4c Pan-American, Center Inverted (296a). Block of four, rich color and sharp vignette impression, few small pieces of hinge used to rejoin or reinforce some perf separations, tiny perf thins and minute tear at right of bottom right stamp

FINE-VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE BLOCK OF FOUR OF THE 4-CENT PAN-AMERICAN INVERT. ONLY SEVEN BLOCKS ARE RECORDED.

This block shows the wheels of the automobile in the vignette touching the surrounding brown frame. Based on the centering of this block, absence of "Specimen" overprint, and the shifted vignette, we believe this block comes from "Sheet 1 Left" as diagrammed in our catalogue for the "Beverly Hills" collection (Siegel Sale 1052, pages 52-53).

A review of our Levi records located seven blocks of four. One has not been seen since the 1944 Col. Edward H. R. Green auction and has probably been broken into singles, and another has not been seen since 1970. One of the well-centered blocks (with thin spots) realized $325,000 hammer in our sale of the Alan B. Whitman collection (Sale 968B).

Ex Lilly.

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