$2.00 Trans-Mississippi (293). Block of 20 from the right pane with half-arrow selvage at right, sixth thru ninth rows, 17 stamps Mint N.H., only positions 3, 17 and 19 are barely hinged, natural s.e. at left, the Mint N.H. middle block of six (positions 7-9/12-14) exceptionally well-centered, many others with choice centering as well, deep rich color, incredibly fresh

VERY FINE-EXTREMELY FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE MARGIN BLOCK OF TWENTY OF THE $2.00 TRANS-MISSISSIPPI ISSUE CONTAINING SEVENTEEN MINT NEVER-HINGED STAMPS AND A HALF-DOZEN WITH EXCEPTIONAL CENTERING. THIS IS THE SECOND LARGEST RECORDED MULTIPLE.

The design of the $2.00 Trans-Mississippi depicts the Eads bridge, which spans the Mississippi River at St. Louis. The original engraving was used on the admission ticket to the Republican Convention of 1896, which nominated William McKinley as candidate for president. The stamp, issued during the McKinley Administration, illustrates the natural boundary between East and West and so was appropriate for the Trans-Mississippi Issue. All of the $2.00 Trans-Mississippi stamps were printed in a single day's run on June 3, 1898, from plates of 100, which were then divided vertically into panes of 50 for sale at post offices.

There are no known full panes of 50 of the $2.00 Trans-Mississippi -- the only denomination of the series for which no full panes remain. There exists one block of 25 from the lower half of the right pane, which is the largest known multiple. This margin block of 20 is the second largest multiple and has not been offered at auction in nearly 50 years, last appearing in the Siegel 1968 Rarities of the World sale, where it realized double the then current catalogue value. The central block of six mentioned earlier is likely the finest known Mint N.H. block. We believe there are a few stamps in this piece that would grade 90 or 95

With 2016 P.F. certificate.

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