4c Pan-American, Center Inverted (296a). Original gum which is only lightly hinged, with plate number "1145" and plate letters in selvage at bottom, fresh and bright colors, choice centering for this difficult issue

EXTREMELY FINE. AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE PLATE NUMBER SINGLE OF THE 4-CENT PAN-AMERICAN INVERT. THIS STAMP, WITH ITS PRISTINE GUM, RICH COLOR, LONG AND FULL PERFORATIONS AND WITH THE PLATE NUMBER SELVAGE, IS TRULY ONE OF THE FINEST AND MOST DESIRABLE EXAMPLES EXTANT.

The 4c Pan-American Invert was a special printing and not regularly issued. Examples were distributed through two official channels, and the gum on the majority of stamps without "Specimen" overprint was disturbed. In fact, because the stamps were removed from mounting paper, they are generally thinned or have seriously disturbed gum. The example offered here, from the bottom of the sheet, is extraordinary for its pristine gum, choice centering and plate number selvage.

We record only four other examples with the plate no., including a block of four with part imprint and plate no. (perfs are in at bottom), a strip of four with imprint and plate no. (perfs touch at bottom) and two other singles (one with perfs touching design at bottom).

Anyone who has attempted to form a superb set of the three Pan-American Inverts knows that the difficulty of acquisition increases exponentially from the 1c to the 4c denominations. In fact, the 4c Invert stamps in almost every "Superb" collection have been compromise copies, acquired out of frustration and desperation after staring at the last remaining blank space for too long. In our opinion, the stamp offered here could set a record not only for the 4c Invert, but for any of the Pan-American Inverts.

With 1991 P.F. and 2007 P.S.E. certificates (VF 80; SMQ $75,000.00 is irrelevant for a stamp of this quality and unique character).

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