CANAL ZONE, 1904, 8c on 50c Bister Brown (15). Used with 1c on 20c Violet (16), tied by "Tabernilla Apr. 24, 1906" duplex cancels on Canal Zone Commission corner card cover with "Official Business" crossed out, addressed to Surgeon J. C. Perry at Ancon, receiving backstamp of the following day

VERY FINE. ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE 8-CENT ON 50-CENT SURCHARGE USED ON COVER. A PHENOMENAL RARITY.

According to the book Canal Zone Stamps only 500 of Scott No. 15 were issued, making it one of the rarest Canal Zone stamps. Of these, only seven used copies are recorded. At the time of the book's publication (1986) only one cover bearing this issue was recorded. That cover (ex Plass) bears two 2c stamps (No. 11) and was also used to Ancon on the same day as the example offered here, though to a different recipient. The description of the other cover in the 1993 Plass sale noted the existence of this second cover, narrowing down its discovery date.

Ex Salz

Image Magnifier / Download

Power Search for Comparables