Lot no. 320 •

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Official Stamp (Never issued) 1840, VR 1d. black, TA, Imprimatur from the lower-left corner of the (before hardening) sheet with Plate Letter ‚A‘ , inscription and pen initials „C.P.“, slight thinning in margin and slight vertical crease, otherwise fine. One of the most important items in the history of the invention of Postage Stamps: The World’s First Postage Stamp that was prepared but not issued! For the other imprimatur (first printing of the world's first postage stamp) registered on 15 April 1840, see lot 303).

Note: Two Imprimatur sheets were registered on 15 April and 9 May 1840. From both sheets the lower left stamp TA was removed, of which the other is housed in the Royal Collection of His Majesty King Charles III.
The manuscript initials „C P“ are of Charles Pressly, Secretary of the Stamp Office. He endorsed on the reverse of the First Registeration Sheet, where this VR 1d. black, TA was removed: : 
„The impression of the other side of this paper of the Die or Plate, intended by the Commissioners of Stamps & Taxes in pursuance of the several powers and authorities vested in them for expressing and denoting the Stamp duty of one penny for the postage of Letters was taken in my presence and in the presence of a Commissioner the 15th. Day of April 1840, Chas. Pressly, Secy.“ 
The manuscript note proves, that this corner sheet single originates from the first printed sheet of the first (re-jected) unissed postage stamp in the world.

Provenance: Leonard H. Clark Collection, Robson Lowe, 29 May 1946, lot 9
'Chartwell‘ collection, Spink, 16 February 2012, lot 208
Simon Beresford-Wylie Collection, 346. Corinphila Auction, 26 Nov. 2024, lot 20021