$2.00 Bright Blue (262). Gorgeous lustrous shade on wonderful bright paper, perfectly centered with wide and balanced margins all around, long and full perforations, neat strike of oval registry cancel

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS IS EASILY ONE OF THE FINEST USED EXAMPLES OF THE 1894 $2.00 UNWATERMARKED BUREAU ISSUE IN EXISTENCE. THIS STAMP IS EXCEEDINGLY RARE IN SUCH SUPERB CONDITION.

Brookman notes "Only 10,027 of this stamp were issued and for some reason the centering on most of the copies we have seen is very poor." This amounts to just a bit more than 100 panes. Only a small number were used, mostly on parcels or other oversize or heavy mailings. The stamps on these mailings tend to be damaged from use or were discarded, resulting in a small population of sound used stamps. No covers are known. Given Brookman's comments on centering, the existence of this superb stamp is a true anomaly.

With 1997 P.F. and 2009 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $10,000.00). This is the highest grade awarded to date and only two others have achieved this grade. Based on centering, color and overall freshness we are surprised this did not grade higher.

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