The Barry K. Schwartz Collection of The U.S. 1909 Bluish Paper Issue continued...

EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF THE 4-CENT 1909 BLUISH PAPER ISSUE WITH A GRADE OF XF 90 FROM THE PHILATELIC FOUNDATION.

The June 1910 Third Assistant Postmaster General's report states that 4,400 (eleven sheets) of the 4c were printed on Bluish Paper. It is believed that none of the 4c and 8c Bluish Paper stamps were distributed to post offices, and that all of the examples in collectors' hands reached the market through the Travers-Steinmetz exchange and the 1914 National Museum trades to H. F. Colman (12 copies) and Nassau Stamp Company (65 copies).

Of the many examples of this major 20th Century rarity we have offered, only a small number have centering that can be compared to this stamp. In our sale of the Odeneal collection (Sale 941, lot 1249), we offered a superb example graded XF 90 by P.S.E., which realized $82,500 hammer. That was the first and only 4c Bluish Paper to be certified XF 90 by P.S.E. (one other has been graded VF-XF 85). The Philatelic Foundation records list three graded XF 90, including the stamp offered here.

With 1969 and 2006 P.F. certificates (XF 90) (Image)

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FINE. AN EXTRAORDINARILY FRESH AND ATTRACTIVE EXAMPLE OF THE 4-CENT 1909 BLUISH PAPER ISSUE.

The June 1910 Third Assistant Postmaster General's report states that 4,400 (eleven sheets) of the 4c were printed on Bluish Paper. It is believed that none of the 4c and 8c Bluish Paper stamps were distributed to post offices, and that all of the examples in collectors' hands reached the market through the Travers-Steinmetz exchange and the 1914 National Museum trades to H. F. Colman (12 copies) and Nassau Stamp Company (65 copies).

With 1950 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE AND CHOICE. AN EXTREMELY RARE BLOCK OF THE 1909 4-CENT ON BLUISH PAPER. ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL 20TH CENTURY MULTIPLES.

The June 1910 Third Assistant Postmaster General's report states that 4,400 (eleven sheets) of the 4c were printed on Bluish Paper. It is believed that none of the 4c and 8c Bluish Paper stamps were distributed to post offices, and that all of the examples in collectors' hands reached the market through the Travers-Steinmetz exchange and the 1914 National Museum trades to H. F. Colman (12 copies) and Nassau Stamp Company (65 copies).

To meet the demand for well-centered singles of the 4c Bluish Paper, blocks of this quality were broken, and this might well be the finest surviving block. Our Levi records contain images of a half-dozen blocks of four (none larger), but several of these have definitely been broken into singles since they were sold in the 1950s and 1960s.

Ex Lilly. With 1968 P.F. certificate issued to Raymond H. Weill after the Lilly sale, and also with 2017 P.F. certificate (Image)

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FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY IMPRINT AND PLATE NUMBER STRIP OF THE 1909 4-CENT ON BLUISH PAPER IN PRIVATE HANDS. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT 20TH CENTURY UNITED STATES PHILATELIC ITEMS EXTANT.

The June 1910 Third Assistant Postmaster General’s report states that 4,400 (eleven sheets) of the 4c were printed on Bluish Paper. It is believed that none of the 4c and 8c Bluish Paper stamps were distributed to post offices, and that all of the examples in collectors’ hands reached the market through the Travers-Steinmetz exchange and the 1914 National Museum trades to H. F. Colman (12 copies) and Nassau Stamp Company (65 copies).

Four different plates were used to print the 4c Bluish Paper on the Hoe & Company four-plate press: 4932, 4933, 4934 and 4935, but only number 4934 has been recorded from surviving examples. This strip comes from the left side of the upper left pane. The top imprint and plate number multiple from the same pane has been divided into singles, and no others are believed to exist in private hands. The Postmaster General’s Collection” at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum contains a pane of 100 from the upper right position of the same plate.

In the absence of a plate block of the 4c Bluish Paper, this imprint and plate number strip assumes far greater significance. We record only one other plate number example of the 4c Bluish Paper -- the top-margin single from our sale of the Alan B. Whitman collection, which comes from the broken strip of three.

Ex Colonel Edward H. R. Green (Part 19, Eugene Costales, Feb. 19-24, 1945, lot 100). With 1965 and 2017 P.F. certificates.

The Scott Catalogue values this imprint and plate number strip at $140,000.00, but since this item has not been sold since the 1970s, the Scott value is conjectural. In fact, the combined value of a hinged single and two Mint N.H. singles is $187,500.00, which should be the minimum catalogue value for this strip. (Image)

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