5c Bright Blue, Special Printing (181). Without gum as issued, deep rich color on fresh bright paper, full and intact perfs all around, wide margins

VERY FINE AND CHOICE. ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF THE 1875 5-CENT CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY SPECIAL PRINTING ON HARD PAPER. THIS IS THE RAREST OF ALL SPECIAL PRINTINGS AND ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL UNITED STATES STAMPS. ONLY TEN EXAMPLES ARE RECORDED IN OUR CENSUS, INCLUDING ONE IN THE MILLER COLLECTION AT THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Our census of the 5c Continental Special Printing (Scott 181), published in the Zoellner catalogue and updated at our website at http://www.siegelauctions.com/enc/census/181/181.htm contains only nine examples which are available to collectors.

In our opinion, the Scott Catalogue value for No. 181 is not accurately correlated to its rarity or other stamps' values, probably because no examples have been offered since the U.S. stamp market started rising in recent years. For example, the values of Scott 181 and 204 are similar, despite the fact that there are twice as many recorded copies of Scott 204 (18 in our census).

Census No.181-UNC-04. With 1983, 1990 and 2006 P.F. certificates (VF 80)

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