12c Black, Printed on Both Sides (17c). Printed in the same orientation as design on the front, back of stamp shows designs of four separate stamps, the two at top are clear and bold, with "Cents" and "Twelve" as well as one Washington portrait perfectly clear, face of stamp with margins to in at bottom where slightly roughly separated, grid cancel, small corner crease and light vertical crease not mentioned on accompanying P.F. certificate

FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF FOUR RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE 12-CENT 1851 ISSUE WITH THE DESIGN PRINTED ON BOTH SIDES. THIS IS ALSO ONE OF ONLY TWO SHOWING A CLEAR POSITIVE PORTRAIT OF THE WASHINGTON VIGNETTE ON THE REVERSE. ONE OF THE GREAT RARITIES OF THE 1851 ISSUE.

Engraved stamps printed on both sides usually have a poor impression on one side and a second, complete impression on the other. They probably occurred when a sheet was printed without proper moistening, which prevented the paper from picking up the ink in the recessed lines of the engraved plate. The variety is known on the three denominations issued in 1851--1c, 3c and 12c--but not on the imperforate stamps issued in 1855 (10c) and 1856 (5c).

Reports have varied as to how many copies of the 12c 1851 printed on both sides are known. Brookman reported that he knew of four. We have only been able to locate three complete stamps, plus a bisected stamp, which cannot be verified as a bisect since it is not on a cover. Therefore our census records four, or more accurately three and a half examples of this rarity. It is not known unused. Our census of Scott 17c can be found at: http://siegelauctions.com/census/us/17c . This stamp is one of two, along with census no. CAN-01, which show a clear portion of Washington's face on the reverse. The third complete stamp, census no. CAN-03 has a faint Washington portrait. The bisect, census no. CAN-04, does not include Washington's face.

Siegel census no. 17c-CAN-02. Ex Worthington, Stephen D. Brown and Ishikawa, and from our 1971 Rarities sale. With clear 1993 P.F. certificate

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