The imperf is on high quality, ungummed paper and is probably and essay for the
eventually printed item shown in the tete-beche sheet of 4.
I obtained the essay about 15 years ago and it was described as an Afghanistan official stamp for the
royal palace use. This type issue was not something new because Patterson
describes similar usage of some issued large packet stamps that Scott does not
list but Patterson illustrates. (I have these in a single and a tete-beche sheet
of 2.) The essay has had hand lettering added in the bottom and top panels. The
issued stamps have this hand addition printed as added. The inscriptions read:
"Wealth of God - Afghanistan" "In honor of the Amir" "Equivalent to 2 Rupees,
Kabuli". These match the designs of 1909 and I suspect were issued in the same
time-frame. [Jim Simon]
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