In the summer
of 1907, at the request of the Bureau of Insular Affairs, the issue of
1903-1904 was specially printed on very white paper. This exhibitor’s original
research indicates that two panes of 50 of this stamp were originally overprinted
on plate 1774. Both bottom plate blocks exist but this plate block is not
only the largest known plate block, but the largest known multiple of the
issue. Five blocks of four are recorded as well as the other bottom plate
block of six stamps. It is believed that the top portion of each of the
two sheets were never broken and disappeared so that no more a total of
16 singles, five blocks of four and plate blocks of six and eight for a
total of 50 stamps exist. This plate block also shows the damaged “N” variety
in the word “Cent”. Since this issue was provided for exhibition purposes,
probably for the Queen of Italy, no used examples are known.
Both known
plate blocks were acquired by J. Murray Bartels and sold to Economist Stamp
Company prior to November, 1917, when both were sold to one of the earliest
Special Delivery collectors, W. Parsons Todd, long time mayor of Morristown
New Jersey. This plate block was purchased directly from Mr. Todd 30 days
prior to his death and the second plate block was acquired in the Todd
auction, subsequently sold a decade later and then resold to a plate block
collector in the late 1990s.
Comments: Only
one word --- SPECTACULAR!!!!!!
Description
from the exhibit page. Image reproduced from colored photocopy.
 
Single and
Block of 4
|
