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#122-E3

1869 90c Washington Essay, Plate on Medium India Paper, No Head in Vignette, Imperf., Various Colors, Mystic's Choice

$250.00

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1869 Essay Stamp Documents Design Process of Stamp #122

Now you can own #122-E3, an essay of the 1869 90¢ stamp.  It was produced by National Bank Note Company as part of the Pictorial Issue.  The essay features the vignette oval with narrow-spaced horizontal lines.  The image of Lincoln is not inside the oval.  This plate essay was printed on medium India paper with various ink colors.

Private firms submitted essays to demonstrate the high quality of their work – so very few were produced.  And that’s a shame – these masterpieces represent an important step in philatelic history.  Now you can get this seldom-seen, handsomely engraved treasure for your collection.

More About Essays

Essays are designs for stamp vignettes, stamp borders, or both combined, which were never approved and used in the final printing of a stamp.  Even if a design is finally adopted with only slight modifications, it is still an "essay".  To attain the status of a proof, a proposed design, or essay, must be exactly like the issued stamp for which it was submitted.

Private bank note companies made all US stamps from 1847 to 1894.  Essays and printing bids were submitted by those firms. As early as 1851, the US Post Office Department established a policy of advertising for stamp proposals to be accompanied by essays, or examples of the stamps to be furnished. After the bids were opened, an Expert Committee was asked to rule on the designs, colors and paper.

 

1869 Essay Stamp Documents Design Process of Stamp #122

Now you can own #122-E3, an essay of the 1869 90¢ stamp.  It was produced by National Bank Note Company as part of the Pictorial Issue.  The essay features the vignette oval with narrow-spaced horizontal lines.  The image of Lincoln is not inside the oval.  This plate essay was printed on medium India paper with various ink colors.

Private firms submitted essays to demonstrate the high quality of their work – so very few were produced.  And that’s a shame – these masterpieces represent an important step in philatelic history.  Now you can get this seldom-seen, handsomely engraved treasure for your collection.

More About Essays

Essays are designs for stamp vignettes, stamp borders, or both combined, which were never approved and used in the final printing of a stamp.  Even if a design is finally adopted with only slight modifications, it is still an "essay".  To attain the status of a proof, a proposed design, or essay, must be exactly like the issued stamp for which it was submitted.

Private bank note companies made all US stamps from 1847 to 1894.  Essays and printing bids were submitted by those firms. As early as 1851, the US Post Office Department established a policy of advertising for stamp proposals to be accompanied by essays, or examples of the stamps to be furnished. After the bids were opened, an Expert Committee was asked to rule on the designs, colors and paper.

 

 
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