CSA Catalog U-T-1, Trial Die Impression from the original Archer & Daly steel plate. The cracked steel plate was in the possession of August Dietz and this impression was included as the centerpiece of the deluxe version of his 1929 opus, The Postal Service of The Confederate States of America.  The soft piece of steel shows an intaglio of Archer & Daly’s 10¢ and appears to have served as a matrix for trial impressions of the 20¢ transfer roll as well as parts of a 20¢ note of the Planters Insurance Trust and Loan Company. Archer & Daly produced a number of Southern banknotes. There is a faint bend at one end of the impression. A wonderfully collectible showpiece. CCV $175. $180.

CSA Catalog U-2-3b, Baltimore Section and Columbus Section of Ten Cent Altered plate – proof of each on opposite sides of paper. The altered plates, the 2¢ and the 10¢, were shipped through the blockade to Richmond. De La Rue did not print any stamps from these plates. When the plates arrived in the Confederacy, they were never used by the Confederacy. The subsequent history is speculation. One theory is that they were were captured by the North during battle. Supposedly, a federal soldier took the 10¢ altered plate and cut it into sections to give as Rebel souvenirs to friends. According to August Dietz. Frank Baptist - who printed the 5-cent stamps for Archer & Daly in 1863 - positively identified the plates. He superintended the souvenir printings of the Altered Plate. The "Columbus Section" was so called because it was moved to the Ohio State Museum in Columbus. Through the years, there have been many printings from various sections of the original plate. The Columbus Section is one of the most well known and common, the Baltimore section much more scarce. You will immediately note the differences in the two sections / sides - see the "notches" at left on the Columbus section. CCV $125. $125.

CSA Catalog 6-PPa (SC#6P5), gutter pair 5¢ blue plate proof from the only known sheet (since broken up), signed PAK, slight crease in gutter as to be expected, a copy of the 1976 PF Certificate for the discovery sheet (Robson Lowe) at the time. The proof has a yellow cast compared to the regular issues, but is most difficult to determine without a reference copy. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET A GUTTER PAIR OF THE TYPOGRAPHED ISSUE, AS THE ISSUED STAMPS WERE CUT INTO PANES OF 100 before being shipped by blockade runner from England. CCV $1,200.  $750.

CSA 6P5, Plate Proof, position D44, signed on verso in pencil by Robson Lowe, copy of 1976 PF certificate for full sheet (only recorded/found by Robson Lowe), CCV $150. $170.

CSA catalog 6-TCDc (Scott 6TC1de) 1862 5¢ black trial color die proof on card, pristine both back and front, 94 mm x 109 mm, no imprint, 2017 PF Certificate, CCV $1,500.  $1,600.

CSA Catalog 6-PPa (SC#6P5), pair 5¢ blue plate proof, positions B85/B86 from the only known sheet (since broken up), 1 stamp signed Robson Lowe, the other PA Kaufmann, copy of 1976 PF Certificate for the discovery sheet (Robson Lowe). The proof has a yellow cast compared to the regular issues, but is difficult to determine without a reference copy. CCV and SCV $150 for a single. $325.

ALP2 2¢ deep green vertical pair (CSA Catalog U-1-a) ALTERED PLATE unofficial printing. Printed by August Dietz. Extremely Fine. $10.

CSA Catalog 6-U1-a, Ward (or Philadelphia) Private Printing made from authentic De La Rue printing plate captured from blockade runner Bermuda and now on display in the Gross Gallery of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. Printed in both black and a deceptive blue and sheets were ungummed. The stamp has a dull flat appearance. The outer frame line is slighter thicker than the genuine and the letters are not as thick. On most examples, Davis’ hair blends into the background. $5.

CSA Catalog 6-U-1b, 5¢ black Ward (Philadelphia) unofficial printing, ungummed as printed, Very Fine. Printed in blue and black from a complete plate of 400 that was on board the captured blockade runner Bermuda. Prints were made by the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia in 1954 by Philip Ward. The printing plate is now in the Gross Gallery of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. $5.

CSA Catalog 6-U-1b, 5¢ black PAIR Ward (Philadelphia) unofficial printing, ungummed as printed, Very Fine. Printed in blue and black from a complete plate of 400 that was on board the captured blockade runner Bermuda. Prints were made by the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia in 1954 by Philip Ward. The printing plate is now in the Gross Gallery of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. $10.

CSA Catalog 6-U-1b, 5¢ black BLOCK of 4 Ward (Philadelphia) unofficial printing, ungummed as printed, Very Fine. Printed in blue and black from a complete plate of 400 that was on board the captured blockade runner Bermuda. Prints were made by the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia in 1954 by Philip Ward. The printing plate is now in the Gross Gallery of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. $25.

CSA Catalog 6-U-1a, 5¢ blue PAIR Ward (Philadelphia) unofficial printing, ungummed as printed, Very Fine. Printed in blue and black from a complete plate of 400 that was on board the captured blockade runner Bermuda. Prints were made by the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia in 1954 by Philip Ward. The printing plate is now in the Gross Gallery of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. $10.

CSA Catalog 6-U-1a, 5¢ blue BLOCK of 4 Ward (Philadelphia) unofficial printing, ungummed as printed, Very Fine. Printed in blue and black from a complete plate of 400 that was on board the captured blockade runner Bermuda. Prints were made by the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia in 1954 by Philip Ward. The printing plate is now in the Gross Gallery of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. $25.

CSA Catalog 6-U-1a, 5¢ blue lower right corner block, unofficial printing, ungummed as printed, Very Fine. Printed in black and a deceptive blue from a complete plate of 400 that was aboard the captured blockade runner Bermuda. Prints were made by the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia in 1954 by Philip Ward. The stamp has a dull flat appearance. The outer frame line is slighter thicker than the genuine and the letters are not as thick. On most examples, Davis’ hair blends into the background. The printing plate is now in the Gross Gallery of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. $30.

CSA Catalog 6-U-1a, 5¢ blue bottom sheet margin block, unofficial printing, ungummed as printed, Very Fine. Printed in black and a deceptive blue from a complete plate of 400 that was aboard the captured blockade runner Bermuda. Prints were made by the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia in 1954 by Philip Ward. The stamp has a dull flat appearance. The outer frame line is slighter thicker than the genuine and the letters are not as thick. On most examples, Davis’ hair blends into the background. The printing plate is now in the Gross Gallery of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. $30.

CSA Catalog 6-U-1a, 5¢ blue vertical bottom sheet margin pair, unofficial printing, ungummed as printed, Very Fine. Printed in black and a deceptive blue from a complete plate of 400 that was aboard the captured blockade runner Bermuda. Prints were made by the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia in 1954 by Philip Ward. The stamp has a dull flat appearance. The outer frame line is slighter thicker than the genuine and the letters are not as thick. On most examples, Davis’ hair blends into the background. The printing plate is now in the Gross Gallery of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. $15.

CSA Catalog 6-U-1a, 5¢ blue right sheet margin single (Philadelphia) unofficial printing, ungummed as printed, Very Fine. Printed in black and a deceptive blue from a complete plate of 400 that was aboard the captured blockade runner Bermuda. Prints were made by the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia in 1954 by Philip Ward. The stamp has a dull flat appearance. The outer frame line is slighter thicker than the genuine and the letters are not as thick. On most examples, Davis’ hair blends into the background. The printing plate is now in the Gross Gallery of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. $5.

CSA Catalog 6-PPa (Scott 6P5), 5¢ blue plate proof pair, positions B63-B64 from the only known sheet (since broken up), signed Robson Lowe, copy of 1976 PF Certificate for the discovery sheet by Robson Lowe. The proof has a yellow cast compared to the regular issues, but is very difficult to determine without a reference copy. CCV and SCV $150 for a single. $325.

CSA 6P5, Plate Proof on wove, single signed Robson Lowe. The proof has a yellow cast compared to the regular issues, but is most difficult to determine without a reference copy. The only recorded sheet was found by Robson Lowe in October 1976 in the De La Rue & Co. archives in London. Lowe bought the sheet and submitted it to the Philatelic Foundation and received certificate 57 584. He signed the back of each block and they were cut into blocks and singles over the years. Some singles have signatures of Leonard H. Hartmann or PA Kaufmann, but only if they were part of a block with Lowe’s signature. CCV $150. Ex Ralph Swap. $170.

2¢ Altered Plate (CSA Catalog U-1-a) lower right corner block of 4, Unofficial Printing on watermarked vellum, printed by August Dietz Sr. in 1926, Showy. $25.

New York counterfeit, 5¢ aqua-blue pair, ungummed. This commonly-encountered forgery was printed from an electrotype plate by J. Walter Scott for use in the Scott albums in the early 1900s or possibly even the late 1800s. The master die was photographically reproduced from a print from the ten-cent altered plate and the value in the tablet changed from "TEN" back to "FIVE." See August Dietz’s take on it at with tell-tale characteristics https://www.trishkaufmann.com/assets/resources/ny-counterfeit-dietz.jpg  $10.

New York counterfeit, 5¢ aqua-blue vertical block of 4, ungummed. This commonly-encountered forgery was printed from an electrotype plate by J. Walter Scott for use in the Scott albums in the early 1900s or possibly even the late 1800s. The master die was photographically reproduced from a print from the ten-cent altered plate and the value in the tablet changed from "TEN" back to "FIVE." See August Dietz’s take on it at with tell-tale characteristics https://www.trishkaufmann.com/assets/resources/ny-counterfeit-dietz.jpg  $20.

CSA 14TC5, 1¢ light yellow brown, unissued trial color plate proof on wove, four large margins, Extremely Fine and scarce; signed Robson Lowe, with photocopy 1976 PF certificate for the only known pane of 200. SCV $500. $500.