90c Blue (39). Deep rich color, unusually choice centering with wide and balanced margins, red grid cancel which is completely face-free, leaving the beautiful youthful Washington vignette unobscured

EXTREMELY FINE. An EXCEPTIONAL USED EXAMPLE OF THE 90-CENT 1860 ISSUE, WITH GORGEOUS CENTERING, RICH COLOR AND A FACE-FREE RED GRID CANCEL, GRADED XF 90 BY BOTH P.S.E. AND THE PHILATELIC FOUNDATION.

The 90c stamp was issued in 1860, along with the 24c and 30c values, all of which were needed to prepay high international letter rates established by various postal treaties. The basic 24c and 30c rates to England, France and Germany created a volume of mail franked with those values. However, the 90c saw much more limited use, partly due to the rates in effect, but more because of the American Civil War. When supplies of current postage stamps were declared invalid in the South and ultimately demonetized by the Federal government, the 90c had been in use for only one year. For this reason, genuinely cancelled copies are scarce, and covers bearing the 90c are extremely rare.

The P.S.E. Population report for Scott 39 used has a total of four in the grades of 90 (three) and 95 (one), the highest grades reported. Power Search located only three in the 90 grade between P.S.E. and the P.F., including the stamp offered here, with none higher. Suffice to say that this rare used classic issue has an extremely low population of high-grade examples.

From the Nathanael Greene collection. Ex Gorham. With 1988, 2001 and 2022 P.F. certificates (XF 90). With 2026 P.S.E. certificate (XF 90). Only two share this grade at P.S.E. and one grades higher. SCV $10,000.

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