Lot 134 United States SC#U222var 5c Brown, 1882-1886 Plimpton-Morgan Issue, A Very Fine Mint Cover, Size Error, Note Size Envelope With Knife 29, Wmk 5 & Die 2, Some Overall toning But Otherwise VF, $250 Est.

A very fine mint cover of the 5c brown from the 1882-1886 Plimpton-Morgan Issue, size error, note size envelope with knife 29, wmk 5 & die 2, some overall toning but otherwise vf, $250 est.

The 5c envelope was produced for international mail and so was never issued in note size officially. What appears to have happened was that a small stack of size 1 paper blanks were accidentally loaded into the printing press when it was fitted with 5c die 2 plates.

Scott doesn't list this variety, so we estimate it at $250. The stamp offered here grades 75 as follows:

Centering/Margins: 45/70

Paper Freshness: 5/5

Colour: 5/5

Impression: 5/5

Absence of Visible Paper Flaws: 5/5

Perforations: 10/10