1c Blue Green, Coil (316). Pair, h.r., deep rich color and proof-like impression, small tear in right margin of bottom stamp, tiny pinhole in upper left margin of top stamp is barely noticeable

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THE ONE-CENT VERTICAL COIL, SCOTT 316, IS ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL UNITED STATES STAMPS. ONLY TWELVE PAIRS AND ONE SINGLE ARE RECORDED.

According to Johl, these first government coils were an experiment, and collectors and dealers were generally unaware of their existence. Regular sheets of 400 were printed and then perforated in only one direction. They were then cut into strips of 20. The strips were then pasted together to form rolls (one paste-up pair is known).

It is unknown exactly how many of these experimental coils were produced. They were superseded less than a year later by the Washington-Franklin issue coils, the first of which were issued on December 29, 1908.

Our census of Scott 316, which is available at our website at http://siegelauctions.com/enc/census/316.pdf , records nine pairs, three line pairs (one of which is rejoined) and an unused single, for a total of 25 stamps. None are known used.

Census No. 316-OG-PR-04 and offered to the market for the first time in more than 40 years. With 1976 and 2017 P.F. certificates

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