$20.00 State, Specimen Ovpt. (O71S). Without gum as issued, fresh colors, detailed impressions, choice centering with perfs clear of the design on all sides

VERY FINE. THE $20.00 STATE DEPARTMENT IS ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL SPECIAL PRINTINGS. ONLY SEVEN WERE SOLD, OF WHICH JUST FOUR ARE KNOWN TO SURVIVE. THIS IS THE ONLY SOUND EXAMPLE AMONG THOSE FOUR. A KEY TO A COMPLETE SET OF OFFICIAL PRINTINGS.

Official records note that seven of the $20.00 State Department Special Printings were sold. The Combs book did not have any sale histories and noted that in February 1960 Philip H. Ward Jr. wrote in Mekeel's Weekly that he was aware of two copies each of the $10.00 and $20.00. We record four examples of the $20.00 (in order of condition):

O71S-UNC-01: The example offered here, ex Inman. PFC 241742 stating "it is genuine"

O71S-UNC-02: The ex Lietzow, Lewenthal and Sheriff copy, centered to top left, single pulled perf at bottom

O71S-UNC-03: Perfs clear all around, small stain spots, small thin and short perf, last offered in Siegel Sale 728 (Sep. 14, 1990), currently in the collection of a Southern gentleman

O71S-UNC-04: Ex Sinkler and Siegel Sale 623 (Sep. 21, 1983), centered to top left, PFC 437782 stating "faint horizontal thin at lower left".

Census no. O71S-UNC-01. With 1991 (copy) and 2016 P.F. certificates

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