1/2c Benjamin Franklin Stamp (1954): How to Identify It
1/2c Benjamin Franklin, Liberty Series (1954-1968), issued 1954: design, perforation, printing and varieties to check, with the issue notes quoted from stamp references and USPS.
At a glance
- Denomination: 1/2c
- Series: Liberty Series (1954-1968)
- Issued: 1954 (exact date not confirmed)
- First-day city: Washington, D.C.
- Scott catalog number: 1030
- Printing: Rotary press
- Perforation: 11 x 10 1/2
- Color: Red orange
How to recognize the 1/2c Benjamin Franklin stamp
- Portrait: Benjamin Franklin, based on a portrait by J.S. Duplessis from the book The Pictorial Life of Benjamin Franklin, Printer.
- Denomination and color: perforation 11 x 10 1/2, printed in red orange.
Checks that apply to any U.S. definitive
- Measure the perforations with a gauge; the same design often exists in two or three gauges, and that is usually what separates the common one from the scarce one.
- Sheet, coil or booklet: coils have two straight edges on opposite sides; booklet panes have one or two straight edges from the pane edge.
- Tagging: hold it under a longwave UV lamp; tagged and untagged printings of the same design are listed separately.
- Condition (centering, gum, cancel) is a separate question from identification.
How to photograph it for identification
Lay the stamp flat on a dark background in daylight, fill the frame, and keep the phone parallel so the perforations are not distorted. Photograph the back too if there is a watermark or gum question. The app reads the design and denomination; the perforation and tagging checks above settle which listing it is.
FAQ
When was the 1/2c Benjamin Franklin stamp issued?
The sources we could open do not give a reliable issue date (the Liberty Series (1954-1968) ran 1954-1968), first day in Washington, D.C., as part of the Liberty Series (1954-1968).
How do I know it is the 1954 Benjamin Franklin and not another one?
Portrait: Benjamin Franklin, based on a portrait by J.S. Duplessis from the book The Pictorial Life of Benjamin Franklin, Printer.
Is my copy worth anything?
This page identifies the stamp; it does not price it. Most definitives were printed in the hundreds of millions, so what matters is which variety you have and its condition. Identify it here first, then use the varieties list to see if you have one of the scarcer printings.
Related
Sources
Updated 2026-09-11.