United States Plate Blocks continued...

FINE. A RARE MINT NEVER-HINGED PLATE BLOCK OF SCOTT 519.

Many of the known plate blocks -- approximately 30-40 -- have narrow selvage and are not nearly as well-centered as this example.

Each stamp with lightly pencilled Costales guarantee. With 1982 and 2007 P.F. certificates (Image Magnifier)

FINE-VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE AND DESIRABLE PLATE NUMBER BLOCK OF THE 1918 $2.00 ORANGE RED & BLACK. ONLY A HANDFUL OF PLATE BLOCKS EXIST, AND THIS LARGE MULTIPLE IS EVEN RARER AND MORE DESIRABLE.

The $2.00 and $5.00 1918 Issue are the first bi-colored dollar-denominated postage stamps issued by the United States. Both were released just three months after the famous 1918 24c Inverted Jenny, but the early printings were issued in small quantities, since stocks of the 1902 $2.00 and $5.00 1917 issue were still on hand.

According to Johl, the $2.00 Orange Red & Black was a color error on the part of the Bureau of Engraving & Printing. The official description and order for the bi-color stamps specified "Red and Black" for the $2.00. When subsequent printings appeared in 1920 and philatelists brought the matter to the attention of the Bureau, they were told "this stamp has always been this color" (Johl, p. 306). From studies of Bureau and Post Office records, it is clear that the originally-intended color was not issued until November 1920 (Scott 547), and that the earlier Orange Red stamps were mistakes. The quantity issued has been variously estimated at between 47,000 and 68,000. (Image Magnifier)

VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A BEAUTIFUL PLATE BLOCK OF THE 1918 $5.00 DEEP GREEN & BLACK FRANKLIN ISSUE.

We have only offered six since keeping computerized records. (Image Magnifier)