Sale 1224 — 2020 Rarities of the World
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 30 June-1 July, 2020
Category — 1914-1922 and Later Issues
$5.00 Red Brown & Black (834a). Mint N.H. top double plate nos. 22167/22169 and arrow block of four, deep rich colors in this very distinctive error shade, well-centered, natural gum bendsEXTREMELY FINE. A RARE AND DESIRABLE MINT NEVER-HINGED PLATE BLOCK OF THE $5.00 PRESIDENTIAL ISSUE IN THE RED BROWN AND BLACK COLOR. THIS IS THE FIRST IN MINT NEVER-HINGED CONDITION WE HAVE OFFERED IN DECADES.
Roland E. Rustad states in his book The Prexies that only twelve plate blocks of this distinctive color error are recorded (p. 329). We have no reason to doubt that count but we have not seen anywhere close to that many. Before this Mint N.H. plate block, we have offered only a single no-gum plate block (four separate times) since 1989.
Accompanied by a lengthy April 18, 1950 letter (photostat) from Bureau of Engraving Director A. W. Hall to George B. Sloane (the discoverer of the error), explaining the testing that the Bureau performed on the stamps sent by him to determine that they are indeed the color error -- caused by an incorrect ink mixture containing a trace of black -- and not a chemically altered color
