Lot 1678
 
Canada 1959, 5¢ St. Lawrence Seaway, center inverted (387a), corner sheet block of 4. Wonderfully fresh and beautifully centered with full, undisturbed original gum, the lower left stamp being never hinged and the other three showing only the barest trace of hinging. A choice Extremely Fine block.
Scott $30,000 as singles
Expertization: 1985 P.F. Certificate.
One of only two recorded corner blocks in private hands. Beginning in 1957 the Canadian postal authorities distributed stamps to their post offices only after trimming the plate number imprints from the panes. This was done to reduce the number of broken panes left in post office stocks as a result of collectors buying plate blocks. Plate blocks were only available through the Philatelic Service. Since the Seaway inverts were only discovered through normal post office distribution, there were never any plate blocks available. A blank corner block such as this is therefore, the only way to truly complete a Canadian plate block collection.
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| Realized $23,000 |
