National Bank Note Co., Harmon Patent, 3c Rose, Black "Bedspring" Safety Network Overprint (79-E26i). Affixed to small piece and cancelled by Buffalo N.Y. patent killer, clear rows of overlapping rings, the so-called "Bedspring" safety network overprint, horizontal crease slightly breaks the paper

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE "BEDSPRING" SAFETY NETWORK OVERPRINT, ATTRIBUTED TO EMANUEL HARMON, ON THE 3-CENT 1861 ISSUE WITH BUFFALO NEW YORK PATENT CANCEL.

The safety network overprint essays listed in Scott as 79-E26 are discussed in two important articles by James Lee, Richard Drews and Jan Hofmeyr in the 2016 and 2017 Chronicle (no. 251, pp. 260-274 and no. 253, pp. 64-72). Both Abram Gibson and Emanuel Harmon received patents for re-use prevention ideas based on overprinting intaglio engraved stamps with surface printed networks of light wavy lines in various colors. Either the intaglio ink or network ink would be fugitive and wiped away if an attempt was made to re-use the stamp. The essay offered here conforms to the Harmon patent and is so attributed in the first Chronicle article. We are aware of only one other example with this Buffalo patent cancel. An example with a Washington D.C. cancel is also known (see Sale 890, lot 263).

Ex Drews.

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