5c Deep Blue, Special Printing (204). Without gum as issued, deep rich color and detailed impression on bright paper, choice centering and margins, fresh in every respect

EXTREMELY FINE. THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE 5-CENT 1880 AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY SPECIAL PRINTING. ONLY 18 ARE RECORDED IN OUR CENSUS.

The 5c 1880 Special Printing on soft paper is one of the most elusive of all the Bank Note Special printings. Our census of Scott 204 is available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/204 . We record only 18 copies of this stamp, including one example in the Miller collection at The New York Public Library. About one-third of the known stamps have minor faults. Combining soundness and centering, this is one of the few finest.

Census No. 204-UNC-12. Ex West and "Concord" (Dr. Charles E. Test). Illustrated in Brookman on p. 213. With 1994 and 2008 P.F. certificates (XF 90). By way of comparison, the P.S.E. Population Report lists only two graded Scott 204's -- one at 75 and the other the incomparable 98J last offered in our 2012 Rarities sale

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