German States, Bavaria – 1849 First Issue 1k tête-bêche pair, the astonishing group of seven items, including one master glass negative formed by rejoining in the manner of tête-bêche two singles with same colour in dark indigo-turquoise to contrast with the negative, with paint in black at top and base to retouch the final result, each numbered « C.VI » and supported on two additional glasses as reinforce and one being uncommonly thick; four glass support clichés in black, red-brown, green-olive, and olive-ochre, one dated February 1942 and originating from a second negative, as well as two clichés on celluloid with one exhibiting albino impression (a most unusual feature in the Sperati archive), the other in black-red with an annotated exposure to sunlight of one minute and 30 seconds and a 5,5% of a chemical substance (the figure for the temperature is not clear, but seems to be 24°, which would be uncommon in February as dated at top right). No artifacts of this nature or others involved in the process before the finished reproduction or signed proof were included in the « Ultimate » collection of the Postal Museum in Paris.

The unique and most desirable group of one of the great classic rarity varieties of worldwide philately, with the added significance of including a key master negative precariously mounted to create the tête-bêche.

Note: In order to appreciate and understand the significance of this group, with only including elements from the process to create the finished reproduction, we would like to reference that the Musée de la Poste in Paris only possesses six matrices or clichés for the whole German States. In addition, if we take into consideration the number of clichés and matrices from other German States included in this sale, the eloquent facts make this auction sale a true sensation. The B.P.A. could document dates in 1941 and 1943, with this lot also introducing a date in 1942.