This is an etching of a sheet of 1d banknotes. It is taken from the original design on copperplate made by Sir Robert Strange in 1745. This impression was taken by the celebrated printmaker Sir DY Cameron in 1928 - it is signed and dated by him in pencil: July 1928.
Original 1920s impressions are now considered to be rare. The image shows a total of eight designs for currency notes containing the letters: CP (for Charles Prince or Carlous Princeps).
The design has a large irregular cartouche that has a coronet surmounted by Prince of Wales feathers. To each side are trophies consisting of arms and flags - and below on the entablature the values of the intended currency are annotated. They are only noted on the left-hand column: One, Two, Three, and Six Pence; and the column on the right are all blank.
Along the extreme right, there is a blank area on the copper-plate, it has some corrosion marks, and these print as scratches and over-biting on the later printing of the plate. My impression is faintly signed along the bottom edge - at the window mount: Printed by DY Cameron July 1928.
My print is in good condition - with only some time-tone to the margins. Cameron only printed a limited edition from the original plates - and these are now highly sought-after items. Prices for them have soared in more recent times with an increased interest in Jacobite History.
My print is presented in a simple black frame and has its original label for being initially framed in the 1920s by Andrew Duthie, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow. From labels on the back, it appears that it was given a new window mount in the late 1990s - but the framer has retained the original backing board.
Dimensions: Frame Size is 57 x 42. The image size is 22 x 22 cm.
A fine print of historical interest. It will be sent to you with ParcelForce24 with insurance. UK addresses only - sorry.
HISTORY: The original copper plate was found near the west end of Loch Laggan, in April 1746, probably thrown aside during the flight after Culloden. The plate is the work of Sir Robert Strange, who hastily prepared plates due to a sudden need by the Prince for currency caused by the loss of the "Hazard" sloop on its way from France with a large sum of money on March 25th, 1746.
Strange was commissioned for notes of amounts from £200 downwards, but no notes were printed, and nothing of the proposed issue has survived, with the exception of the original copper plate.
The reason for this is that the plate was apparently only delivered to Prince Charles's Treasurer a day or two before the Battle of Culloden, and the other copper plates for larger notes were never completed.
The original copperplate was purchased by The West Highland Museum in 1928 for £430 at the Cluny Sale, with the assistance of a £100 grant from the National Art Collections Fund.
In 1928 the Museum arranged for the distinguished Scottish artist and etcher, Sir D.Y. Cameron to print a small limited edition of 57 impressions of special signed proofs which were sold for the benefit of the Museum. One of these 1928 impressions sold at Lyon and Turnbull's Books and Manuscripts Sale, 20 September 2020 (Lot (58) for a record sum of £1,625.
UPDATE: Interestingly a limited edition run was printed in 2021. One of these later impressions from the original plate was sold at auction for £6250 at their Scottish Works of Art & Whisky Sale on 18th August 2021 (Lot 299).