24c Dark Violet, First Color (60). Deep rich color towards the deeper end of the Dark Violet spectrum, neat strike of target cancel at upper right -- accompanying certificate declines opinion as to purpose or origin of the cancel, which is consistent with their recent opinions for other denominations -- well-proportioned margins

VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A NEW DISCOVERY, THIS IS ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED USED EXAMPLES OF THE 24-CENT 1861 ISSUE FIRST COLOR. THE 5-CENT (SCOTT 57), 10-CENT (SCOTT 62B) AND 30-CENT (SCOTT 61) ARE THE ONLY OTHER USED DENOMINATIONS OF THE FIRST DESIGNS AND COLORS.

In 1861, the contract for printing postage stamps was awarded to National Bank Note Company after Toppan Carpenter's contract expired on June 10. 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 Therefore, only the 10c, 24c and 30c plates as originally made were used to print issued stamps.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.

Two examples of the 24c with target cancels are known. The other surfaced as a new find and was offered in our 2016 Rarities sale, with a similar cancel but without the note regarding the cancel.

With 2019 P.F. certificate stating "it is genuine but decline opinion with respect to the origin and/or purpose of the cancel", which is consistent with their recent opinions for other similarly cancelled items

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