The plate was not part of any of the major, early collections and is probably not anymore in existence.

Very few artists depicted themselves as regularly as Rembrandt did. Apart from the paintings he is rightfully famous for, he made at least thirty etched self-portraits over a period of more than thirty years. Rembrandt made this etching in the year that he married Saskia. The long hair falling over his left shoulder is meant to break the symmetry. It is a cadenette, normally worn by aristocrats, not by artists. The right part of the band is left white. On purpose or unfinished? This is the only self-portrait in which he pictures himself smiling. Biörklund has named this etching Rembrandt with three moustaches, following the earlier French title.

A similar beret is visible in two self-portraits in reverse, a painting dated 1629, now in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston (Corpus A20) and a drawing in red chalk in the National Gallery in Washington (Benesch 437).
According to Münz a painting in Kassel (Corpus A97) shows a similar lighting.

NH lists only one copy in the same direction (D) by Ignace De Claussin (two states, 94 x 72, later 68 x 70 mm, WB 1).
There are ten copies in reverse. Three also made by De Claussin. F and G are large ones in his catalogue of 1824 (145 x 109 resp. 126 x 93 mm, WB 3 and 4). H is a smaller one signed ReMbr. (63 x 40 mm, WB 5).
Copy C is by Ernst Wilhelm Jan Bagelaar (two states, 81 x 69, later 51 x 43 mm). Copy I is by Andrew Geddes published by Dodgson in 1936 (63 x 63 mm). The five other copies (A, B, E, J and K) are all anonymous.

The etching is considered as special by Middleton, Wilson and Blanc.

NH, as most authors, lists one state only, Wilson and Dutuit list two. Nowell-Usticke lists one trial proof and two states. All states are contemporary.
In the 1st state (NU only) the right eye is slightly larger than the left one. There are a few retouches on the cap and the hair.
In the 2nd state (NU only) the outline of the nose is strengthened and there are a few additional vertical strokes on the right side of the hat.

An impression in the Rijksmuseum is considered by Nowell-Usticke as a trial proof (calling the state problematical), but Hind only sees a difference in printing.

H 57, BB 34-1, G 3, M 106, Mz 20, RA 3-4, Cl 2, W 2, Bl 206, Du 2, CD 57
Rembrandt by himself 1999, p. 160-161; Hinterding 2008, p. 42-43; Rembrandts Radierungen 2011, p. 52-53; Zeist 2012, p. 12-13; Baas 2015, p. 50-51; Rising star 2019, p. 112;

NH only state/WB: only state.
A very good, contemporary impression.
Sheet 105/106 x 79/81 mm, extremely broad margins of more than 15 mm on the left and right side and 27 mm on top and bottom (+293%).
No watermark, vertical chain lines at approx. 25 mm.

Rembrandt in Black & White, Bozar Expo (Brussels), January – April 2016;
Rembrandt in Zwart-Wit, Stedelijk Museum Vianen, October 2017- January 2018;
Rembrandt, fotograaf avant-la-lettre, Museum De Reede (Antwerp), January – May 2023;
Rembrandt, 17th century photographer, Daegu Art Museum (Korea), November 2023 – March 2024;
Rembrandt, de fotograaf, Westfries Museum (Hoorn), June 2024 – January 2025;