90c Blue, First Design (62). Original gum, very lightly hinged, choice centering with well-balanced margins, wonderful deep shade, trivial tiny tear in perf hole at bottom (barely detectable and almost unworthy of mention)

EXTREMELY FINE DESPITE THE TINY FLAW. THE SECOND RAREST STAMP OF THE 1861 FIRST DESIGNS AND COLORS. ONLY EIGHT EXAMPLES OF THE 90-CENT FIRST DESIGN WITH ORIGINAL GUM ARE IN PRIVATE HANDS. A BEAUTIFUL AND EXTREMELY RARE CLASSIC STAMP.

Our census of Scott 62, available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/62 , contains 22 examples, including one in the Miller collection owned by The New York Public Library and another copy certified as a privately perforated No. 62a, which comes from a set in the Col. Green sale that was signed by John Luff (we believe this stamp to be genuine). Another has been certified as genuine with a trial cancel. Excluding the NYPL copy and the ex-Green stamp just noted, only eight examples of the 90c First Design are available with original gum. Of these eight, only three are sound. The example offered here, with a tiny tear in one perf hole, has the least noticeable flaw among the remaining five original-gum stamps.

Census no. 62-OG-15. Ex Caspary. Tiny purple backstamp. With 1971 and 2007 P.F. certificates.

Image Magnifier / Download

Power Search for Comparables