Description:

THE DE LA RUE DIE PROOFS: Stage 1 unmasked die proof with blank tablets & incomplete crown, in black on highly glazed card BW #70(DP)1, Cat $25,000. Unique! Ex De La Rue Archives and Tony Finlayson. Michael Drury Certificate (2015). [Note, the portrait profile has been very lightly engraved]

Prior to 1976, all KGV Penny die proofs were believed to have been created by Perkins Bacon. In that year, a series of 11 stamp-size die proofs were sold from the De La Rue Archives. They are on the highly glazed card stock characteristic of De La Rue die proofs for Great Britain & British Colonies. The ACSC states that Perkins Bacon sub-contracted the engraving of the master die to De La Rue who, on at least several occasions, forwarded the die to Perkins Bacon for inspection & the pulling of progressive proofs: "The De La Rue set is of great interest in demonstrating much more completely than the Perkins Bacon proofs the stages of the engraving".