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Schernikow Die Essays
&
Great Central Fair
Essays and Proofs
 

                                                Page last updated 2-21-2011

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
.

 

Great Central Fair Essays and Proofs

WV11-E - Trial color die essays
Six different die essays pulled on proof paper which feature the complete design less numerals in the bottom tablets.  Order by row and position (i.e. - roww1, position 2) $150.00 each

WV12TC1 - Trial color die proofs
30c trial color die proof pulled on proof paper in black or carmine. $150.00 each

WV11-13TC1 - Se-tenant die proof
10c +30c Red-violet se-tenant trial color die proof pulled on proof paper. Quite scarce. $175.00

WV12TC - Trial color imperforate plate proofs
Imperforate trial color plate proofs on wove paper. Order by row and position (i.e. - roww1, position 2) $35.00 each

WV12TC - Trial color imperforate plate proofs - blocks of four
Imperforate trial color plate proof blocks of four on wove paper. Order by row and position (i.e. - roww1, position 2) $150.00 each

 

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

One-cent Issue

  63-E1b
1c Dull violet die essay (first state) pulled on blue card, reduced. $100.00

  63-E3d
1c Orange die essay (second state) pulled on proof paper. $85.00

  63-E9e
1c Carmine complete die essay (final state) pulled on proof paper, reduced. $50.00
 

Three-cent Issue

65-E1a
3c Scarlet die essay (first state) pulled on proof paper. $75.00

65-E2b
3c Yellow-brown die essay (second state) pulled on proof paper. $75.00
 

Five-cent Issue

67-E1b
5c Ultramarine die essay pulled on proof paper. $60.00

67-E2a
5c Yellow-brown die essay (second state) pulled on proof paper. $100.00

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

67-E3a
5c Dusky Olive die essay (third state) pulled on proof paper. $150.00
 

Twelve-cent Issue

69-E2a
12c Yellow-brown die essay (second state) pulled on proof paper. $100.00

69-E2e
12c Violet die essay (second state) pulled on proof paper. $150.00

69-E3a
12c Orange-brown die essay (third state) pulled on proof paper. $100.00

69-E3a
12c Ultramarine die essay (third state) pulled on proof paper. $125.00

 

Twenty four-cent Issue

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

70-E1a
24c Carmine die essay (first state) pulled on proof paper. $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

70-E3a
24c red-violet die essay (third state) pulled on proof paper. $125.00
 

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. $75.00

72-E1a
90c Dark Carmine die essay (first state) pulled on proof paper. $75.00

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 Yellow-brown 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-E2b
90c Dull Orange die essay (second state) pulled on green bond. $150.00

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

72-E5d
90c Dark Blue  die essay (fourth state) printed through matte on proof paper. $150.00

72-E5g
90c Orange-brown die essay (fourth state) pulled on white bond paper. $175.00

 

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