I get people every week sending me images of the 1922 green Benjamin Franklin stamp value, claiming that they’ve hit the jackpot and have a rare stamp. Unfortunately some trollers have flooded the internet with videos and content stating that this stamp is one of the most rare and valuable stamps in existence.

The Rare Version

While there is a version of this design that’s worth 65,000, the majority of these are already accounted for and have certificates of authenticity. The fact that Scott 594 is worth 65,000 means that it’s scarce and it’s not likely in your grandma’s shoebox.

The Common Version

Instead, what they have is one of over 10 billion printed versions of the same green Benjamin Franklin stamp design, either a Scott number 552, 581, or 632. The 1922 one cent stamp was mass produced because it was the standard postcard rate at that time. 

Remember that in 1922, postcards were like text messages. People not only sent them to show them in their travels , but also just to say “Hi” or “Happy New Year”.

Billions of these are in the hands of people all over the world. While they have no monetary value, they are part of history and are over 100 years old, which has a cool factor. But because of this people think they’re valuable and hold on to them or hoard them indefinitely.

How To Tell The Difference

The way that you can tell the difference between the rare version and the common version of the green Benjamin Franklin stamp is by measuring the design. I get lots of photos like this of people measuring the entire stamp, which is incorrect. 

The rare Scott 594 design measures 19 and three quarters millimeters wide by 22 and one quarter millimeters tall.

Do You Have The Rare Green Benjamin Franklin Stamp?

The likelihood of having the rare version is more than 1 to 1 billion. What’s that like? Pick a number between 1 and 1 billion. I’ll pick the number is 56,987,305. If that was the number you guessed, then that would be the likelyhood that you would have this rare stamp.

Instead, the odds are nearly 100% likely that you have one of the 10 billion copies produced as either Scott 552, 581, or 632, all of which are worth literally $0.

There are so many of these green Benjamin Franklin stamps still in existence today that they aren’t worth the paper that they’re printed on. I really wish that these people did not include this design in the “most valuable stamps” list just as clickbait.

It’s literally flooding my inbox with a bunch of junk. To see values of stamps that are actually worth money, head on over to the Stamp Value page.