FLOAT
The used 1868 US 15c black Lincoln Z Grill (Scott 85F) held in a private collection - one of only two known examples of the denomination. The Z grill impression is on the back and not visible in this front view.

US 15c Lincoln 'Z' Grill

Maker
United States (USPOD), National Bank Note Co.
Year
1868
Rank
12 of 100

US 15c Lincoln 'Z' Grill

US 15c Lincoln 'Z' Grill by United States (USPOD), National Bank Note Co. (1868) is ranked 12 in the FLOAT 100 for Stamps. It sold for $1,610,000 on 10 July 2019. Companion rarity to the 1c Z-grill — the experimental Z-grill produced only a handful of surviving denominations; 85F is one of just two known of its value.

What is it, and why is it in the FLOAT 100?

Companion rarity to the 1c Z-grill — the experimental Z-grill produced only a handful of surviving denominations; 85F is one of just two known of its value.

Scott 85F, 15c black, Z grill, perf 12; only 2 known

What is the best-sourced number for it?

Figure
$1,610,000
Kind
Realized at auction
Date
10 July 2019

Cherrystone Philatelic Auctioneers, 'New Amsterdam Collection of United States Rarities,' 10 July 2019: the 1867 15c Lincoln Z grill (Scott 85F) realized $1,610,000, a record for the value — last on the market in 1975. One of only two known examples. (Linn's URL is now login-gated; figure well-attested via the indexed report and corroborated by the Z Grill Wikipedia entry.)

This is a realized sale. Somebody paid it. Source.

How this is made

The figure
One reference price, taken from a named public source and shown with its own kind. FLOAT does not average it with anything or adjust it for time.
Realized or not
A realized price is a completed sale. A market asking price and a price-guide value are not sales, and are labeled as such wherever they appear.
Why no grade ladder
Most FLOAT 100 entries are individual objects. There is one of this, so there is no population and no spread across grades to show.
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2026-08-08