1860 1sh Orange on Medium Hard Wove Paper, Imperforate An outstanding mint example, brilliant fresh colour on bright paper and displaying a remarkably strong impression, surrounded by full even margins; unusual "SPECI(MEN)" overprint in black serifed capitals (the entire overprint would measure about 37.5 x 4mm); still retaining a large portion of its original gum, distinctive small purple "trefoil" handstamp of Ferrary on reverse. An exceptional stamp that previously graced some very important collections of the past, XF OG

Provenance: Philipp La Renotière von Ferrary, Sale II, October 1921; Lot 569
Maurice Burrus, Robson Lowe Ltd., April 1963; Lot 422
Sidney Harris, Stanley Gibbons Auctions, October 1968; Lot 129
Robert H. Pratt, Harmers of London, October 1986; Lot 238
Dr. Chan Chin Cheung, Christie's (New York), September 1995; Lot 135

Literature: Illustrated and discussed in R. Pratt "The Pence Issues of Newfoundland 1857-1866" on pages 132-133 (Figure 59).

We would like to point out this is the ONLY KNOWN EXAMPLE bearing a Specimen overprint; furthermore the right-hand stamp, which has never been found, would only show the remaining "MEN" of the overprint.

A SUPERB AND MATCHLESS MINT STAMP WITH LARGE PART ORIGINAL GUM, POSSESSING SUPERIOR ATTRIBUTES VERY RARELY FOUND ON THE 1860 ISSUE. IN FACT, WE WOULD GO AS FAR AS STATING THAT THIS STAMP IS SUPERIOR TO ALL OF THE VERY FEW KNOWN MINT OG EXAMPLES OF THE ONE SHILLING ORANGE HERALDIC WITHOUT THE OVERPRINT. A FABULOUS SHOWPIECE WITH ILLUSTRIOUS PROVENANCE.
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Estimate 20000 $