1847 5c red orange, “The Mask Franklin”
1847 5c red-orange, “The Mask Franklin”
The most expensive 5c shade by far being the last printing and Fifth Delivery (Dec. 7 1850) just 3 months before the introduction of the new rates and the 1851 Issue,
red cancel, maximum to good margins, showing adjacent stamp entirely at right, extremely fine. Foundation Cert (2017) Scott 1c $8,500
The most distinctive aspect of this unique stamp is the “extraneous ink” across Franklin’s eyes.