Rejoice with me! For the past 21 years I have had a hole in my Bank Note Issues collection that has been impossible to fill. Today I received in the mail the last large die proof I need for completion of all the Bank Notes from 1870 through the smalls of 1890-93, half of them signed by one or more engraver.
This is the proof for 215P1, the 4c carmine of 1888. Singly the most elusive of all the large dies for the Bank Note Issues. This particular proof rarely is available on the market. Even the Brazer/Joyce sale of the Brazer reference collection in 1990 had only hybrid large dies for this one. I had opportunity to buy a set of the four designs of 1888 in a Siegel sale a couple of years ago, and I went for it just to get the proof for this stamp, despite already having the other three signed. But when the set arrived it turns out they were hybrids, miss-described. I should have kept them, but did not, and had to face the glaring hole for a while longer. Finally I saw this one on the web site of a dealer I have worked with in the past, and called him to confirm that it was still available. Now here it is, full size with gilt edging on three sides, and I could not be more delighted.
Posted 07/08/2014 4:52 pm
