4c Columbian, Error of Color (233a). Block of four, original gum with hinge marks, piece of hinge reinforcing some perf separations at right, deep rich color and proof-like impression, top right stamp has a small tear extending from a stain spot, other three stamps have small shallow thin spots where hinges were removed

FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCK OF FOUR OF THE 4-CENT COLUMBIAN ERROR OF COLOR.

The 4c Columbian color error was caused by the use of a wrong batch of ink, and spectrographic analysis has shown that the blue inks of the 4c error and 1c Columbian have the same components.

Stamps from at least two panes reached collectors, and the few cancelled examples indicate that stamps used by the public came from additional panes. It is likely that a number of full sheets were printed using the wrong ink, and most of the stamps have simply been lost to philately.

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