1857 1c Franklin Type

My new ebay purchase. It was being sold as a Type II #20, but I disagreed. What do you think?

Also, it looks like it has a perfectly round pinhole in the center. I have seen this on some US classics. Anyone have insight into why? Were people removing stamps from sheets and then placing them on an upright needle or tack for keeping until needed (order tickets at small diners comes to mind)? Or from an implement used to apply the stamp? Just curious.

I think I know what you are thinking. Unfortunately, the stamp was identified correctly. It is 7R2. I actually have a 7R2 in a strip of three on ebay right now if you want to see another. Of course the one on the plating archive has way better margins but a poor impression in comparison. I think you got a fair deal. As for the pinhole, isn't it just missing color? If there was a hole we could see the brown cover beneath.

Sinclair, I was thinking it might be a type IV with a re-engraved top line, but I had not yet plated it. Thanks for the instruction. Short of plating (and knowing it's ID from your own 7R2), is there something about it that indicates a type II instead of IV? The top line still looks heavy to me.

As for the hole, looking more closely I think I can see the faint outline of the stamp design in it, so it wouldn't be an actual hole--rather, an area of absent color like you suggested. Though, I don't know what would cause that.

The pinholes on classic stamps are normally much smaller than that (sometimes invisible to the naked eye) and much less 'clean" in outline. The reason they exist is that early dealers would pin their stamps to display boards, especially when selling out of doors. As far as the type is concerned, it is a Relief T stamp, as is evident from the guide dot and the contour of the UR ornament. Relief T came from the top row of Plates 1E, 1L, 2 and 3. None of the Plate 1L Relief T stamps had the top line recut, so this cannot be Type IV. The top and bottom frame lines on Plate 2 generally appear to be heavy.

Dudley, thanks for the info, that helps a lot.