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Auction: SW1013 - The Collector's Series
Lot: 53

1859, 20c. blue, stone A, the extraordinary vertical tête-bêche pair, positions 13 & 24, exhibiting the ''new blue'' shade, very well margined varying from ample to huge (spaces) at left, showing the edges of the clichés and part of the upper neighbouring adhesive, with original gum. A couple of thinnings and slight horizontal crease which does not impinge on the inverted position. In the process of transfer, one 20 centavos cliché was placed inverted at position 13 onto the plate of 20 centavos, which was composed of 55 units; the other cliché erroneously placed was a 5 centavos transfer at position 35. These errors only occurred in the first of the two stones produced to print this denomination. The postal authorities, after having been printed a significant quantity of the 20 centavos sheets, were aware of these errors, which were corrected in the second stone. (One item, sold by Investphila in its April 2010 sale -lot 359-, is the proof extant that one of these errors was even erased in the first stone, resulting in a blank space at that position). A very difficult error to obtain, which has been absent in nearly all of the most celebrated collections of classic Colombian philately. Apart from the tête-bêche contained in the famous part sheet of 50 (the most important item of Colombian philately), only five tête-bêches are known, all being pairs, considering both used and unused conditions, this being the only pair recorded which is vertical. A key item for any major collection of Colombia. Cert. Rendon. Scott 6c. Ex Frohlich and "Tito" collection.

Sold for
€28,000