121-E1p – 1869 30c Surrender of General Burgoyne Essay, Plate in Black on Thin Surface Tinted Paper, Various Colors, Mystic’s Choi

1869 Essay Stamp Documents Design Process of Stamp #121

Now you can own #121-E1p, an essay of the 1869 30¢ stamp.  It was produced by National Bank Note Company as part of the Pictorial Issue.  The vignette is quite different from the stamp that was issued.  It pictures the Surrender of General Burgoyne at the Battle of Saratoga.  This plate essay was printed in black on thin, surface-tinted paper.

Private firms submitted essays to demonstrate the high quality of their work – so very few were produced.  And that’s a shame – these masterpieces represent an important step in philatelic history.  Now you can get this seldom-seen, handsomely engraved treasure for your collection.

More About Essays

Essays are designs for stamp vignettes, stamp borders, or both combined that were never approved and used in the final printing of a stamp. Even though a design is finally adopted with only slight modifications, it is still an “essay”. To attain the status of a proof, a proposed design, or essay, must be exactly like the issued stamp for which it was submitted.

Private bank note companies made all US stamps from 1847 to 1894. Those firms submitted essays and printing bids. As early as 1851, the U.S. Post Office Department established a policy of advertising for stamp proposals to be accompanied by essays, or examples of the stamps to be furnished. After the bids were opened, an Expert Committee was asked to rule on the designs, colors and paper.