30c Gray Black (165). Original gum, bright shade and detailed impression, almost perfectly centered with balanced margins all around

EXTREMELY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 30-CENT 1873 CONTINENTAL PRINTING. A SUPERB STAMP IN EVERY RESPECT.

Lost among the 1870 National Grilled and Ungrilled Issues, 1875 Continental and 1880 American Bank Note Special Printings, and the 1879 and 1888 American Issues is the 30c 1873 Continental printing. Scott 165 is distinguished from its National counterpart by shade and the shape of the perforations, and from its 1879 American counterpart by paper. Many philatelists -- even intermediate and advanced collectors -- have difficulty classifying Scott 165. When it comes to naming the most elusive Bank Note stamps in choice original-gum condition, the 30c 1873 is often overlooked. However, go to any serious collection and look for this stamp, and most of the time it is missing or represented by something that compromises quality. The 30c 1870 is frequently found filling the space for Scott 165. The 30c Continental is extremely rare in any original-gum condition that approaches this example. Blocks have always been rare -- for example, Caspary did not have one; Lilly had one well-centered block of four and an off-center block of six -- which means that singles could not be harvested from multiples. We hope that collectors who still have a tendency to overlook the 30c Continental will be awakened to its rarity in Extremely Fine original-gum condition by our comments and recent realizations.

With 1972 P.F. certificate

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