12c Black, Re-Issue (107). Choice centering with unusually wide and balanced margins, intense shade and detailed impression on bright paper, multiple strikes of oval grid duplex cancel of New York

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS MAY BE THE FINEST USED EXAMPLE OF THE 12-CENT 1861 RE-ISSUE. ONLY FOURTEEN USED COPIES ARE RECORDED IN OUR CENSUS, OF WHICH ONLY SIX ARE CONFIRMED AS SOUND. A PHENOMENAL RARITY.

The 12c Re-Issue was printed from a new plate of 100 subjects, compared to the original plate of 200 in two panes. 10,000 stamps were printed (100 impressions). Only 389 of the 12c were sold; the remaining 9,611 were destroyed on July 16, 1884.

Our census of Scott 107 used, available at our website at http://siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/107/107.pdf , records only fourteen examples. Of these, only nine are potentially sound. Three of the nine have not been examined since the early 1970's and are not confirmed as sound, leaving only six confirmed sound copies.

Ex Sheriff, Zoellner and Collier. Census No. 107-CAN-13. With 2009 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $60,000.00). This is the highest grade awarded and the only example to achieve it. Accompanied by note from William A. Litle stating "Perhaps 98 if not for the cancel" -- the cancel is actually quite normal for the issue and leaves Washington's face almost completely unobscured

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