30c Red Orange, First Color (61). Bold strike of quartered cork cancel which is consistent with the style used in 1861, vivid color, small repair at lower left replacing a small piece of the stamp, few added perfs at right

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THE UNIQUE USED EXAMPLE OF THE 30-CENT RED ORANGE FIRST COLOR. A FANTASTIC RARITY. APART FROM THE 10-CENT FIRST DESIGN (SCOTT 62B), AND THE 5-CENT OFFERED IN LOT 89, THIS IS THE ONLY OTHER DENOMINATION OF THE FIRST DESIGNS OR COLORS THAT CAN BE CONFIRMED AS POSTALLY USED.

In 1861 the contract for printing postage stamps was awarded to National Bank Note Company after Toppan Carpenter's contract expired on June 10, 1861. The designs were changed and the earlier stamps were demonetized, primarily as a means of depriving the seceding states of a form of currency.

National Bank Note Company apparently submitted gummed and perforated samples of their designs. Of the original submitted designs, the 24c and 30c were not altered in any way before approval and use. The original samples for these two denominations were printed in a different shade, and are currently listed in the Trial Color Proof section of Scott Catalogue. A quantity of the 10c First Design was printed and issued from this original plate, although they were likely printed after the normal stamp (Scott 68) was issued. The likely reason is that the original plate was brought into use to keep up with demand for the 10c stamps. Therefore, only the 10c, 24c and 30c plates as originally made were used to print issued stamps. The other denominations -- 1c, 3c, 5c, 12c and 90c -- Scott Nos. 55, 56, 57, 59 and 62 -- were never issued in their original designs. These are called "Premiere Gravures" or "First Designs" by students of the issue.

It is likely that a small supply of the "Premiere Gravures" and First Colors reached philatelic hands at an early stage. Several First Design denominations are known cancelled -- a 12c is known with manuscript "New" written across the design -- but the placement and style of cancel means that they cannot conclusively be shown to have gone through the mails, and are likely experimental or control cancels. The example offered here, with the same design as the issued stamp but in the distinct First Color, has a cork killer cancellation and condition issues that suggest it was sent through the mail. It is a great rarity of the issue.

Our census of Scott No. 61 is available at our website at http://siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/61/61.pdf . We record 30 unused examples, and the unique used example offered here. Census No. 61-CAN-24. With 1967 and 2007 P.F. certificates. Unpriced as used in Scott.

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