Most Valuable U.S. Stamp in the World - 1868 1¢ Benjamin Franklin "Z Grill"

The 1868 1¢ Benjamin Franklin “Z Grill”: The Unicorn of U.S. Stamps 🦄

If stamp collecting had a mic-drop moment, this would be it. The 1868 1¢ Benjamin Franklin “Z Grill” isn’t just rare—it’s legendary. In June 2024, one lucky collector snagged the only privately-owned example for a jaw-dropping $4.366 million from Bond King Bill Gross. Move over, Inverted Jenny—the Z Grill just stole the spotlight.

So… Why All the Hype?

• Extreme Rarity: Only two Z Grills exist. One is locked away with the U.S. Postal Service. The other? Just made history as the world’s most valuable U.S. stamp.

• What’s a “Z Grill”? Think of it as 1860s anti-fraud tech. Tiny ridges were pressed into the paper to stop people from washing off cancellations and reusing stamps. It was clever, experimental… and quickly abandoned, making it ultra-rare.

• Franklin Factor: Featuring none other than Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, this 1¢ stamp captures a slice of postal history from a time when the U.S. was still defining itself.

Jenny Who?
Sure, the 1918 Inverted Jenny—with its upside-down biplane- wins fame points as America’s most iconic error stamp. But when it comes to cold, hard value? The Z Grill leaves Jenny eating dust. For background, a single 1918 “inverted Jenny” stamp did sell for $2 million at auction in 2023, according to NPR.