Description
Autograph Letter Signed ‘Charles H.Jeens’, to Thomas Woolner, the sculptor, confirming their arrangements to meet. 1 page 7 x 4 inches, some light stains, neatly mounted at corners. 67 St Pauls Road, Canden Square,16 February 1877. Uncommon. Charles Henry Jeens (1827-1879), engraver, postage stamp designer. He started working for Perkins, Bacon & Co, being the junior engraving partner to William Humphrys. It is not always clear who engraved which stamps, but Jeens is thought to have been responsible for quite a few British Colonial stamps. The head of the 1859 Ceylon definitive was engraved by Jeens and placed in an existing frame from the Tasmania definitives. The same head would also be used for the 1859 definitives of the Ionian Islands. Another of Jeens’ engraved portraits of Victoria was for the 1860 4d and 2s definitives of South Australia. Jeens worked not only for Perkins, Bacon & Co. It is also almost certain he did a few stamps for the National Bank Note Company of New York, engraving the 5c and 24c United States definitives of 1861. Outside Jeen’s philatelic work, he also engraved various portraits, vignettes and book illustrations, mainly for Messrs. Macmillan and Co.