Great Britain 1840 "Canine" Mulready caricature.
A superb die proof of the small format design by Jacob Bell on good quality thick wove paper showing a clear impression of the die surround.
Produced in response to William Mulready's famous postal stationery design introduced in May 1840, Bell's ingenious parody replaces Mulready's allegorical figures with dogs engaged in human activities, including a lion at lower right displaying an enlarged Penny Black.
An exceptionally rare Mulready caricature. Bodily Jarvis and Hahn record two examples, the other residing in the Royal Philatelic Collection of King Charles III. Consequently, this example is the only one available in private hands.
Provenance: Ex. Yates (1949).
