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United States Essays and Proofs continued...

1867 National Bank Note Co., Grilled Essays
Lot Sym. Lot Description  
130 E ImageCharles F. Steel Experimental Grill Essays (79-E13a). 80 x 140mm wove paper bearing four different types of grill impressions, signed "First experiments of grill, Chas. F. Steel" at bottom, all four are unadopted grill designs, one very strong and breaking thru paper at bottom, some toning, crease at bottom left and light vertical crease, few thins

AN OUSTANDING AND RARE ESSAY SHOWING THE FIRST EXPERIMENT OF THE GRILLING DEVICE INVENTED BY CHARLES F. STEEL AND SIGNED BY HIM. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT GRILLED ISSUE ITEMS IN EXISTENCE.

On October 22, 1867, Patent No. 70,147 was issued to Charles F. Steel for a device specifically designed for applying a grill to postage stamps. As noted in our introduction to the grilled issues in the Siegel Encyclopedia, available at http://siegelauctions.com/enc/pdf/1867.pdf , correspondence is known from Steel as early as 1865 demonstrating his efforts to persuade officials to employ his invention. This essay, likely produced in 1865, is of great historical importance.

We are aware of only three examples of this essay. One of the others realized $13,000 hammer in our 2005 Lake Shore sale. In that example the positions of the top and bottom grills are reversed.

Ex Finkelburg (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 $ 9,000.00

SOLD for $8,000.00
Will close during Public Auction
131 Ebl Image3c Grilled Circle on Tan Wove, Perforated 12 (79-E13e). Bottom right corner selvage block of four, original gum, bottom stamps Mint N.H., natural short gum at right and bottom corresponding to creases, few natural internal creases, appears Very Fine, ex Finkelburg, Scott Retail as singles (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 $ 800.00

SOLD for $850.00
Will close during Public Auction
132 E Image3c Grilled Circle on Yellowish Wove, Perforated 12, Experimental Cancel (79-E13f var). Vertical strip of three, bottom two stamps only with embossing, original gum, h.r., showing trial cancel of similar design to grill, light vertical crease at right corresponding to end of gum, Very Fine appearing and unusual item, ex Finkelburg (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 500-750

SOLD for $375.00
Will close during Public Auction
133 Ebl Image3c Grilled Circle on White Wove, Perforated 12 (79-E13g). Right sheet margin block of six, original gum, h.r., top two rows with tête-bêche grills, inscription in margin reads "Subjected to a half hour's pressure after embossing" and matching "2." at corner, faint vertical creases affecting left row and selvage

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE AND IMPORTANT ESSAY BLOCK WITH TÊTE-BÊCHE GRILLS AND NOTATIONS RELATED TO FLATTENING THE PAPER.

In Charles F. Steel's 1867 patent (excerpts in Brookman on page 69), he notes that as part of the process, after embossing, he would "flatten a portion or the whole of the paper, so as to nearly remove all indications of the embossing, except that the fiber of the paper remains disturbed and partially broken. After this I print on the surface thus prepared." Our records do not indicate whether the tête-bêche design was noted by experts before this item was sold in the 1999 Finkelburg sale.

Ex Finkelburg (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 $ 3,500.00

SOLD for $3,500.00
Will close during Public Auction
134 E Image[No Value] All-Over Grill Essay, Colored Paper (79-E14b var). Four different colored papers affixed to 152 x 228mm card, manuscript at bottom "Section of Grill used by National Bank Note Co." in handwriting and signed first by J. Macdonough (manager of N.B.N. Co.), Alexander Duke (operator of grilling machine), W. Dougherty (last in pencil), also signed by "Chas. F. Steel, Inventor and patentee of the grill", small thin at top of card, small pen notation marks added at far right of card by a challenged collector, top paper sample hinged back in place

VERY FINE. A FASCINATING AND EXHIBIT-WORTHY GRILLED ISSUE ESSAY.

The card, signed by both the manager of National Bank Note Co. and Steel (with his notation as inventor and patentee), provides an acceptance of Steel's patent claim by National Bank Note Co.

Ex Finkelburg (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 4,000-5,000

SOLD for $4,500.00
Will close during Public Auction
135 E Image1c Blue, A. Grill, All-Over Grill Essay with Points Up (unlisted in Scott). Original gum, full and well-defined grill, a few perfs missing at right, centered to right as are all four known

ONE OF FOUR RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE 1867 ONE-CENT ALL-OVER GRILL ESSAY, WHICH IS UNLISTED IN SCOTT. THIS IS THE UPPER RIGHT STAMP FROM THE STEEL, EARL OF CRAWFORD AND WORTHINGTON BLOCK OF FOUR.

The four recorded examples of the 1c A Grill essay come from the block of four that originated in the Charles F. Steel archive and was part of the Earl of Crawford and George Worthington collections. The grill has tiny "X" pyramidal points impressed into the back, which differs from the essay grill made of small squares (79-E15a/b); it is very similar to the issued A Grill. The 1c block and a 5c block with the identical grill were acquired by the Earl of Crawford from the archive of papers and stamps retained by Charles F. Steel, who patented the grilling device. For more information about the origins of the experimental A and C grills, please refer to Chronicle 134 and to our Siegel Encyclopedia at http://siegelauctions.com/enc/pdf/1867.pdf .

Two of the stamps from Steel's 5c block have actually been certified by the Philatelic Foundation as Scott 80, which indicates how similar these grills are to the issued A Grill (Scott 79, 80 and 81). We believe that the 1c and 5c A Grills from the Steel blocks deserve Scott Catalogue listings -- we would go so far as to put them at the front of the catalogue, not in the essay section. There is precedent for giving the 1c and 5c grilled stamps from the Steel blocks full Scott listings: the 4c Pan-American Invert and the 4c and 8c Bluish Paper stamps. None of them were issued at the post office, but nonetheless they are genuine varieties that reached the public through official channels. Whether or not Scott's editors concur with our view, collectors should consider the stamp offered here to be an integral part of classic U.S. philately.

Illustrated in the Evans book (p. 45). Ex Steel, Earl of Crawford and Worthington. From the C.W. Christian collection and last offered in our 2000 Rarities sale. With 2000 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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 E. $ 5,000-7,500

SOLD for $8,500.00
Will close during Public Auction
136 Ebl Image3c Rose, All-Over Grill Essay, Points Down (79-E15a). The so-called "Biscuit Grill", top margin imprint block of twelve, large margins all around, original gum, few stamps Mint N.H., few natural internal paper creases, light gum soaks

VERY FINE. A RARE IMPRINT BLOCK OF TWELVE OF THE "BISCUIT" ALL-OVER GRILL ESSAY.

The only other imprint blocks contained in Power Search are bottom plate number and imprint blocks of 12 and eight (latter ex Lake Shore and Hansen).

Ex Finkelburg. Scott Retail as singles (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 $ 3,000.00

SOLD for $3,000.00
Will close during Public Auction
137 E Image3c Rose, All-Over Grill Essay, Points Down (79-E15a var). The so-called "Biscuit Grill", bold strike of New York City Segmented Diamond Within Circle cancellation, known used in July 1867 and evidently applied to a number of experimental grills to test the efficacy of grilling, Very Fine and extremely rare, approximately 12-15 examples are known, ex Finkelburg (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 750-1,000

SOLD for $550.00
Will close during Public Auction
138 Ebl Image3c Rose, All-Over Pinpoint Grill Essay, Points Up (79-E15d). The so-called "Music Box" grill, bottom imprint and plate no. 34 block of eight, original gum, two stamps h.r., couple Mint N.H., tiny sealed edge tear at bottom of selvage, Fine appearance and very rare, Power Search contains only three plate blocks of this essay -- this and the example in the following lot with Points Down Grill, as well as the Points Up example which is ex Lake Shore and Hansen, this block ex Finkelburg, Scott Retail as singles (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 $ 1,000.00

SOLD for $6,000.00
Will close during Public Auction
139 Ebl Image3c Rose, All-Over Pinpoint Grill Essay, Points Down (79-E15e). The so-called "Music Box" grill, bottom imprint and plate no. 11 block of eight, original gum, two stamps h.r., couple Mint N.H., sealed edge tear thru selvage affects one stamp, Fine appearance and very rare, Power Search contains only three plate blocks of this essay -- this and the example in the previous lot with Points Up Grill, as well as the Points Up example which is ex Lake Shore and Hansen, the Points Down essay has been reported only from plate no. 11, ex Finkelburg, Scott Retail as singles (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 $ 1,000.00

SOLD for $1,900.00
Will close during Public Auction
140 Ebl Image[No Value] C. Grill Essay on White Wove, Points Down, Perforated 12 (79-E15g var). Block of six with narrow left selvage, original gum, few natural gum skips, showing trace of partially erased grill, signed "J. Macdonough" (manager of National Bank Note Co.) and "Alexr. Duke" (operator of grilling machine), small gum soak at left, otherwise Very Fine and interesting item, ex Finkelburg (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 1,000-1,500

SOLD for $1,900.00
Will close during Public Auction

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