8c Olive Green, Bluish (363). Block of four with wide top selvage, pretty shade on nicely blued paper, top stamps barest trace of hinging (if at all), centered to bottom as are almost all known blocks, perf separations between selvage and block, but the block is completely intact

FINE. AN EXTRAORDINARILY RARE BLOCK OF FOUR -- THE LARGEST RECORDED MULTIPLE OF THE 8-CENT ON BLUISH PAPER. ONE OF THE GREAT RARITIES OF 20TH CENTURY UNITED STATES PHILATELY.

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).

Our Levi records contain five blocks of four, of which three have centering similar to the one offered here. We have no record of one after 1956 so we cannot confirm whether it is intact. Our recent auction of the Barry K. Schwartz collection did not contain a block.

Ex "Country Gentleman" (Siegel Sale 422, November 29, 1972). With unfolded 1973 P.F. and 2017 P.S.E. certificates

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