8c Olive Green, Bluish (363). Nearly perfect centering, gorgeous fresh color and paper, hinge mark

EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF THE 1909 8-CENT BLUISH PAPER ISSUE EXANT. AN IMPORTANT 20TH CENTURY RARITY IN OUTSTANDING CONDITION.

The June 1910 Third Assistant Postmaster General's report states that 4,000 (ten sheets) of the 8c were printed on Bluish Paper. It is believed that none of the 4c and 8c Bluish Paper stamps were distributed to post offices, and that all of the examples in collectors' hands reached the market through the Travers-Steinmetz exchange and the 1914 National Museum trades to H. F. Colman (12 copies) and Nassau Stamp Company (65 copies).

Although this stamp has not been numerically graded, it appears to qualify for at least a grade of VF-XF 85 (possibly XF 90). The P.S.E. Population gives some indication of the rarity of the 8c Bluish Paper in higher grades: one 80, two 85, one 90 and one 95. The Philatelic Foundation online records list the following graded examples (we do not know if any are duplicates of P.S.E.'s entries): four 80, one 85, and one 90. In our sale of the Odeneal collection (Sale 941, lot 1252), we offered the superb example graded XF-Superb 95 by P.S.E., which realized $135,000 hammer.

With 1971 and 1989 P.F. certificates

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