Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co., 3c Bluish Black, Die Essay on Old Ivory Paper (11-E17b). 47 x 52mm, with clear layout lines (which are lacking in the Schernikow printings), small thin spots at top and bottom

VERY FINE APPEARANCE AND EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF THIS TOPPAN, CARPENTER, CASILEAR & CO. 3-CENT DIE ESSAY FOR THE 1851 ISSUE. THIS COLOR/PAPER COMBINATION 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 the example in Rose Carmine offered in this sale as lot 509, 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 this Bluish-Black example on Ivory paper (ex Finkelburg). Each of these three is likely unique.

Ex Finkelburg

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