Description: This distinguished definitive postage stamp from the United States showcases a detailed monochrome red-violet engraving of Abraham Lincoln. The artwork presents a sharp, dignified right-facing profile bust of the Civil War-era leader, capturing his characteristic beard, deep-set eyes, and formal pinstriped suit jacket. The background behind his silhouette features closely spaced horizontal shading lines that create an atmospheric glow effect inside the dual-bordered frame. Positioned just above his shoulder is the surname "LINCOLN" in clean sans-serif lettering, while a large "4¢" value sits directly above the lowercase baseline text "U.S. POSTAGE". This used specimen displays a crisp horizontal machine cancellation composed of multiple parallel postmark bars sweeping across the portrait.
Circa: 1954
Condition: Used - Hinged
Notes:
The master engravers at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing based this lifelike portrait on a famous portrait of Lincoln painted by Douglas Volk, which was itself modeled after an iconic 1860 clean-shaven photograph taken just before Lincoln grew his signature beard. The 4¢ face value became exceptionally important in August 1958 when the United States Post Office Department raised the standard domestic first-class letter rate from 3¢ to 4¢. Because it suddenly became the primary workhorse stamp needed to mail a standard letter anywhere across the country, production skyrocketed, and billions of copies were printed across sheet, coil roll, and booklet formats.
Advanced philatelists actively search this issue for a fascinating, highly premium 1961 contemporary postal counterfeit variant. Discovered by the FBI in Philadelphia after a million fakes were printed, the counterfeit versions are easily identified by a noticeably muddier, cruder engraving style in the beard and a slightly blurry treatment of the font outlines compared to genuine Bureau of Engraving and Printing issues.