1c Blue, Ty. II (20). Top row of Plate 11, original gum, lightly hinged, perfectly centered with wide margins all around, deep rich color and proof-like impression

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. AN EXTRAORDINARY 1857 PERFORATED ONE-CENT STAMP WITH IMMENSE MARGIN WIDTH. SUPERB IN EVERY RESPECT AND WITHOUT QUESTION ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF A TYPE II PLATE 11 STAMP IN EXISTENCE.

According to Neinken, Toppan Carpenter produced Plates 11 and 12 in November 1860 to replace plates that had become too worn for use. In laying down the new plates, Toppan Carpenter evidently abandoned the six-relief transfer roll and used two different three-relief rolls. With recent scholarship revising some of the old accepted concepts about 1851-57 plate production, we will go no further in explaining the mechanics of Plate 11, from which this stamp was printed.

Some of the unusual features of Type II stamps from the top row of Plate 11 are seen in this example. The strong horizontal and vertical guidelines and guide dots are visible at the upper right. The enormous margins show the complete Relief T (Type II) characteristics. This relief was used to enter only the top row (20 subjects), and the Neinken book (p. 467) notes, "The design of the T relief was a perfect example of Type II, and in this respect, none of the plates furnished finer examples of this type than those from the top row of Plate 11. They are quite scarce, as the plate was only in use slightly over six months. In addition, each sheet of 200 stamps only furnished 20 of these scarce top row Type II stamps."

With 2002 P.F. certificate. The Scott Catalogue premium for an unused Type II stamp from Plate 11 is too small, in our opinion.

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