Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson, 3c Brown Violet, Reprint Die Essay on Proof Paper (11-E1 var). 57 x 43mm, showing full die sinkage on three sides, rust marks from the die outside the design, split along die sinkage at left far from design

VERY FINE EXAMPLE OF THIS RARE 1851 ISSUE ESSAY DESIGN PRODUCED BY THE FIRM OF RAWDON, WRIGHT, HATCH & EDSON.

Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson, the firm that printed the 1847 Issue, competed for and lost the contract for the new 1851 Issue to Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co. There are several similarities between this design and the 1847 Issue, the most obvious the "US" and "Post Office" labels at top. The central engraving is from a circa 1832 stock die by Cyrus Durand. This design was most likely originally proposed for the 3c newspaper rate during the 1847 period and was reused for RWH&E's submission for the 1851 Issue. According to a 2015 newsletter from James E. Lee, which offered a similar example, "this impression was probably pulled in 1858 after Rawdon merged with American Bank Note Co. By that time the die had rusted as shown by the proof."

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