90c Rose Carmine (166). Original gum, barely hinged, brilliant color on crisp paper, perfectly centered with wide and balanced margins

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 90-CENT 1873 CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY ISSUE, SCOTT 166. THIS STAMP HAS BEEN GRADED SUPERB 98 BY P.S.E. -- THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED TO DATE TO AN ORIGINAL-GUM (OGph) EXAMPLE OF THIS STAMP. A TRUE CONDITION RARITY.

The Superb 98 grade becomes exponentially more difficult to achieve as one moves away from the modern issues toward the perforated classics. In particular, the Bank Note Issue high values rarely possess the wide "boxed" margins and precise centering that define the Superb 98 grade. This is the only 90c stamp -- the highest denomination of the Large Bank Note series -- to achieve a P.S.E. OGph Superb 98 grade until we reach the 1888 Purple color-change issue (Scott 218). Behind it in the P.S.E. Population Report are OGph examples of Scott 155 (one), 166 (one) and 191 (two) in XF-Superb 95 grade. There are no Mint N.H. examples of these 90c stamps currently reported (for the record, one Scott 166 with disturbed gum has been graded 98J).

The difference between a 95 and 98 in later issues is frequently a matter of separating a minority of stamps from a big pile. However, the difference between a 90c 1873 Issue in Superb 98 grade and every other copy of this issue is enormous. Although multiples of the 90c 1873 have been broken up to furnish Very Fine and Extremely Fine (80-90 points) stamps, it is unlikely that more than a half-dozen exist in truly XF-Superb 95 or Superb 98 condition. This stamp could well be alone in holding its Superb 98 position for many years, if not forever.

With 2002 P.F. certificate. With 2002 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98; SMQ $16,300.00).

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