5c Brown, Type II (30A). Positions 41-43/51-53/61-63L2, E/F/C Reliefs, block of nine from left pane of Plate 2 with "(Toppan), Carpenter & Co. BANK NOTE ENGRAVERS. Phila. New York, Boston & Cincinnati" imprint and "No. 2 P." plate number, original gum with hinge marks and remnants, remarkably well-centered, deep rich color in the 1860 Brown shade, sharp impression, small thins, tiny hole in top left stamp

VERY FINE APPEARANCE THIS REMARKABLE MULTIPLE IS BY FAR THE FINER OF THE TWO RECORDED PLATE BLOCKS OF NINE OF THE 1860 5-CENT BROWN TYPE II.

Beginning with the printing in the first quarter of 1860, a new plate of 200 subjects, divided into left and right panes of 100, was used by Toppan Carpenter to print 5c stamps. The siderographer followed the same procedure used to make the 1c Plates 5 through 10, in which a 6-relief transfer roll was modified by trimming the designs to reduce the stamps' dimensions. For the 5c, the top and bottom of the design were trimmed from the reliefs, which distinguishes Type II from the earlier Type I. Entries on the plate were made from the transfer roll in vertical columns, ten to a column--when completed there were 10 columns and 10 rows in each half of the plate, separated by a centerline. Row 1 of the 5c plate was entered with the A Relief, followed by the B, C, D, E and F Reliefs for rows 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. The progression resumed with the C Relief for row 7, followed by the D, E and F Reliefs for rows 8, 9 and 10.

The 1860 printing was in Brown, and the 1861 printing in Orange Brown. Since there were few Brown sheets on hand in 1861 when the issue was demonetized due to the Civil War, it is much scarcer than the Orange Brown in unused condition. There are three recorded plate blocks:

1) Left margin block of 9, Positions 41-43/51-53/61-63L2, Chapin census no. 163, ex Ackerman, Gibson, Close, Wunderlich, Klein, Chapin and Gross, the block offered here

2) Right margin block of 9, Positions 48-50/58-60/68-70R2, defective, Chapin census no. 162, ex Worthington, Silsby, Curtis (Sale 1084, lot 3145)

3) Left margin block of 6, Positions 41-42/51-52/61-62L2, Chapin census no. 160 as Scott 30, Sale 1090, lot 1163 as Scott 30A

No. 163 in the John C. Chapin A Census of United States Classic Plate Blocks 1851-1882. Ex Ackerman, Gibson, Close, Wunderlich, Klein, Chapin and Gross. With 1988 P.F. certificate. Scott value $37,250.00 as block, two pairs and a single, without premium for the imprint

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