1881, 2 on 12c, in pale violet, opt OFFICIAL in black, error
SURCHARGE DOUBLE with the surcharge at centre, type 23, and the
other at foot
1881, 2 on 12c, in pale violet, opt OFFICIAL in black, error
SURCHARGE DOUBLE with the surcharge at centre, type 23, and the
other at foot type 24, fresh and fine, LPOG, a fascinating stamp of
the highest rarity, which once formed a vertical pair with Townsend
lot 182, the stamp below R7/5, from R6/5 in one sheet where the
surcharge was misplaced upwards, leaving the bottom row without
surcharge, a further impression in the correct position resulted in
ten of the 60 stamps showing both types, five with type 23 above,
as here, and five with type 24 above, some of which were used,
including an example in the Royal Collection, signed Bloch and
formerly in the Dupont collection, CV £6000, research has traced
just six of the ten possible examples, four mint and two used, only
two of these are confirmed as the variant with type 23 above, as
here, the other have been used at New Amsterdam in 1884, for the
specialist, XF! Schätzpreis 7.200€.
