2c Black, Printed on Both Sides (73f). Back printed in same orientation as the front, strongly showing equal parts of four stamps, front of stamp with choice centering and grid cancel, toned at upper left

EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. THIS IS THE FINEST EXAMPLE OF THE 2-CENT BLACK JACK PRINTED ON BOTH SIDES. ONLY FOUR USED AND ONE UNUSED EXAMPLES ARE RECORDED. THIS IS THE MOST VISUALLY APPEALING PRINTED-ON-BOTH-SIDES VARIETY WE HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED, WITH AN EXTREMELY STRONG IMPRESSION ON BACK SHOWING PART OF FOUR STAMPS. IT IS ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE ON THE POPULAR "BLACK JACK" ISSUE.

Engraved stamps printed on both sides usually have a poor impression on one side and a second, complete impression on the other. They probably occurred when a sheet was printed without proper moistening, which prevented the paper from picking up the ink in the recessed lines of the engraved plate.

Our list of printed-on-both-sides stamps is included as an appendix to this catalogue. The 2c Black printed-on-both-sides stamps are known with the orientation of the back impression the same or inverted in relation to the design on the front, which indicates more than one sheet was printed. The inverted impression on back is a result of the sheet being turned 180 degrees before it was put on the press the second time.

Our census of the 2c Black Jack printed on both sides, shown at left and available at our website at http://siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/73f/73f.pdf , records four used and one unused example of this rarity. The example offered here shows the strongest impression on back of any known. This also is the only example with perforations on all sides that has not been reperfed.

Census No. 73f-CAN-01. Ex MacKay and Metzger (where illustrated on the front cover of the catalogue). Illustrated in Brookman, Vol. II, p. 10. With 2002 P.F. certificate.

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