1849 Leopold I. 'epaulettes' 10 C. brown in BLOCK OF FOUR with full to wide margins, mint with original gum (penetrated slightly into the paper and usual patina) with slight hinge trace in the two top brands. Unused blocks of four of the first emission are great rarities - another block of four was sold in 2011 for € 162,000 at a Swiss auction! All stamps sign. Buhler and certificates Buehler (1980), Holcombe (1995) and Van der Linden AIEP (2011). Opinion Pierre Kaiser: "The bloc is genuine with part original gum, but because of the quality of the bottom and the top of this block it is very difficult to be sure it was not repaired." (COB 1) ÷ 1849, Leopold I. 'Epauletten' 10 C. braun im VIERERBLOCK allseits voll- bis breitrandig ungebraucht mit Originalgummi (etwas ins Papier eingedrungen und übliche Patina) mit leichter Falzspur bei den beiden oberen Marken, ungebrauchte Viererblocks der ersten Ausgabe sind nur in ganz wenigen Stüc (Image)

1851/54: Medaillon 20 c. blue and 40 c. rose, margins large to touched, used on attractive 1853 embossed "VALENTINE" Ladie's envelope to London, tied by '24' numeral obliterators of BRUXELLES with blue despatch cds (Feb 2) at left and London arrival in red. VALENTINE COVERS TO FOREIGN DESTINATIONS ARE RARE, NOT A SINGLE ONE IS ILLUSTRATED IN THE "DESTINATION ÉTRANGÈRES" HANDBOOK BY DR JAN HUYS & PIERRE KAISER. (Image)