Lot 50542 – British Guiana: The Ferrary 1856 4c black on blue surface coloured paper with manuscript signature « EDW », on piece

1856 4c black on blue surface coloured paper with manuscript signature « EDW », on piece, tied with « B G/E7C/OC 23/1856 » cds. The extremely fine cut square stamp has wide to huge margins and fresh colours.

This imposing showpiece of the Ferrary collection is by far the finest example known of this classic world-rarity of which only 6 cut square singles are recorded.

Expertise: Signed Herbert Bloch (Friedl Expert Committee, New York), detailed certificate W. Jakubek (1986) and RPS (2016).

Provenance:

– Collection Philippe la Renotiére de Ferrary, 23 june 1921 lot 54: “4c noir sur bleu … ex. superbe obl. sur fragment certainement un des plus beau exemplaires qui existent”. It sold for 44500 FRF which at the time would have bought 227oz of gold, which is the equivalent of £720’000 today.

– Caspary collection (May 14, 1957 lot 260): ”good colour and fresh. One of the finest, if not the finest copy known of this classic rarity”

– Offered in the 1979 spring auction of Edgar Mohrmann (Hamburg).

Price on request.