Lot 70127 – THE LARGEST KNOWN 1866-69 1/2 CENTAVO MULTIPLE 1866-69, 1/2c yellow green, block of 60 (10×6),

THE LARGEST KNOWN MULTIPLE

1866-69, 1/2c yellow green, block of 60 (10×6), positions 41-50 to 91-100, including two complete transfer blocks of 15 with portions of four additional blocks, cut into at left and right, otherwise widely margined, refulgent colour, unused without gum as usually found in multiples of this stamp, three faint creases not detracting; multiples of this stamp are rare, and large multiples completely exceptional, with this being the largest recorded and considered as one of the three most important items of this period

Note: This multiple enabled Dr. Knut Heister to identify the transfer types and the resultant basic transfer block used to make up the sheet of 150 units. The second and third largest multiples (large multiples are absolutely exceptional) are nowadays property of the banco central de Caracas (Venezuela) and the Smithsonian National Postal Museum of Washington (USA)

Provenance: Lt. Gen. C.W. Wickersham, Norman Hubbard and Dr. Heister