4c Columbian, Error of Color (233a). Mint N.H. block of four with sheet selvage at right, intense color in the deeper of the two shades, detailed impression, crisp paper

FINE-VERY FINE. A RARE MINT NEVER-HINGED BLOCK OF FOUR OF THE 4-CENT COLUMBIAN ERROR OF COLOR. VERY FEW MULTIPLES ARE KNOWN OF THIS DISTINCTIVE COLOR ERROR, AND FEW ARE IN MINT NEVER-HINGED CONDITION. A GREAT RARITY OF THE ISSUE.

The 4c Columbian color error was caused by the use of a wrong batch of ink, and spectrographic analysis has shown that the blue inks of the 4c error and 1c Columbian have the same components.

Stamps from at least two panes reached collectors, and the few cancelled examples indicate that stamps used by the public came from additional panes. It is likely that a number of full sheets were printed using the wrong ink, and most of the stamps have simply been lost to philately.

With 2001 P.F. certificate

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