Portal:Philately/Stamp of the month archive/12



The Benjamin Franklin Z Grill, or simply "Z-Grill", is a 1-cent postage stamp issued by the United States Postal Service in February 1868 depicting Benjamin Franklin. The Z-Grill is distinguished by having the so-called "Z" variety of a grill pressed into the stamp, creating tiny indentations in the paper whose purpose was to allow the cancelling ink to be absorbed better by the stamp's paper. The use of grills was found to be impractical and they were soon discontinued.

The 1-cent Z-Grill is generally considered the rarest and most valuable of all US postage stamps. There are currently only two known 1-cent 1868 Z-Grills, both with cancellation marks.