5c Brick Red (27). Original gum, bright shade and very fresh, accompanying certificate notes "lightly soiled at top", an opinion which we believe is not only harsh, but totally inaccurate

VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 5-CENT BRICK RED SHADE -- IN OUR OPINION, THE BRICK RED IS ONE OF THE RAREST STAMPS OF THE CLASSIC PERIOD IN SOUND CONDITION WITH ORIGINAL GUM.

After surveying dozens of classic United States sale catalogues, we found approximately twenty stamps with original gum, allowing for duplicate offerings and excluding the one known original-gum block. Of the stamps we counted, about half had perfs touching two sides or were deeply cut into on one side. Almost two-thirds had stains or small faults.

With 1992 P.F. certificate

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