1894 5¢ Grant - U.S. #255

U.S. #255 1894 5¢ Grant

• Issued: September 28, 1894
• Issue Quantity: 30,688,840
• Printed by: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
• Watermark: None
• Perforation: 12
• Color: Chocolate

The 1894 5¢ Ulysses S. Grant stamp differs slightly from the rest of the series. There is one less horizontal line in the space between the words “United States Postage” and the top of the stamp. The triangle is also smaller.

The ink used to print this stamp wore the plate rapidly, creating a variety known as “worn plate, diagonal lines missing in oval background.”

The stamp was issued nine years after the death of President Ulysses S. Grant.

President for a Day?

On March 4, 1849, was David Atchison president of the United States for 24 hours? As president pro tempore of the Senate, he was arguably the highest-ranking US official...

Despite his own stance that he hadn’t really been president, the story continued to spread and was embellished over the years. By the early 1900s, Atchison’s biographies stated he had served as president and even signed one or two official papers.

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing: With the issue of the 1894 series, the United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) began printing postage stamps for the first time. Until this date, contracts had been awarded to private companies for the production of stamps.

(Photo is of actual product)