Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co., 3c Rose Carmine, Die Essay on India (11-E17a). Die sunk on 87 x 116mm card with full die sinkage, bright color, pencil "By Casilear" at bottom left, card with some minor toning and vertical folds along the edge of the die sinkage area

VERY FINE AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE EXAMPLE OF THIS TOPPAN, CARPENTER, CASILEAR & CO. 3-CENT DIE ESSAY FOR THE 1851 ISSUE. THIS COLOR/PAPER COMBINATION AND FULLY DIE SUNK FORMAT IS LIKELY UNIQUE.

Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co. won the 1851 Issue contract and also bid on the 1861 Issue contract, submitting altered versions of several of their 1851 stamp designs for the competition (which was won by National Bank Note Co). In 1903 Ernest Schernikow reprinted many of the Toppan Carpenter essay proposals for the 1861 Issue, in a wide variety of colors and papers. This 3c 1851 design also exists as a Schernikow essay. The 1903 Schernikow essays create the impression for some collectors that all of these designs are common. However, the original 1861 Toppan Carpenter essays are scarce to rare, and this 3c 1851 Issue essay is a great rarity. Since keeping computerized records we have encountered only this example in Rose Carmine, which is fully die sunk (ex "Lake Shore"), one other in Rose Carmine on Ivory paper, which is cut down and mounted on card (ex Finkelburg), and the Bluish-Black example on Ivory paper, offered in this sale as lot 510 (ex Finkelburg). Each of these three is likely unique.

Illustrated in Scott Catalogue. Ex "Lake Shore".

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