1c Blue, Ty. Ib (5A). Position 5R1E, unused (no gum), large margins to clear including top sheet margin, brilliant color, faint corner crease at top right, light diagonal crease (more of a wrinkle about halfway across), faint vertical scoring line at left entirely in margin

EXTREMELY FINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 1851 ONE-CENT TYPE Ib IMPERFORATE ISSUE. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL UNITED STATES CLASSICS TO OBTAIN IN UNUSED CONDITION.

Type Ib was produced only as an imperforate stamp. Six positions on Plate 1 Early furnished stamps qualifying as Type Ib--Positions 3-6R and 8-9R--distinguished by the complete design at top and nearly complete design at bottom. When first entered on the plate, these six positions (as well as 7R1E) had the complete design at top and bottom. However, unlike 7R, small portions of the bottoms were burnished away.

A thorough search of past auctions for unused examples of Scott 5A and our own extensive records produced a result that surprised us. The unique block of eight from Plate 1E contains Position 7R1E (Scott 5) and five Type Ib stamps (with faults). The famous ex-Waterhouse copy of Position 7R1E is joined with a pair of Type Ib stamps (this unused unit is currently owned by William H. Gross). The multiples, containing a total of seven Type Ib stamps, really do not fit the needs of collectors who want a single unused example of Scott 5A. We located only four other unused singles, and we were surprised at the conspicuous absence of any unused Scott 5A stamps in major name sales.

Ex Hoffman. With 2008 P.F. certificate. Scott Catalogue value is grossly misleading given the rarity of this stamp -- Scott 6 in unused condition catalogues nearly twice as much, yet it is not as rare as Scott 5A.

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