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EXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS IS ARGUABLY THE FINEST MINT NEVER-HINGED PLATE BLOCK OF THE 20-CENT PARCEL POST ISSUE IN EXISTENCE. A PHENOMENAL RARITY.
The 20c Parcel Post stamp depicts a plane flying over a town, with the label "Aeroplane Carrying Mail". The stamp was first issued on December 16, 1912, which is almost six years before the first flight to actually carry mail, on May 13, 1918. (Image)
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FINE-VERY FINE. A RARE MINT NEVER-HINGED PLATE BLOCK OF THE 20-CENT PARCEL POST ISSUE.
This plate block is especially pristine. (Image)
FINE-EXTREMELY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE AND DESIRABLE MINT NEVER-HINGED PLATE NUMBER AND "TWENTY" BLOCK OF EIGHT OF THE 209-CENT PARCEL POST ISSUE.
The Parcel Post issues were printed from plates of 180 which consisted of four panes of 45. According to Johl, the uniform color of the twelve denominations led to confusion on the part of postal clerks, who complained that they were forced to examine the stamps in detail to ensure they had the correct values. In response, on January 27, 1913 large capital letters were added to the margins near each plate number. At top and bottom the imprint is in the selvage next to the plate number, on the sides it is separated by a stamp with blank selvage, except in the case where the lettering is too long. We can tell that this came from the bottom right pane, because on that pane the letters precede rather than follow the plate number at the side. In the case of the 20c, the spacing of the letters stretches across three stamps and so the most desirable way to collect this with the imprint is as a block of eight.
Unlisted in Scott as Mint N.H. Scott Retail as hinged. (Image)
FINE. A RARE AND IMPRESSIVE IMPRINT AND PLATE NUMBER BLOCK OF EIGHT OF THE 20-CENT PARCEL POST ISSUE. THIS AND THE PREVIOUS LOT ARE THE FIRST WE HAVE OFFERED SINCE KEEPING COMPUTERIZED RECORDS.
From the bottom left pane of the plate. As the previous lot points out, the imprint was placed closer to the plate number on the top (and also bottom) positions. The only way to get the full imprint at sides is as a block of eight. (Image)