Henry C. Benner, 3c Black, Large Die Essay on India (11-E2a). 31 x 41mm, crisp impression, fresh in every respect

VERY FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE ESSAY FOR THE 3-CENT 1851 ISSUE, FORMERLY BELIEVED TO BE A RAWDON, WRIGHT, HATCH & EDSON PRODUCT, BUT IN ACTUALITY PRODUCED BY HENRY C. BENNER OF WASHINGTON D.C. THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, OR "STATE ONE," OF THE DIE. ONLY A HANDFUL OF THESE CONTEMPORARY BENNER ESSAYS EXIST.

The outstanding e-book U.S. Three-Cent 1851 Essays for Postage Stamps, published by the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society and available on their website, gives a detailed account of the history of this Benner die essay, including the discovery of the original die on eBay, its acquisition, limited prints taken from the die and its subsequent donation to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. We commend it to readers and will not repeat it here.

There are several differences in the die between the State 1, or contemporary state, and the State 2 and State 2 Reprints (the latter executed in recent years as mentioned above). This essay comes from State 1, which is the most desirable, as it was pulled at the time of the 1851 contract competition.

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