3rd November 1854. PB to the IR

69, FLEET STREET ;

Nov. 3, 1854.

SIR,

In consequence of the permission contained in your letter of the inst., [space left for date] we have again prepared a steel Die for the one Penny Postage Stamp, which we trust we have succeeded in making exactly like the original in every respect except that it is deeper cut and this can hardly be perceived by the eye, although when the impressions from it come to be worn the advantage will be most palpable. We have the honour of enclosing two impressions from the die as it now is and marked in pencil last die; one from the Original Die when first made and one from the original die as it now is after having produced more than 4,000 engraved Steel stamps and 200,000,000 of impressions, but the die which we now propose to use will give thousands of millions of impressions. Should this die prove satisfactory to your Honble Board we should be glad to prepare plates from it as early as possible as they will doubtless wear much longer than those lately made.

We have &c., &c.,

[Signed] PERKINS, BACON & Co.

THOMAS KEOGH, Esq.

Source: Bacon Vol 2, p106.

Comment: This letter should be rad in conjunction with that written to Ormond Hill on the same date. This one was given to him in an open state for him to carefully check the wording etc, before it was sealed and forwarded to their Lordships. I don't doubt that OH was mentoring PB as well as Mr Humphries. There would appear to have been dragons within the Inland Revenue, which needed careful treatment.

AP April 2015