Tip of the week: 1869 Post Horse and Rider

Stamp Market Tips by Henry Gitner and Rick Miller

The 1869 issue was a watershed in United States stamp production, and it remains eternally popular with collectors of U.S. stamps.

It was the first set of U.S. stamps to commemorate someone other than a president or Benjamin Franklin. It was also the first set to depict a horse, locomotive and ship.

The 2¢ brown stamp depicts a post rider astride a horse in full gallop with a mailbag strapped behind the saddle (Scott 113).

It was printed on hard wove paper, perforated gauge 12, and with an impressed G grill measuring 9.5 millimeters by 9mm (12 by 11 to 11½ points).

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The 2018 Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers values the Post Horse and Rider stamp in very fine grade and unused original gum condition at $500, a used example at $75, and an unused no-gum example at $190. The stamp is a good buy at around 70 percent to 80 percent of Scott catalog value.

Make sure stamps are completely sound. Stamps with short perforation teeth, creased corner perforations, or other minor faults are worth much less.