10c Green, Z. Grill (85D). Well-centered, bold quartered cork cancel, deep shade, strong grill impression, small thin spot and trivial corner margin crease

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THE 1868 10-CENT Z GRILL IS ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL UNITED STATES STAMPS. ONLY FOUR OR POSSIBLY FIVE EXAMPLES ARE AVAILABLE TO COLLECTORS. ONE OF THE GREAT RARITIES OF UNITED STATES PHILATELY AND ONE OF THE KEYS TO A COMPLETE COLLECTION OF UNITED STATES STAMPS.

Our census of the 10c Z Grill is shown on the opposite page and is also available at our website at http://siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/85D/85D.pdf

The great Z Grill rarities are probably the products of a short-lived chance encounter between sheets of 1c, 10c and 15c stamps and the Z Grill roller on one of the grilling machines before the device was refitted with another grill type. The craftsmen at the National Bank Note Company could never have foreseen a future in which these embossed stamps would represent the keys to completing a United States stamp collection.

We record just six examples of Scott 85D, including one stamp contained in the Miller collection at The New York Public Library (85D-CAN-06) and another stamp (85D-CAN-01) which has not been seen since it last appeared in a Laurence & Stryker auction in November 1958. Until the status of 85D-CAN-01 can be verified, it is possible that only four examples of the 10c Z Grill remain available to collectors.

Ex Herzog and Zoellner. With 1973, 1986, 1998 and 2009 P.F. certificates.

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