Scott #17, AFA #17, Facit #21a. Printing 1. [1871 3 skilling Bicolor] Mint with original gum, extremely lightly hinged, with Fine+ centering that others might grade as F-VF. Regardless of the centering, this example is incredibly fresh -- mint examples of the Skilling Bicolors are really quite scarce in such fresh quality. Strong colors, perfect perforations, terrific original gum. Accompanied by a 1985 Carl Aage Møller b/w photo certificate that even comments on the lightness of the hinge mark. This first printing is at the scarcest end of the spectrum of the five printings. Facit 2020 value SEK 2500 or about $300 [2/2021] and AFA 2021 value DKK 2500 or about $410 [2/2021]. The Skilling Bicolors were printed on crisp, very thin paper, thus they can be easily damaged -- undamaged examples such as this one are quite scarce!
ACTUAL item.
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285.00
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234637
Scott #17 INVERTED WATERMARK Print 1 [1871 3 skilling Bicolor] Used VF centered, but with a couple short perfs and an expert repair (that most people will not find). Scarce! Wonderful purplish color of the first printing.
ACTUAL item.
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39.00
248288
Scott #17, Facit #21c, AFA 17.3, Printing 3 [1871 3 skilling Bicolor] Mint hinged BLOCK OF FOUR with VF/F-VF centered stamps. Excellent perforations for this issue. The block is intact, and has been sensibly reinforced to keep that way. The gum, other than being hinged, is full and fresh. Wonderfully fresh color for this printing and overall outstanding quality. Mint blocks of the Skilling Bicolors are extremely scarce; in the last 50 years many have been broken up to sell as single stamps! Facit values Mint 4-blocks of this printing at SEK 5000 or 6.25 times the value of a single -- but they are much harder to find than that! Interestingly, Facit 2024 values singles at SEK 800 (4/2024 about $80) while AFA Specialized 2016 [most recent] values singles at DKK 1400 (4/2024 about $210, or $840 for four singles). That is quite a difference. Based on my experience on this stamp, the AFA value is much closer to correct for attractive examples.Accompanied by a Lasse Nielsen handwritten printing / position note as was his custom: "pr. 3 / A59-70" indicating Printing 3 from positions in the A-sheet of 59-60/69-70. An scarce showpiece that would be an important item in a collection or exhibit. From the J.A. Farrington collection.
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500.00
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210239
Scott #17, AFA #17, Facit #21e. Printing 5. (Dark Gray & Lilac). Used F-VF. Purplish Lilac shade; unusual.
ACTUAL item.