24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post (C3). Block of 20 with arrow, plate nos. 8492 and 8493 and blue "TOP" only, a few minor h.r., selvage to the right of red plate no. is slightly thinned from hinge removal

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE PLATE BLOCK OF THE 24-CENT 1918 AIR POST WITH THE BLUE "TOP" ONLY.

The first sheets of 24c 1918 Air Post stamps were trimmed at the top and right to facilitate distribution. After the Inverted "Jenny" error was discovered, the Bureau engraved the word "Top" at the top of the red and blue plates and stopped trimming the selvage to make it easier to spot invert errors. Some argue that the "Top" was engraved on the blue plate first, then added to the red plate later. Others claim that the sheets with the blue "Top" only were already printed with the red frame (without "Top") and finished with the blue vignette from the modified plate. Either way, very few sheets were issued with the blue "Top" only.

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