Scott #331 opens the Washington-Franklin series - one of the longest-running and most complex definitive series in U.S. philatelic history, spanning fourteen years and generating more catalog varieties than almost any other American issue.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Catalog Number: Scott #331

• Denomination: 1 cent (1¢)

• Date of Issue: December 2, 1908

• Printing Method: Flat Plate, Engraved (Intaglio)

• Perforation: 12

• Watermark: None

• Color: Green

• Subject: Portrait of Benjamin Franklin

CONDITION ANALYSIS (Seller-Assessed)

• Status: Used

• Grading: Fine

• Postmark: Wavy-line machine postmark present, falling without obscuring the portrait or principal design elements.

• Obverse: Design is intact and clearly identifiable throughout. No visible tears, creases, or repairs.

• Reverse: Hinge remnants present, indicating prior album housing. No thins or holes visible.

• Centering / Margins: Excellent, with perforations clear of the design frame on all sides.

• Perforations: Intact throughout. No visible tears or missing perforations. No evidence of trimming, reperforation, or restoration.

HISTORY

The Washington-Franklin Issues ran from 1908 to 1922, replacing the earlier Bureau Issues with a standardized format (George Washington on even denominations, Benjamin Franklin on odd) that would serve everyday American postal use for over a decade. The series became the most complex in U.S. philatelic history, generating dozens of catalog varieties through changes in perforation gauge, paper type, watermark, and printing method across its fourteen-year run.

Scott #331 is the opening stamp of that series — the 1¢ Franklin issued December 2, 1908, with flat plate printing, perforation 12, and no watermark. These identifying characteristics distinguish it from later printings of similar design that carry different perf gauges or watermarks and occupy separate Scott numbers. Collectors building complete Washington-Franklin sets work carefully through these distinctions, and #331 as the series opener has a specific place in that project.

Franklin's presence on the 1¢ rate reflected his founding role in American postal history. As the first Postmaster General, appointed by the Continental Congress in 1775, he established the infrastructure that eventually became the U.S. Post Office Department. His image at the lowest denomination is less a design choice than an acknowledgment of that history.

STEVEN SAYS

The Washington-Franklin series runs from 1908 to 1922 and generates more varieties than almost any other U.S. issue. Scott #331 is the first one: flat plate, perf 12, no watermark. If you collect the series, this is where it starts.