CORINPHILA AUCTIONS 297 - 308 Day 1

1884: De La Rue Master Proof for the ½ d. value, with Imperforate Imprimatur with blank Duty Plate printed in dull green on card (62 x 82 mm.) with "HALFPENNY" hand-painted in dull green with red surround below. Endorsed at top right "15th OCT '85", the Essay signed off as accepted in red at left and, once approved by the Crown Agents, signed again at lower right "21/10" in black manuscript. The ½ d. value was ordered (Oct 13) as a matter of urgency and De La Rue promised delivery in three weeks for an order of 60 sheets. A similar example, also dated 15 October 1884, is illustrated in "The De La Rue Collection" edited by Frank Walton RDP on page 4513. An extremely rare and wonderful Proof.rnProvenance: Collection H.G. Porter; Collection Col. J.R. Danson, RL, London, 10 March 1971, lot 1534.