16455

50¢ Third Issue Justice Experimental Milton 3E50F

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:6,000.00 - 9,000.00 USD
50¢ Third Issue Justice Experimental Milton 3E50F
<B>50¢ Third Issue Justice Experimental Milton 3E50F.4 Gem New, Damaged.</B></I> Printed on a thin India Proofing paper, this Justice face is from the completed plate as it was prepared for the hand-autographed notes. Most of the outer portions of the note surrounding the Justice design have been overprinted with a green lathwork pattern very similar to the security design used on 1862 and 1863 U.S. Treasury Bonds. This design differs in that the lathwork is double printed in most of its elements. Our conjecture is that this was a deliberate experiment with the overprinting specifically designed for the Justice type, as the overprint tapers in and out on either side of Justice, leaving her sitting on pure white paper. The note is clearly a Justice Experimental piece and, as such, an extreme rarity. It's a perfect Gem but for two nicks at the top. The paper is pure white, and the green and black inks are as fresh as the day the note was printed. The original embossing effect is plainly evident on the back of the paper. The note is punched with the typical half-moon cancels seen on the far more common Second Issue Experimental pieces and stamped, "SPECIMEN" with the same stamp and ink used for Second Issue Experimentals. This was one of only two Justice Experimentals that appeared in the Fraser Collection Sale in 1982. This type remains unique to our best knowledge, and it should sail far past the $2,500 it realized eight years ago.