FLOAT
A used example of the US 1847 5c red-brown Benjamin Franklin (Scott 1), four margins, with a red grid cancel - the same class of four-margin used example the Scott guide value prices.

US 1847 5c Franklin (First Issue)

Maker
United States (USPOD)
Year
1847
Rank
8 of 100

US 1847 5c Franklin (First Issue)

US 1847 5c Franklin (First Issue) by United States (USPOD) (1847) is ranked 8 in the FLOAT 100 for Stamps. It carried a price-guide value of $425 on 1 January 2024, which is not a sale. One half of the United States' first general postage issue — the foundation stone of US philately.

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

One half of the United States' first general postage issue — the foundation stone of US philately.

Scott 1, 5c red-brown, Benjamin Franklin, imperforate; four-margin used example

What is the best-sourced number for it?

Figure
$425
Kind
Price-guide value, not a sale
Date
1 January 2024

Scott U.S. Specialized catalogue value $425 used (four-margin sound). Unused-with-gum examples catalogue ~$13,000-23,000; premium realized comps vary enormously by margins/cancel.

This is not a sale. It is what the market was asking, and no transaction is recorded behind 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.
Archive
2026-08-08