Schernikow Die Essays

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.

Shernikow Die Essays - Toppan, Carpenter & Co.
1851 contract submissions

11-E17c
3c Complete design on proof paper (1903) Row 1: Black, Dull scarlet, & Deep green $125.00 each. Row 2: Full size Dull violet & Deep blue $175.00 each. Row 3: Black $95.00, Dull red-violet $125.00, & Black $125.00.

11-E17d
3c Complete design on colored card. Dark blue on pale green card, full size for this. $300.00 Deep orange on ivory card, somewhat reduced in size. $195.00

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

One-cent Issue (63-E)

63-E1b
1c Vignette die pulled on colored card (1903). Dull violet on blue card. $150.00 Orange on pale pink card. $125.00

63-E3d
1c Black vignette with side ornaments, on proof paper (1903). “Small translucencies at top” which are common to this paper. PF certificate. $75.00

Three-cent Issue (65-E)

Five-cent Issue (67-E)

67-E1d
5c vignette die pulled on green bond paper (1903). $150.00 The two cut down examples are $100.00 each (Second and third one sold)

67-E2b
5c second die stage pulled on colored card (1903). Examples exhibit full die sinkage. $175.00 each

67-E2c
5c second die stage pulled on green bond paper (1903). $160.00

Twelve-cent Issue (69-E)

69-E1c &69-E1d
12c vignette die pulled on green bond paper (1903). $150.00 12c vignette die pulled on colored card (1903). $150.00

69-E1d
12c vignette die pulled on colored card (1903). $150.00 each

69-E2e
12c second die stage pulled on colored card. $150.00 each

Twenty-four-cent Issue (70-E)

70-E1b
24c vignette die pulled on proof paper (1903). Example exhibits full die sinkage. $125.00

70-E1c
24c vignette die pulled on colored card (1903). Full size example exhibits full die sinkage. $150.00

70-E2a
24c Second stage pulled on proof paper (1903). Green & Yellow-brown $60.00 each

70-E3a
24c third die stage pulled on proof paper (1903). $100.00 each (Second one sold)

Ninety-cent Issue (72-E)

72-E5d
90c final die stage pulled on proof paper and printed through a matte, full size (1903). $175.00 each (Only the scarlet remains)