Engraved by Albert Barre,  printed by Anatole Hulot in l�atellier de la Monnaie in Paris

VIIIA    Unadopted types
Die proofs  - unfinished

1. 10 Bani Black. The inscriptions and the medallion are ready.  The ornaments are only finished in the bottom left corner. 

1a. 10 Bani Black. Resembles nr 1. Left corner almost ready.

2. 10 Bani Blue.  Both bottom corners ready.

3. 10 Bani Blue. Resembles nr 2. Top left ornaments are almost ready.

Courtesy: Razvan Pala

Courtesy: Chris Trevers

4. Plug Dies (Paris or Bucharest?)

VIIIB   Adopted types
On the unadopted types the inscriptions are stronger and larger than on the adopted types.

Die proof - unfinished

1. 10 Bani Blue The frame and the inscriptions are ready. Of the medallion only the neck is visible


Die proof - finished
Printed on big fragments of (papier de Chine)

2. 10 Bani Black

Make-ready
There is one form of essays only found in this issue. Anatole Hulot of the National Printing House in Paris introduced a new procedure to obtain better results regarding clarity and detail in stamp-printing.  This procedure, which was also used on all french stamps between 1850 and 1875 printed by him (except the litographed Bordeaux issue) was as follows:

(My french and my understanding of the printing process is not good enough to translate this part. As for now I present it "as is")
"Une fois la planche de 150 galvanos pr�te, Hulot faisait simultan�ment une tirage sur de la toile cir�e et plusieurs autres tirages sur des feuilles de papier de diff�rentes �paisseurs. De ces derni�res feuilles on d�coupait soigneusement les parties gui devaient �tre plus fortement frapp�es dans le tirage d�finitif. Puis on collait ces petits morceaux de papier sur la toile cir�e, dans les endroits o� l�on voulait que la presse appuy�t plus fortement. Souvent m�me on collait plusieurs couches de ces petits morceaux de papier l�n sur l�utre, d�apr�s le degr� d�intensit� qu�on voulait obtenir en certaines parties du timbre. La feuille de toile cir�e ainsi pr�par�e �tait ensuite plac�e dans la presse d�imprimerie, en dessous de la feuille de papier qui devait �tre imprim�e."

Make-Ready
This term is used in reference to the preparation made by the printer, after the printing base has been fitted in the press, to insure that a satisfactory impression results over all the printed sheet when the press is operated. Make-Ready compromises local adjustments of pressure; these adjustments are effected in various ways: by placing packing, sometimes a whole sheet of paper, sometimes only a scrap, often more than one layer thick (a) under a mounted plate (to bring it up to printing height) - termed "underlay"; (b) between a plate and its mount - termed "interlay"; and (c) between the back of the paper to be printed and that part of the press that provides the pressure - termed "overlay"; other forms of "make-ready" include the use of a blanket or felt or other material to provide some resilience in the pressure.
(Fundamentals of Philately    L.N. Williams)

THE FIRST LAYER:


The second layer

The second and third layer

The three layers together

Two sheets of make-ready (to se whole sheet, click on image)
A whole page filled with decoupage sheets!!!!!


Listing from Cohen:
Printed on (waxed cloth?) toile cir�e , yellow

Printed on very thin paper

Printed on normal paper

One sometimes encounters for this issue so-called essays in two or more colours obtained through cutting the middle medallion from one essay (or stamp) and gluing it upon another, of a different colour.  Ed. Cohen had seen a lot of such items. They are fantasy products, probably inspired by these cut sheets, and can mostly be readily identified, as they Bucharest impressions were used for their manufacture.

Plate proofs

5B in issued colour, bl of 25 courtesy Paul Hirsch

UPU Specimens