1c Black, Type II, Trial Color Plate Proof on Stamp Paper, Plate 1 Early (7TC5). Position 87L1E, full margins all around, tiny nick at bottom left corner and several tiny stained spots on back which are probably from original mounting in an archive book

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE BLACK TRIAL COLOR PROOF OF THE ONE-CENT 1851 ISSUE AND THE ONLY RECORDED PROOF FROM PLATE ONE EARLY, WHICH COULD ONLY HAVE BEEN PRODUCED PRIOR TO JUNE 1852.

A few similar plate proofs from Plate 2, printed in Black on regular paper with and without ruled lines, are believed to have been produced in 1856. This proof has been plated to Position 87 in the Left pane of Plate 1 Early, and therefore must have been produced before the plate was reworked sometime around June 1852. This proof was in the Brazer collection sold by our firm (Sale 726, Jun. 27-29, 1990), but was unrecognized at that time. It subsequently became part of the "Lake Shore" collection (sold by Siegel in 2005) and the Liberman collection (sold by Spink-Shreves in 2010), after which it was identified by Stanley M. Piller and Richard Celler as a proof from Plate 1E. This is the only plate proof recorded from Plate 1E and is therefore the only 1c plate proof from a plate that was prepared in 1851, contemporaneously with the stamp issue. No other 1851 Issue plate proof, in any denomination, has been identified as a true 1851 printing.

Featured in Chronicle 232 in an article by Stanley M. Piller (pp. 336-340). Ex Brazer, "Lake Shore" and Nathan Liberman (sold by Spink-Shreves in 2010). With 1991 and 2011 P.F. certificates. Scott value $3,750.00 for the 1c Black trial color proof from Plate 2, of which a few are known--this proof from Plate 1E is not specifically listed, but it should be.

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