Lot 70060 – Neal’s Steam Press Experimental Printing Lower Marginal Block of 24

EXTRAORDINARY MULTIPLE OF THE NEALE’S STEAM PRESS EXPERIMENTAL PRINTING

1856 1d red-brown plate 22 SA/TL, ungummed imperforate lower sheet marginal block of 24 from the Neale’s Steam Press experiment, showing full marginal with complete inscription and plate number, with manuscript « This sheet is one of 2000 Printed by Mr Neale’s Machine for us this day August 15 1855 / Perkins Bacon & Co », some pressed creases, a stunning exhibition showpiece of the Penny Stars

Note: The Neale’s Steam Press was a revolutionary machine that automated plate inking, wiping, polishing and paper feeding at a greater speed than before. Several trials with Perkins Bacon were made between 1854 and 1856, as it can be seen from this block which comes from the trial in August 1855, there are splotches of ink where they should not be any and poorly inked parts of the plate. Neale’s contract was terminated a year later

Provenance: The whole sheet was purchased privately by Robson Lowe in USA in 1957 and split up by a collector, and « Maximus » collection