United States Stamps

**3c 1851-57 Issues - Essays and Proofs**
Lot	Sym.	Lot Description
501	E	Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson, 3c Black, Die Essay on India (11-E1). Full even margins, intense shade, bright and fresh EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE RAWDON, WRIGHT, HATCH & EDSON 1851 ESSAY IN BLACK. Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson, the firm that printed the 1847 Issue, competed for and lost the contract for the new 1851 Issue to Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co. There are several similarities between this design and the 1847 Issue, the most obvious the "US" and "Post Office" labels at top. The central engraving is from a circa 1832 stock die by Cyrus Durand. This design was originally proposed for the 3c newspaper rate during the 1847 period. It was reused for RWH&E's submission for the 1851 Issue. Three original examples of this essay are recorded, including two in black and the single example in blue offered in this sale as lot 502. There are fewer than ten non-contemporary reprints from the original die, showing rust marks and a die scratch (see Sale 1113, lot 2056, for an example). (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com Get Market Data for [United States 11-E1]	$ 3,000.00 SOLD for $6,000.00 Will close during Public Auction
502	E	Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson, 3c Blue, Die Essay on India (11-E1). Full margins except small nick at top, detailed impression and rich color, small tear at bottom right THIS IS THE UNIQUE EXAMPLE OF THE RAWDON, WRIGHT, HATCH & EDSON 1851 ESSAY IN BLUE. Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson, the firm that printed the 1847 Issue, competed for and lost the contract for the new 1851 Issue to Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co. There are several similarities between this design and the 1847 Issue, the most obvious the "US" and "Post Office" labels at top. The central engraving is from a circa 1832 stock die by Cyrus Durand. This design was originally proposed by for the 3c newspaper rate during the 1847 period. It was reused for RWH&E's submission for the 1851 Issue. Three original examples of this essay are recorded, including two in black (one offered in this sale as lot 501) and this single example in blue. There are fewer than ten non-contemporary reprints from the original die, showing rust marks and a die scratch (see Sale 1113, lot 2056 for an example). Ex Finkelburg (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com Get Market Data for [United States 11-E1]	$ 10,000.00 SOLD for $2,000.00 Will close during Public Auction
503	E	Henry C. Benner, 3c Black, Large Die Essay on India (11-E2a). 31 x 41mm, crisp impression, fresh in every respect VERY FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE ESSAY FOR THE 3-CENT 1851 ISSUE, FORMERLY BELIEVED TO BE A RAWDON, WRIGHT, HATCH & EDSON PRODUCT, BUT IN ACTUALITY PRODUCED BY HENRY C. BENNER OF WASHINGTON D.C. THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, OR "STATE ONE," OF THE DIE. ONLY A HANDFUL OF THESE CONTEMPORARY BENNER ESSAYS EXIST. The outstanding e-book U.S. Three-Cent 1851 Essays for Postage Stamps, published by the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society and available on their website, gives a detailed account of the history of this Benner die essay, including the discovery of the original die on eBay, its acquisition, limited prints taken from the die and its subsequent donation to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. We commend it to readers and will not repeat it here. There are several differences in the die between the State 1, or contemporary state, and the State 2 and State 2 Reprints (the latter executed in recent years as mentioned above). This essay comes from State 1, which is the most desirable, as it was pulled at the time of the 1851 contract competition. (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com Get Market Data for [United States 11-E2]	$ 4,500.00 SOLD for $3,500.00 Will close during Public Auction
504	E	Gavit & Co., 3c Die Essays (11-E3d, 11-E4b, 11-E4c). Three essays, one of the Franklin portrait on Bond, 31 x 36mm in Brown, two of the Washington essays, one on Bond, 23 x 26mm in Black, one on India in Red Violet, cut to size and mounted on card, Very Fine (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com Get Market Data for [United States 11-E3, 11-E4]	$ 1,050.00 SOLD for $225.00 Will close during Public Auction
505	E	Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., 3c Green, Die Essay on Card (11-E5b). Cut to shape as are most but not impinging onto the design on any side, bright color, Fine and scarce, these have long been listed in Scott as 3c 1851 Issue essays, though recent research has failed to find evidence that Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. submitted any proposals to the Postmaster General for the 1851 competition (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com Get Market Data for [United States 11-E5b]	$ 1,250.00 SOLD for $600.00 Will close during Public Auction
506	E	Draper, Welsh & Co., 3c Die Essays (11-E7c,d,e, 11-E8a,b,c). Six essays, including three each of the 11-E7 and 11-E8 designs, papers include India, bond and glazed, two are approximately 36 x 40mm and the others are cut down to stamp size, each a different color, couple tiny India paper flaws but overall fresh and Very Fine group of these attractive essays (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com Get Market Data for [United States 11-E7, 11-E8]	$ 2,850.00 SOLD for $1,100.00 Will close during Public Auction
507	E	Danforth, Bald & Co., 3c Die Essays on India (11-E10b, 11-E12b). One of the double-line frame essay on India (11-E10b) in Green, 34 x 40mm, two of the single-line frame essay (11-E12b) on India, 26 x 35mm in Dull Blue and 25 x 30mm in Black, couple small India paper translucencies as usual, Very Fine (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com Get Market Data for [United States 11-E10b, 11-E12b]	$ 800.00 SOLD for $425.00 Will close during Public Auction
508	E	Bald, Cousland & Co., 3c Triple Die Essay on India (11-E14Ab). One of the triple essay in Brown (11-E14Ab), also three single cuts of the complete Washington vignette in Scarlet (11-E14) and the two different "Postage 3 Cents" designs in Black and Brown (11-E15b, 11-E16b), Very Fine, while long attributed to Bald, Cousland & Co. and listed in Scott as such, research in the e-book U.S. Three-Cent 1851 Essays for Postage Stamps (U.S. Classics Society website) states these were produced by Baldwin, Adams & Co. (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com Get Market Data for [United States 11-E14Ab]	$ 1,075.00 SOLD for $850.00 Will close during Public Auction
509	E	Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co., 3c Rose Carmine, Die Essay on India (11-E17a). Die sunk on 87 x 116mm card with full die sinkage, bright color, pencil *"By Casilear"* at bottom left, card with some minor toning and vertical folds along the edge of the die sinkage area VERY FINE AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE EXAMPLE OF THIS TOPPAN, CARPENTER, CASILIER & CO. 3-CENT DIE ESSAY FOR THE 1851 ISSUE. THIS COLOR/PAPER COMBINATION AND FULLY DIE SUNK FORMAT IS LIKELY UNIQUE. Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co. won the 1851 Issue contract and also bid on the 1861 Issue contract, submitting altered versions of several of their 1851 stamp designs for the competition (which was won by National Bank Note Co). In 1903 Ernest Schernikow reprinted many of the Toppan Carpenter essay proposals for the 1861 Issue, in a wide variety of colors and papers. This 3c 1851 design also exists as a Schernikow essay. The 1903 Schernikow essays create the impression for some collectors that all of these designs are common. However, the original 1861 Toppan Carpenter essays are scarce to rare, and this 3c 1851 Issue essay is a great rarity. Since keeping computerized records we have encountered only this example in Rose Carmine, which is fully die sunk (ex "Lake Shore"), one other in Rose Carmine on Ivory paper, which is cut down and mounted on card (ex Finkelburg), and the Bluish-Black example on Ivory paper, offered in this sale as lot 510 (ex Finkelburg). Each of these three is likely unique. Illustrated in Scott Catalogue. Ex "Lake Shore". (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com Get Market Data for [United States 11-E17a]	$ 3,000.00 SOLD for $4,250.00 Will close during Public Auction
510	E	Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co., 3c Bluish Black, Die Essay on Old Ivory Paper (11-E17b). 47 x 52mm, with clear layout lines (which are lacking in the Schernikow printings), small thin spots at top and bottom VERY FINE APPEARANCE AND EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF THIS TOPPAN, CARPENTER, CASILIER & CO. 3-CENT DIE ESSAY FOR THE 1851 ISSUE. THIS COLOR/PAPER COMBINATION IS LIKELY UNIQUE. Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co. won the 1851 Issue contract and also bid on the 1861 Issue contract, submitting altered versions of several of their 1851 stamp designs for the competition (which was won by National Bank Note Co). In 1903 Ernest Schernikow reprinted many of the Toppan Carpenter essay proposals for the 1861 Issue, in a wide variety of colors and papers. This 3c 1851 design also exists as a Schernikow essay. The 1903 Schernikow essays create the impression for some collectors that all of these designs are common. However, the original 1861 Toppan Carpenter essays are scarce to rare, and this 3c 1851 Issue essay is a great rarity. Since keeping computerized records we have encountered only the example in Rose Carmine offered in this sale as lot 509, which is fully die sunk (ex "Lake Shore"), one other in Rose Carmine on Ivory paper, which is cut down and mounted on card (ex Finkelburg), and this Bluish-Black example on Ivory paper (ex Finkelburg). Each of these three is likely unique. Ex Finkelburg (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com Get Market Data for [United States 11-E17b]	$ 2,750.00 SOLD for $6,250.00 Will close during Public Auction
511	E	Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co., 3c Black, Large Die Essay on India (11-E18Ab). Stamp size and affixed to card, clearly engraved horizontal and vertical background lines of vignette, crosses in diamonds (as in issued No. 17, but not issued Nos. 10-11) and line between "N" and "T" of "Cents", also horizontal lines in oval around vignette, small piece out at bottom right VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THIS 3-CENT 1851 ISSUE ESSAY IS LIKELY UNIQUE IN BLACK. The Brazer catalogue illustrates an identical 3c essay that also has a small piece missing from the design at lower right and appears to be the same impression. If they are, in fact, the same, then this is the unique listing example. Ex Finkelburg. Scott Retail of $2,000.00 is woefully out of date and has not changed since this essay last sold in our 2004 Rarities sale for $10,500 hammer (Sale 1113, lot 2094) (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com Get Market Data for [United States 11-E18Ab]	E. $ 5,000-7,500 SOLD for $5,750.00 Will close during Public Auction