Sale 967 — Important and Superb United States Stamps
Sale Date — Tuesday-Friday, 16-19 December, 2008
Category — 1857-60 Issue (Scott 18-39)
10c Green, Ty. I (31). Brilliant color and crisp impression on fresh paper, neat strike of San Francisco circular datestamp, beautiful centering with wide and balanced marginsEXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS MAGNIFICENT USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 10-CENT PERFORATED TYPE I HAS BEEN GRADED XF-SUPERB 95 BY P.S.E. -- THIS IS THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED TO DATE.
Type I stamps are only found on the 20 stamps that comprise the bottom row of the plate. Due to narrow spacing on the plate and difficulties in aligning the perforating machine, stamps at the bottom of the plate usually have perforations cutting into the bottom portion of the design. This is a negative, because Type I is defined as having the design complete at bottom. The population of stamps showing the characteristic is extremely limited, especially when other factors such as soundness are taken into consideration.
With 2007 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $10,000.00). This is the highest grade awarded to date, and only four others share this grade.
