Sale 1231 — The James P. Myerson Collection of Superb United States Stamps
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 9-10 February, 2021
Category — 1909 Bluish Paper Issue (Scott 357-366)
4c Orange Brown, Bluish (360). Lightly hinged, intense shade on nicely blued paper, unusually choice centering for this difficult issueEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A STUNNING ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 4-CENT BLUISH PAPER, GRADED XF 90 BY THE PHILATELIC FOUNDATION.
The June 1910 Third Assistant Postmaster General's report states that 4,400 (eleven sheets) of the 4c 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).
Of the many examples of this major 20th Century rarity we have offered, only a small number have centering that can be compared to this stamp.
With 1982, 2004 and 2005 P.F. certificates (XF 90). The highest grade awarded by either P.F. or P.S.E. -- P.S.E. has graded only one at this grade with none higher, while the P.F. shows three with none higher. We offered one of the others in our 2017 auction of the Barry K. Schwartz collection.
