1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (8A). Position 51R1E with left straddle-pane margin and centerline, large margins all around, wide break in top outer line, bright shade

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A MAGNIFICENT USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 ONE-CENT TYPE IIIa IMPERFORATE WITH THE CENTERLINE FROM PLATE ONE EARLY. POSITION 51R1E IS ONE OF THE BEST EXAMPLES OF TYPE IIIa ON PLATE ONE EARLY.

Plate 1 Early stamps showing the centerline are rare. According to the Neinken chart, only three of the centerline positions on Plate 1 Early are Type IIIa -- 40L, 51R and 71R -- and this position (51R) shows a wide break in the outer line at top.

On Plate 1 Early there are strong Type IIIa positions with well-defined breaks in the top line, and there are weak positions that show a slight break. The Neinken book discusses the variation in Type IIIa positions on Plate 1 Early (page 73) and lists the following as the "best" examples of Type IIIa with the line broken at top: 40L, 53L, 33R, 35R, 51R, 55R, 72R and 75R1E.

With 1987 P.F. certificate

Image Magnifier / Download

Power Search for Comparables