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Auction: 177 - The Philatelic Collector's Series Sale
Lot: 399

Nepal
1917, ½ Orange vermilion on native paper, imperforate, tete-beche pair,

setting 6, stunning used block of 54 of this very rare issue, a nearly full sheet lacking only the top row and the first horizontal pair at left in the second row, positions 11-16/57-64, neat light Birganj telegraph cancel on each block of four, a number of constant plate flaws and bottom left stamp is an inverted cliche producing an exceedingly rare tete-beche pair of which less than a dozen exist, attractive lighter color and an especially clear impression for this, full large to extra-large margins all around, normal trivial wrinkles of no importance given the tremendous rarity of this piece, very fine. There are no complete sheets known of the Half Anna Orange Vermilion. This large used partial sheet of 54 is the largest known multiple mint or used. Historically this block plus the second largest multiple of 40 of the top portion of the sheet (see next lot) are very important as they make the plating of setting 6 possible. A wonderful exhibition piece and one of the most important of classic Nepal's rarities; (Hellrigl 34; Scott 11, a; $21,600.00+; S.G. 35, a; £18,900*; catalog values are for 54 used singles; the rare tete-beche pair being unpriced in Scott and Stanley Gibbons
Used


Estimate
$5,000 to $7,500

Starting price
$3000