90c Blue (39). Choice centering with unusually wide margins for this diffic

May 2012

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

90c Blue (39). Choice centering with unusually wide margins for this difficult issue, deep rich color and proof-like impression, black grid and also part of red London circular datestamp

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A MAGNIFICENT USED EXAMPLE OF THE 90-CENT 1860 ISSUE. THIS IS EASILY ONE OF THE WIDEST-MARGINED EXAMPLES IN EXISTENCE. ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE WITH THE RED LONDON CIRCULAR DATESTAMP.

The 90c stamp was issued in 1860, along with the 24c and 30c values, all of which were needed to prepay high international letter rates established by various postal treaties. The basic 24c and 30c rates to England, France and Germany created a large volume of mail franked with those values. However, the 90c saw much more limited use, partly due to the rates in effect, but more because of the American Civil War. When supplies of current postage stamps were declared invalid in the South and ultimately demonetized by the Federal government, the 90c had been in use for only one year. For this reason, genuinely cancelled copies and covers bearing the 90c are extremely rare. Approximately 180 used examples have been certified as genuine by the Philatelic Foundation, of which approximately one-quarter are sound. Of these sound examples, many are off-center.