1c Blue, Ty. Ib, I (5A-5). Position 6R1E (one of the two best examples of Type Ib on the plate) and 7R1E (the only Type I position on any of the imperforate plates), a horizontal combination pair with full to large margins incl. part of adjoining stamp at right, bottom of Type I just touched, beautiful bright Plate 1 Early shade and fine impression, each stamp cancelled by two criss-crossing strikes of vivid red "PAID", a few tiny faint surface scrapes in edge of top margin well clear of design

EXTREMELY FINE. THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE RARE ONE-CENT 1851 TYPE I CANCELLED BY A RED "PAID". WIDELY REGARDED AS THE FINEST OFF-COVER MULTIPLE CONTAINING TYPE I. ONE OF THE MOST VISUALLY STUNNING ITEMS IN CLASSIC UNITED STATES PHILATELY.

This pair was originally part of a strip of three comprising Positions 6-7-8R1E, used on a cover postmarked at Alexandria, Louisiana, and addressed to Buchannon Carroll & Co. (later known as Carroll, Hoy & Co.) in New Orleans. A photograph and listing of the original cover is found in the catalogue for the May 26-28, 1943, auction held by Harmer, Rooke & Co., which comprised Part VIII of the Col. Edward H. R. Green collection. This eighth sale of the Green estate actually comprised the Storrow collection of United States, which Green acquired intact, providing him with a large number of important classic stamps and covers. The strip was subsequently soaked from the cover and the righthand stamp was removed.

The published census compiled by Jerome S. Wagshal contains 90 unduplicated records of Scott 5. There are probably no more than ten examples existing outside of the Wagshal census population. Therefore, the 1c 1851 Type I is the rarest of all United States stamps issued regularly prior to the 1868 Grills.

Because of the significance attached to the outer portions of the 1c 1851 design, examples that have been carefully cut apart, so as not to impinge on any part of the design, are extremely desirable. The narrow spacing between stamps in the sheet and the users' indifference to the outlying ornamentation during separation are factors that contribute to the great rarity of four-margin examples.

The general consensus of classic U.S. specialists is that the four most desirable used examples of this rare type are: the strip of three on cover of Positions 7-9R1E from the Ishikawa sale, which was also owned by Newbury (and realized $150,000 hammer in 1993); the single on folded printed notice, ex Caspary; the pair with red criss-crossed "Paid" cancels offered here; and the four-margin sound single offered in the Hinrichs sale, which realized $150,000 hammer in 2005.

Ex Storrow, Col. Green, Newbury, Ishikawa and Morris. With copy of 1993 P.F. certificate.

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