Schernikow Die Essays
&
Great Central Fair Proofs and Stamps
from the Robert and Marjorie Sered Kantor Collection

Early in the 20th Century there occurred a bankruptcy sale of the effects of the Philadelphia Bank Note Company which had inherited from the Toppan, Carpenter Company the duplicate dies of the 1851 issue, to which numerals had been added to all the values except the 10c and 30c, for submission as essays with their proposal for the 1861 contract.

The buyer of the dies was Ernest Schernikow, an officer of the Hamilton Bank Note Company. In 1903 they made reprints from the dies in as many as fifteen colors. It is believed that this was done to help recoup the $10,000.00 Schernikow paid for the effects of the Philadelphia Bank Note Company. For years they were peddled along Nassau Street in New York.

There is a separate page for the Schernikow reprints of the Philadelphia Bank Note Co. 1877 essays.

We recently acquired the balance of this great collection directly from the Kantor's. You may recall that the heart of the collection was sold in a Robert A. Siegel sale (no. 766A) in 1995. The collection contained over 200 copies of proofs and 200 copies of issued stamps (mint and used) from the Philadelphia Great Central Fair. Much of this material came from the collections principally formed by Elliott Perry, Dr. Ludwig Simon, William W. Steele, J. william Middendorf II, and Vincent Domanski. In addition to the proofs and stamps there are about 400 covers from the Great Central Fair, Metropolitan Fair, and with various sanitary commission corner cards. The covers are currently being prepared to go up on our Civil War page under postal history.

WV12TC - Double paper with large design (scarified)
The paper consists of a bottom layer of wove paper to which a layer of punched parchment has been laminated. The punched design of the parchment layer is that of a large four pointed star. The impression of the stamp rests on the top layer. These are only printed in black. Singles: $35.00 each, Blocks: $175.00 each.

WV12TC - Double paper with small design (scarified)
The paper consists of a bottom layer of wove paper to which a layer of punched parchment has been laminated. The punched design of the parchment layer is that of a small four pointed star. The impression of the stamp rests on the top layer. These are only printed in black. This variety is scarce by comparison to the large design. Singles: $50.00 each, Blocks: $225.00 each.

WV12TC - Trial color imperforate plate proofs
Trial color plate proofs on wove paper and imperforate. Nine colors (light ultramarine, bright blue, purple, yellow-green, olive, vermillion, orange, brown, and grayish-black) available. $35.00 each. Blocks of four available in light ultramarine, bright blue, yellow-green, vermillion, orange, brown, and grayish-black at $175.00 each.

WV11P, WV12P, WV13P - Card proofs
Plate proofs on cardboard. These were produced in blue (10c), green (20c), and black (30c). All three values are available. $35.00 each. Blocks of four are available for only the black (30c) at $175.00

WV12TC - Opaque paper
Trial color plate proofs on thick opaque paper that has the appearance of being ribbed. Both listed colors: brown-orange and grayish black, are available. This variety is scarce. $35.00 each. Blocks of four of both colors are available at $175.00 each.

WV12TC - Trial color perforated plate proofs
Trial color plate proofs on wove paper, perforated, and without gum. The perforating normally runs off center and in many cases it cuts well into the design. Five colors (vermillion, green, blue, gray-black, and black-brown) available in either singles or blocks. Singles: $35.00 each, Blocks: $175.00 each.

WV11 - WV13 - Issued mint stamps
We all three of the issued stamps available in a range of condition. XF (as shown) with full original gum at $60.00 each, without gum $40.00 each. VF with full original gum $40.00 each, without gum $25.00 each. F-VF (perfs will touch on two sides) without gum $20.00 each.

WV12 - WV13 - Issued used stamps
Used copies are available of the both the 20c and 30c values. The centering will be F-VF, and will show a portion of the Great Central Fair CDS. $200.00 each.

PROOF MULTIPLES:

WV11-13P4 – Plate Proof Vertical pairs
Complete set of plate proofs on cardboard. (EP56-04) $300.00

WV13P4 – Strip of four
30c Black cardboard plate proof vertical strip of four. (EP56-05) $200.00

Shernikow Die Essays - Toppan, Carpenter & Co. 1861 contract submissions

One-cent Issue

Three-cent Issue

Five-cent Issue

67-E3a
5c Black die essay (third state) pulled on proof paper. Ex-Finkelburg $150.00

67-E3a
5c Red brown die essay (third state) pulled on proof paper. Hinge thin visible at top. Ex-Finkelburg $100.00

Twelve-cent Issue

69-E2e12c violet die essay on pale green card. $150.00

Twenty four-cent Issue

70-E1a
24c Lilac die essay (first state) on proof paper. (Ex-Koch) $60.00

70-E1c
24c Blue die essay (first state) pulled on pale green card. $75.00

70-E1c
24c Brown orange die essay (first state) pulled on light pink card. $100.00

Ninety-cent Issue

72-E1a
90c Orange-brown die essay (first state) pulled on proof paper, reduced in size. $60.00

72-E1a
90c Orange die essay (first state) pulled on proof paper, reduced in size, thin. $60.00

72-E1c
90c Green die essay (first state) pulled on green bond, reduced in size. (Ex-Koch) $135.00

72-E2a
90c Red-violet die essay (second state) pulled on proof paper, small hinge translucency. $60.00

72-E2a
90c Green die essay (second state) pulled on proof paper, small hinge translucency. $60.00

72-E2a
90c Orange die essay (second state) pulled on proof paper, reduced in size. $75.00

72-E3a
90c Lilac die essay (third state) pulled on proof paper, small hinge translucency. $85.00

72-E3a
90c Yellow-brown die essay (third state) pulled on proof paper, small hinge translucency. $85.00

72-E3a
90c Brown die essay (third state) pulled on proof paper, small hinge translucency. $85.00

72-E5d
90c Red-violet, die essay (fourth state) printed through matte on proof paper $175.00