3c Rose, C. Grill (83). Block of four with "NATIONAL BANK NOTE CO. NEW YORK" imprint at top, original gum, beautiful rich color in the distinctive Rose shade, exceptionally fresh, remarkably choice centering, especially for this grilled issue

EXTREMELY FINE GEM IMPRINT BLOCK OF FOUR OF THE 1867 3-CENT C GRILL. BREATHTAKING QUALITY AND AN IMPORTANT EXHIBITION ITEM OF THE EARLY GRILLED ISSUES.

Multiples of the 3c C Grill, Scott 83, are extremely rare. There is only one other imprint block of the 3c C Grill, a left sheet-margin block of four that was part of the Lozier and Sinkler collections, then reappeared in our 2012 sale of the Frelinghuysen collection (Sale 1021, lot 240). The block offered here is the better centered of the two.

This block has a notation indicating the possibility it was owned or handled by John K. Tiffany, which would date its discovery to sometime prior to his death in 1897. Its earliest auction appearance was in the 1956 Caspary sale, where it sold to the Weills, on behalf of their closely guarded client, Benjamin D. Phillips. After the Weills purchased the Phillips collection in 1968 for $4.07 million, they sold the block to another major client, Stephen D. Bechtel, in 1970. The Bechtel collection was sold privately in 1993, and the block was purchased by Robert Zoellner. The block was then acquired by William H. Gross in the 1998 Zoellner sale.

Ex Caspary, Phillips, Bechtel, Zoellner (exhibited at 1996 Anphilex show) and Gross. With 1969 P.F. certificate

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