1c Blue, C. Grill Essay with Points Down (79-E15i). With 11 x 16mm male grill impressed points down on face of stamp, unused (no gum), reperfed at top, few perf flaws at left

THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE ONE-CENT WITH C GRILL POINTS DOWN ESSAY. THE CORRESPONDING ESSAY WITH POINTS UP IS BELIEVED TO EXIST.

This 1c C Grill Points Down essay originated in the Charles F. Steel archive and was part of the Earl of Crawford and George Worthington collections. The grill is made up of tiny "X" pyramidal points impressed into the face, points down. This male grill differs from the issued C Grill, which was made by a female grill surface of embossed depressions. When applied to the sheet, facing toward the depressions, the female C Grill created raised bosses on the face of each stamp.

The various experimental grilled stamps were acquired by the Earl of Crawford from the archive of papers and stamps retained by Charles F. Steel, who patented the grilling device. This 1c appeared in the Worthington sale. The 3c, 5c, 10c, 12c and 30c values with C Grill Points Up and Down were sold in the Col. E. H. R. Green sale (Part XXV, Costales sale, Feb. 18-21, 1946, lots 204-213) and are currently owned by a midwest collector. For more information about the origins of the experimental A and C grills, please refer to Chronicle 134 and to our October 1998 catalogue of the Zoellner collection (also available on our website).

Illustrated in the Evans 1c 1861-68 book (p. 46). Ex Steel, Earl of Crawford, Worthington and Weill Stock. With 1969 P.F. certificate and 1971 letter from Lester G. Brookman. Scott Retail $4,000.00

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