The portrait on this stamp comes from a Mathew Brady photograph, one of the Civil War-era images that defined how Lincoln looked to the American public (and to history).

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Catalog Number: Scott #1036

• Denomination: 4 cents (4¢)

• Date of Issue: November 16, 1954

• Printing Method: Rotary Press, Engraved (Intaglio)

• Perforation: 11 × 10½

• Color: Lavender

• Subject: Portrait of Abraham Lincoln, after a photograph by Mathew Brady

CONDITION ANALYSIS (Seller-Assessed)

• Status: Used

• Grading: Extremely Fine

• Postmark: Wavy-line machine postmark present, falling cleanly across the stamp without obscuring Lincoln's portrait.

• Obverse: Design is clear and the lavender ink is well-preserved throughout. Portrait and inscriptions are sharp and fully legible.

• Reverse: Clean and intact. The security perfin pattern is clearly visible on the reverse.

• Centering / Margins: Exceptionally well-centered with balanced margins on all four sides.

• Perforations: Full and intact on all sides. No tears, thins, or creases observed.

• Other Findings: This stamp features a perfin — perforated initials pressed through the stamp as a business security measure against unauthorized postage use. The perforations are clean with no distortion or tearing around them.

HISTORY

The Liberty Series ran from 1954 to 1961, replacing the long-serving Presidential Series of 1938 with a broader set of subjects - presidents, statesmen, and landmarks associated with American freedom. Abraham Lincoln appeared on the 4¢ denomination, issued November 16, 1954, which served the domestic first-class letter rate throughout the series' run and made the Lincoln stamp one of the most frequently encountered issues of the era.

The portrait derives from a photograph by Mathew Brady, whose studio documented Lincoln across the entire span of his presidency. Brady's images shaped the public understanding of Lincoln more than any painted portrait — the photographs captured an honesty of expression that formal portraiture rarely achieved, and the engravings made from them carried that quality into print. The Brady connection gives this stamp a direct line to one of the most significant bodies of documentary photography in American history.

The perfin on this stamp, perforated initials pressed through the stamp by a business to prevent employees from diverting postage for personal use, adds a layer of commercial and social history to the stamp. Perfins were a widespread practice among American businesses from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century, and collectors of perfins often seek specific company initials as a specialty within the hobby.

STEVEN SAYS

Brady photographed Lincoln through the entire war. The engraving on this stamp comes from that work. The perfin is clean too, whoever used this stamp ran a careful operation.