1851, 5c Blue (1). Type I, clear to ample margins all around with pieces of border fragments from adjoining stamps at top right and top left corners, deep shade and excellent impression, red crayon cancel, completely sound and without repair

AN EXTREMELY FINE AND SOUND USED EXAMPLE OF THIS RARITY. PROBABLY FEWER THAN FIVE SOUND 5-CENT MISSIONARIES, USED OR UNUSED, ARE AVAILABLE TO COLLECTORS

Sound 5c Missionaries are widely perceived to be extremely rare, but the actual number is accurately reflected in our census (Appendix I). There is a total of 61 5c Missionaries in our census (Appendix I), including three in museum collections. Of the 58 available to collectors, ten are on covers (only one being sound), leaving 48 off-cover used 5c Missionaries available to collectors. Of these 48 stamps, 34 have verified faults or repairs; another seven have minor faults, and three appear only in photographs of the Atherton collection and are presumed to have minor faults. Only four of the available off-cover copies are known to be sound. Of these four, one is unused (lot 15) and one is on piece with a pair of U.S. 3c 1851 stamps (ex Ishikawa, Census No. 2-I-PCE-65). The example offered here is the finer of the two remaining used and sound 5c Missionary stamps off cover (the other being Census No. 2-II-CAN-59).

Ex Mirabaud, Levitt and Ostheimer III. Census No. 2-I-CAN-35. Brewster 2-I-Used-1. With 1957 B.P.A. and 1995 P.F. certificates. Scott value for a repaired example with usual black cancel is $25,000.00

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