1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (8A). Position 51L4, clear break at top and complete outer line at bottom, with “ENGRAVERS, Phila. New York. Bos(ton)” portion of imprint in left sheet margin, other margins full to just touching the design, deep rich Plate 4 color and detailed impression, circular datestamp cancel, small shallow thin spot at top is barely detectable

VERY FINE APPEARING ONE-CENT 1851 TYPE IIIa FROM PLATE 4. ONE OF THE FEW EXAMPLES FROM THIS PLATE SHOWING A PORTION OF THE IMPRINT, AND ALSO THE MOST COMPLETE PORTION OF THE IMPRINT IN ANY SINGLE STAMP WE HAVE OFFERED.

The Neinken book states “Stamps from Plate 4 showing part of the imprint are very rare.” A Power Search review reveals that we have offered a handful of unused and used Plate 4 singles with part of the imprint (both Scott 8 and 8A), but these stamps have invariably been cut from the sheet with a portion of the imprint trimmed away in the vertical direction.

This stamp, with a wide sheet margin, shows the largest portion of the imprint possible on a single stamp and is matched in our sale records only by the on-cover example offered in our sale of the Middendorf collection (Sale 1216, lot 70).

Illustrated in Neinken book on p. 278. Ex Cowitt and Middendorf.

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