24c Blackish Violet (78c). Deep rich color in this distinctive shade on bright paper, bold strike of cork cancel, choice centering for this difficult issue

EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 24-CENT BLACKISH VIOLET, WHICH IS THE MOST DIFFICULT STAMP OF THE 1861-66 SERIES TO OBTAIN -- EITHER UNUSED OR USED -- IN SOUND AND CENTERED CONDITION. THIS IS EASILY ONE OF THE FINEST IN EXISTENCE.

A thorough search through past auction catalogues will demonstrate how rare this stamp is in either used or unused condition. With regard to used stamps, this shade was lacking from the Ishikawa, Grunin, Klein, Caspary and Twigg-Smith collections. The Zoellner collection contained an original-gum single even though the rest of the series was obtained in used condition, because a suitable used stamp was never offered. The superb used single in our Sale 878 (lot 324, realized $22,000 hammer) was stolen from a Fedex courier and has not been recovered.

Our census of Scott 78c, available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/78c , records a total of 36 used examples of this issue, of which only 31 have been certified as genuine by The Philatelic Foundation. We also record nine on cover plus three unused, for a total of 48 potential examples. Of the used off-cover copies only ten are confirmed as sound, and of these ten only four have decent centering (one of which is the stolen copy). This leaves only three used copies which are confirmed as sound and centered -- census nos. 01 (ex Dr. Morris), 02 (ex "Natalee Grace") and 30 (ex Floyd and Hall, the example offered here).

Census no. 78c-CAN-30. Ex Floyd and Hall. With 1996 P.F. and 2015 P.S.E. certificates (F-VF 75; SMQ $17,500.00)

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