USPCC S1E-C, Hyman L. Lipman, Philadelphia, 1c Deep Green on Thick White Wove Card, Forerunner Postal Card Essay, lithograph stylized design surrounding Franklin portrait and "U.S. Post Card, One Cent", two-line overprint including "Submitted as a Specimen Postal Card", white backing paper with blue crossed ruled lines 7mm apart; tiny stain, Very Fine, one of the most striking postal card essays submitted to Third Assistant PMG Terrell for the first US postal card issue, ex-Brazer (USPCC S1E-C, $2,000; Scott UX1E) (Image)

CV. 1,500

USPCC S1E-Hb, American Bank Note Co., 1c Green on Manila, Forerunner Postal Card Essay, typographed essay on 130x77mm manila card; slight overall toning endemic to this paper, tears and stain, Fine and rare (USPCC S1E-Hb, $750; Scott UX1E) (Image)

CV. 150

USPCC S1E-Xb, National Banknote Co., 1c Gray on white wove, forerunner postal card essay, typographed 131x78mm design with Lady Liberty from a pantograph engraving on 137x84mm white wove paper, fresh and Very Fine (USPCC S1E-Xb, $1,800; Scott UX1E) (Image)

CV. 800

USPCC S1E-Za, National Bank Note Co., 1873, 1c Black on Glazed Wove Paper, Liberty Head Essay, typographed vignette only essay on 44 x 47mm wove paper, Very Fine (USPCC S1E-Za, $1,500; Scott UX1E) (Image)

CV. 500

USPCC S1E-Zb, National Bank Note Co., 1873, 1c Black, Stamp Die Essay on White Wove typographed Die essay from engraved steel die on 28x36mm white wove paper, mounted on linen matting, Very Fine, a rare National Bank Note Company essay for the first US postal card issue (USPCC S1E-Zb, $4,000; Scott UX1E) (Image)

CV. 2,000

USPCC S1E-Zd, 1873 1c Essays on Buff card, group of 20 mostly different in range of colors on buff card, both sides smooth surface, usually with vertically laid watermarked lines, one philatelically used; few with some toning, F-VF, a scarce group (USPCC S1E-Zd, $6,000; Scott UX1E) (Image)

CV. 750

USPCC S1E-Ze, 1873 1c Orange buff on buff, "POD" with bars watermark, Very Fine and scarce essay (USPCC S1E-Ze, $750) (Image)

CV. 160

UX1P, 1873 1c Brown on Buff, Master Die Proof, unwatermarked, showing the secret mark (a small dash of color inside the right angle of the inside frame above the indicia), fresh and Very Fine (USPCC S1Pa, $1,000) (Image)

CV. 200

UX1P var, 1873 Blank card sample, large USPOD watermark on sample blank card stock; lightly toned, Fine and scarce (USPCC S1S, $750) (Image)

CV. 100

UX1, UX1 var, 1873 1c Brown on buff, Large watermark, group of six cards (five mint, one clean face/printed back), note some slight differences in paper stock and including the SP4 and SP7 "Big Hole" damage varieties, fresh and F-VF (Scott $2,070, USPCC S1, S1d) (Image)

CV. 240

UX3TC, 1873 1c Trial Color Proofs on Buff, small "USPOD" Watermark, group of eight different colors including dark red violet, orange brown, olive green, green, light green with ms. and 1875 preprinting on reverse, Very Fine and rare group (USPCC S2TCa, $2,000) (Image)

CV. 800

UX3TC, 1873 1c Trial Color Proofs, on shades of greenish cards, set of 12 mostly different, Very Fine and scarce group (USPCC S2TCa//o) (Image)

CV. 400

USPCC S3E-A, 1875 1c Brown and black, Morgan Envelope Co., Model essay drawing in black ink, India ink wash with lead pencil shading lines on the large letters "United States," stamp has been cut from a normal brown postal card and pasted on, lead pencil border 129.5 x 76mm while design is 125 x 71mm, on white "Bristol" board, .013" thick, 146 x 93mm, Very Fine and eye-catching, unique, ex-Horton (Scott UX4E; USPCC S3E-A, $2,400) (Image)

CV. 500

USPCC S3E-B, 1875 1c Brown and black, Morgan Envelope Co., Model drawing in black ink, with black printed tablet "Postal Card" and cutout stamp from a normal brown postal card with black ink horizontal background lines drawn on the card, manuscript "/C/" in lower left corner, on faint yellow-green card, .0115" thick, 130 x 76.5mm, Very Fine, a spectacular and unique essay, ex-Horton (Scott UX4E; USPCC S3E-B, $2,400) (Image)

CV. 500

USPCC S4E-Ib, 1875 1c Morgan Envelope Co. Liberty Essay, on 1 g/2 dull v. faint red card with 35 n/l dim v. dusky green printing, Very Fine and choice (USPCC S4E-Ib, $400) (Image)

CV. 100

UX4 var, 1875 1c Black on buff, Inverted watermark, Chicago cancel, 1877 handwritten message plus commercial sender's handstamp on back, Very Fine (UPSS S3a, $400) (Image)

CV. 90

UX4 var, 1875 1c Black on buff, Reversed watermark, mint card, watermarked small U.S.P.O.D., Very Fine and rare reversed watermark variety (Scott $3,500 for normal, USPCC S3b) (Image)

CV. 1,000

UX4 var, 1875 1c Black on buff, Inverted and Reversed watermark, mint card, watermarked small U.S.P.O.D., Very Fine and rare reversed watermark variety (Scott $3,500 for normal, USPCC S3c) (Image)

CV. 1,000

USPCC S4PSa, 1875 1c Black on buff, Production specimen, unwatermarked, clear strike of blue "U.S. Postal Card Ag'cy. Springfield Mass., Sep. 17, 1875" double-oval datestamp over indicia, Very Fine, September 17th, 1875 was the first day of production of the 1875 postal card by contractor Morgan Envelope Company, ex-Slawson (Scott UX5PS; USPCC S4PSa, $300) (Image)

CV. 120

UX5TC, 1875 1c Postal Card, Trial Color Proofs with Manuscript "Essay," group of 3 different card and printing colors, each with manuscript "Essay," Very Fine and rare trio of cards, produced for the 1881 International Cotton Exposition held in Atlanta, Georgia (USPCC S4TC, $750+) (Image)

CV. 600

UX5TC, 1875 1c Postal Card, Trial Color Proofs, unwatermarked, group of 21 in a range of different card and printing colors; some faults, Very Fine and rare large group (USPCC S4TC, $5,250) (Image)

CV. 1,000

UX5TC, 1875 1c Postal Card, Trial Color Proofs on Double Color Cards, unwatermarked, group of 3 different, Very Fine and scarce group (USPCC S4TCbb, dd, ee; $1,050) (Image)

CV. 300

USPCC S4E-Fa, Plimpton Envelope Co., 1877, 1c Dark Red on Gray Card, Essay, typographed "United States, Postal Card." in black on 130 x 76mm 21 d/3 dismal pale o-y-yellow card, Very Fine, The only recorded example (USPCC S4E-Fa, $300) (Image)

CV. 200

USPCC S4E-Fa, Plimpton Envelope Co., 1877, 1c Dark Red on Gray Card, Essay, typographed "United States, Postal Card." in black on 130x76mm 17 d/2 dull pale o-yellow card; light crease and repair, Very Fine appearance, the only recorded example (USPCC S4E-Fa, $300) (Image)

CV. 150

USPCC S5TC-a, 1879 2c Postal card, Trial color proofs, complete set of 11 colors, four with manuscript "Essay" from 1881 Atlanta International Cotton Exposition, bright and fresh colors, few small corner flaws but overall Very Fine, an extremely attractive set (Scott UX6TC; USPCC S5TC-a, $1,650) (Image)

CV. 300