amps , ▁the ▁paper ▁was ▁placed ▁in ▁the ▁press ▁ups ide ▁down ▁for ▁the ▁second ▁printing , ▁resulting ▁in ▁America ' s ▁first ▁invert ▁errors . ▁These ▁error ▁st amps ▁command ▁in ordinate ▁prices : ▁at ▁an ▁au ction ▁in ▁early ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁used ▁copies ▁of ▁the ▁three ▁in ver ts ▁realized ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁a ▁quarter ▁of ▁a ▁million ▁U . S . ▁dollars , ▁and ▁the ▁sum ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁$ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁more ▁had ▁the ▁ 3 0 - cent ▁invert ▁not ▁had ▁a ▁small ▁margin ▁repair . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁past ▁century , ▁the ▁p ict orial ▁series ▁has ▁enjoyed ▁warm ▁pra ise ▁in ▁phil atel ic ▁comment aries : ▁some ▁have ▁expressed ▁adm iration ▁for ▁the ▁bold ness ▁of ▁its ▁concept ▁and ▁the ▁skill ▁of ▁its ▁mini atur istic ▁eng ra ving ▁by ▁James ▁Sm ill ie , ▁others , ▁affection ▁for ▁the ▁period ▁charm ▁of ▁its ▁illustr ations . ▁The ▁ 1 2 - cent ▁value , ▁with ▁its ▁image ▁of ▁the ▁S . ▁S . ▁Adri atic , ▁is ▁described ▁often ▁as ▁a ▁particularly ▁beautiful ▁stamp . ▁Still ▁others ▁writers ▁c ite ▁the ▁nost alg ic ▁associations ▁of ▁the ▁p ict orial s , ▁not ing ▁that ▁for ▁most ▁collect ors ▁of ▁American ▁st amps , ▁the ▁ 3 - cent ▁locomot ive — - ▁a ▁common ▁item ▁of ▁which ▁many ▁cheap ▁copies ▁are ▁available — - ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁issue ▁of ▁real ▁anti