24, Facit #27, AFA 21 [1870 24 skilling Bicolor] Mint top margin BLOCK OF FOUR, with THREE STAMPS NEVER HINGED. F-VF / Fine centered stamps with excellent perforations for this issue (the perforations are always irregular on these line perforated 12.5 stamps). FULL height top margin. Wonderfully rich color for this issue 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! Valuing a part-NH block is difficult. The AFA 2017 (most recent edition) Danish Block Catalog values an ALL-STAMPS-HINGED block at DKK 24,000 (4/2024 $3600). This block contains THREE NH STAMPS. The 2023 AFA Catalog value for the four SINGLE stamps is NH 3 x DKK 10,000 and one Hinged at DKK 3,500; for a total AS SINGLES of DKK 33,500 (4/2024 $5,000). That $5,000 catalog value cannot be ignored because there is strong demand for the single stamps -- especially demand for NH examples which are "rare". Yet blocks are much scarcer than four singles.Accompanied by a 1986 Henrik Pollak b/w image certificate stating that the block is "genuine, mint, never hinged except the lower right stamp which has hinge marks, full original gum, fresh and with excellent perforation for this issue and without any faults." Also accompanied by a 1999 Lasse Nielsen color photo certificate stating "Mint with original gum, two stamps are unmounted mint. Genuine and without repairs. Excellent item." LN wrote that only two stamps are NH, but I (and Pollak) strongly disagree. Under high-power magnification, there is absolutely no indication of hinging or any other gum effect on three of the stamps. In light of that situation, this is also accompanied by a Jay Smith certificate with "Lifetime Guarantee" including guaranteeing the status of the hinging at the time of the certificate. An extremely scarce showpiece that would be a key item in a collection or exhibit. From the J.A. Farrington collection. Payment arrangements are possible.
ACTUAL item.