Lot 70125 – 1859-60, Coarse Impression 1/2r red used ERROR OF COLOUR,

THE “FERRARY” COARSE IMPRESSION 1/2 REAL USED ERROR OF COLOUR

1859-60, Coarse Impression 1/2r red ERROR OF COLOUR, instead of yellow or orange shade, possessing an outstandingly intense red colour and complete margins, lightly cancelled by La Guaira cds in blue (date illegible) leaving the design quite clear, small tear at lower left through the ‘E’ of ‘Medio’, pin hole at upper left and shallow hinge thin, of no significance for this charismatic rarity, of which only another three coarse-impression examples are recorded, including one mint single and one used pair, the latter with part of its design missing and repaired; one of the greatest rarities of Venezuelan and Latin American philately

Note: A similar single solitary error of of the 1/2r is in existence, but originating from the fine impression, is also recorded. According to the classification by Lt. Gen. C.W. Wickersham -accepted by Venezuelan experts and thus catalogued in the Scott and Stanley Gibbons-, the 1859 fine impression and the 1859-60 coarse impression are considered as different issues, both produced in different places: United States for the earlier and Caracas for the latter. Therefore five errors of colour are recorded in the first issue, with this example -offered for the first time to the public market in this sale- undoubtedly possessing the deepest red shade, and consequently increasing the visual contrast with the regular stamp issued in yellow or orange shades. The coarse impression error of colour in used condition is catalogued in Scott at US$350,000, whereas in mint condition at US$250,000; the mint example was recently sold in 2020 at auction in London for €156,000 (incl. buyer’s premium)

Provenance: Ferrary, Foster and Hubbard

Note: This example was part of the Ferrary collection of Venezuela sold in 1924, which was not specifically mentioned in the Ferrary sale catalogues. The stamp also graced the Foster collection as denoted by the handstamped “f” on reverse, and it still preserves the hinge paper on which Foster wrote “(Ferrari Coll.)” and reference numbers.

Expertise: Cert. Heister (2020)