifted. The combination of rotary press printing and perf 11 makes it one of the scarcer entries in the Washington-Franklin catalog, and it is frequently sought by collectors building complete sets of the series.

The portrait follows the standard left-facing Washington within an oval wreath frame used across the 1¢ denominations of the series. The green color is characteristic of the 1¢ Washington throughout the Washington-Franklin run, providing visual consistency across an otherwise highly variable series.

STEVEN SAYS

The Washington-Franklin series looks simple until you start digging. Scott #545 is one of the ones that rewards attention, the perf 11 on a rotary press printing is what makes it interesting. Easy to overlook, hard to replace once you know what you're looking at.

Technical Specifications

• Catalog Number: Scott #545

• Denomination: 1 cent (1¢)

• Date of Issue: May 1921

• Printing Method: Rotary Press

• Perforation: 11

• Color: Green

• Mintage: ≈ 1.9 billion

• Subject: Portrait of George Washington, Washington–Franklin definitive series

Condition Analysis

Status: 

Used and Uncertified.

Sellers Grading: 

Fine

Obverse: 

The design is clear and fully identifiable. A light gray wavy machine postmark is present.

Reverse: 

No original gum, as expected for a used example. The back appears clean with no visible thins or repairs.

Centering / Margins: 

Good. The perforations do not cut into the design frame.

Postmark: 

Beautiful wavy!

Other Findings: 

No visible tears or missing perforations are observed. Overall condition is consistent with a normally used example of this issue.