Lot 727
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Canada, 1851, Queen Victoria, 12d black, laid paper (Unitrade 3), horizontal pair, ample to large margins to barely touching at the upper right, deep color, fine impression and light concentric ring cancels, faint crease, visible only in fluid. Exceptionally fresh and choice, Very Fine appearance. Scott 3 $280,000 as singles. Unitrade C$450,000 as VF singles ($337,500),
A STUNNING USED PAIR OF THE ICONIC TWELVE PENCE, WIDELY CONSIDERED TO BE THE FINEST OF THE THREE RECORDED USED PAIRS.
Expertization: 1961 and 1984 P.F. Certificates, both no longer present. The 1984 certificate can be found on the P.F. website-certificate #132337.
Provenance: Adler, Cantor
The Twelve Pence Black had an interesting history. Like all other pence issues of Canada it was engraved and printed by Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson of New York. A total of 51,000 stamps and a proof imprint sheet were shipped to Canadian postal authorities on May 14, 1851. However, the stamp proved to be unpopular with the public and only saw limited distribution, with a total of only 1,510 stamps being sent to just 18 Post Offices. Of those, 60 were returned by the Ingersoll Post Office, leaving a mere 1,450 stamps sold. The remaining 49,490 stamps were destroyed on 1 May 1857.
There is some speculation as to why this stamp was inscribed "Twelve Pence" rather than the customary "One Shilling", especially since the Colonies of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia both used one shilling stamps. A possible explanation is that at the time the Canadian pound was depreciated relative to its British equivalent and the other provinces also had their own exchange rates. The result was confusion among the public and postal officials as to exactly what a "shilling" was worth. Expressing the value as "Twelve Pence" may have been an effort to alleviate this confusion.
The limited distribution and lack of acceptance by the consumer, who seems to have preferred to use a pair of the 6d Consort, has resulted in the 12d black being the most sought-after rarity in Canadian philately as well as one of the most coveted of all classic stamps.
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| Realized $100,000 |
