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24c Green & Violet, Center Inverted (120b). Unused (no gum), both the frame and vignette impressions are detailed impressions, choice centering for this difficult issue with perforations well clear of the design on all four sides, tiny thin spot in the grill area is negligible

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THE 24-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE INVERT IS ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL INVERTS IN UNUSED CONDITION. ONLY FOUR UNUSED EXAMPLES ARE RECORDED, AND OF THESE ONLY THREE ARE AVAILABLE TO COLLECTORS. THE TAPLING STAMP IS PART OF THE PERMANENT COLLECTION OF THE BRITISH LIBRARY. THE STAMP OFFERED HERE HAS THE BEST CENTERING OF THE FOUR.

This stamp was acquired sometime in the 1950s by Herbert Houghton “Hoky” Phillips, Jr., a Texas relative of Benjamin D. Phillips and a client of Raymond and Roger Weill. His collection was sold privately to the Weills around 1985. In 1987 it was acquired by Ryohei Ishikawa in a private transaction brokered by Harvey R. Warm and Scott R. Trepel (purchased from the Weills). It was sold in the 1993 Ishikawa auction at Christie's, where it was purchased by Columbian Stamp Company (Sonny Hagendorf) on behalf of a private collector. In 1996 Hagendorf sold the stamp to Steven Walske. It was offered in Walske's 2003 auction of his 1869 Pictorial Issue collection (the "Lafayette" collection), where it was acquired by David Wingate.

The Scott Catalogue value for the 24c 1869 Invert in unused condition is $750,000.00, but the last auction realization was $1,125,000 hammer (February 9, 2008, Philip Weiss Auctions), and that stamp was subsequently sold privately for an even higher price.

Census No. 120b-UNC-01. Ex H. Houghton Phillips, Jr., Ryohei Ishikawa and Steven C. Walske. With 1946, 1969 and 2003 P.F. certificates (the first two no longer accompany).

Census of Scott 120b: https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/120b

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