DESCRIPTION

5¢ Red Brown (12), block of four, Reliefs D/B (guide dots indicate it originated in either rows 4/5 or rows 7/8), full to large margins, large part original gum, deep rich color and sharp impression, top pair has stitch watermark

PROVENANCE

* Frederick Wellington Ayer (sold privately to Duveen through Phillips)

* Henry J. Duveen (sold privately to Hind through Phillips)

* Arthur Hind, Phillips-Kennett sale, 11/20-24/1933, lot 130

* Wharton Sinkler, Eugene Klein sale, 5/17/1940, Sale 117, lot 32, to Ward

* Philip H. Ward, Jr. (estate sold privately to Weills, 1963)

* Benjamin D. Phillips (bought from Weills out of Ward estate, 1964;

* Phillips collection sold privately to Weills, 1968)

* Siegel Auction Galleries, 1969 Rarities of the World, 3/25/1969, Sale 350, lot 30

* Ryohei Ishikawa, Christie’s Robson Lowe sale, 9/28-29/1993, lot 131, to Keith Harmer for Mayer

* Frederick R. Mayer, Bennett sale, 10/21/2005, lot 113, to William H. Gross

CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES * Lester G. Brookman, United States Postage Stamps of the 19th Century, Vol. I, p. 151

* Richard C. Frajola and Frederick R. Mayer, The United States Five Cent Stamp of 1856, fig. 3-1, p. 16

* David Lidman, Treasury of Stamps, fig. 75, p.55

* Philip H. Ward, Jr., “United States Early Unused Blocks 1847-1869,” 1960 Congress Book

* ANPHILEX 1996 Invited Exhibits (Mayer)

* Collectors Club of New York “Aristocrats of United States Philately” exhibit, December 2000 (Gross)

* World Stamp Show 2016 Court of Honor (Gross)

CERTIFICATION

* The Philatelic Foundation (1993)

CONDITION NOTES

* Very Fine despite trivial imperfections: small triangular nick at bottom (small patch), creases including one vertical ending in slight separation

VIEW PDF OF HISTORY AND COMMENTARY at https://siegelauctions.com/2018/1188/35.pdf

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