10c Yellow, Bluish (364). Bottom imprint and plate no. 4940 block of six, natural narrow bottom selvage as always (imprints trimmed slightly), positions 1, 4 and 6 Mint N.H., small h.r. straddling two middle stamps, intense shade on deeply blued paper, unusually choice centering for this difficult issue

VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE IMPRINT AND PLATE NUMBER BLOCK OF SIX OF THE 1909 10-CENT ON BLUISH PAPER. THIS IS ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL WASHINGTONFRANKLIN ISSUE PLATE BLOCKS. ONLY FIVE ARE RECORDED, INCLUDING ONE IN THE SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL POSTAL MUSEUM.

We record five different 10c Bluish Paper plate blocks, including one bottom position in the Smithsonian National Postal Museum collection (4943 bottom), three bottom (4944, 4943 and this block from 4940) and one right (4944). We offered one of the bottom position plate blocks (4944) in our “MLG” sale in 2009. It was not as well-centered as the block offered here, but the imprint was complete (it realized $35,000 hammer versus $33,500 Scott value at the time). In addition to the plate blocks, a pane of 100 (4944 UR) was reported by Boggs to be in the Post Office Department files.

This plate block was probably acquired by W. Parsons Todd from one of the original dispersals, circa 1910-14, and was owned by him for more than 60 years, thus explaining its extraordinary freshness.

Ex Todd. With 2017 P.F. certificate

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