1c Pan-American, Center Inverted (294a). Horizontal stitch watermark at bottom, deep rich colors, choice centering for this difficult issue, light wavy-line machine cancel

VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE USED EXAMPLE OF THE ONE-CENT PAN-AMERICAN INVERT. ONLY SEVEN ARE CONFIRMED AS SOUND. OFFERED TO THE MARKET FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DECADES.

The 1c Pan-American Inverts were found in at least four different post offices around the country, soon after release of the issue in May 1901. According to the revised Johl-King book (p.7) "The first known copies of this error were discovered at Bessemer, Alabama, by the Carrell Jewelry Company on some circulars just prior to mailing them. When they realized the find they had made they lost no time in removing the stamps from the circulars and thus saved them to philately."

The 1c Pan-American Invert in used condition is considerably scarcer than unused. Our updated census, available at our website at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/294af , records 54 used examples (two on piece and a pair) plus three on cover, for a total of 57 copies. The unique used pair has a cancel similar to the one on the stamp offered here. Only seven singles are confirmed as sound. The example offered here, which was kept in a safe deposit box for more than 70 years (sharing space with the Inverted Jenny Position 49), is exceedingly fresh.

Census No. 294a-CAN-55. With 2018 P.F. certificate. Offered to the market for the first time in decades.

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