Encased Postage Stamps
Exceedingly Rare Three Cents JOHN W. NORRIS, Chicago Rarity-9 One of Only "Three Known" Examples to Exist
EP-52a, HB-185, S-137, Reed-NO03. Three Cents. JOHN W. NORRIS, NEWS-BOOKS & STATIONARY, Chicago, Rarity-9 (One of 3-4 Known), Very Fine/Extremely Fine.
Rated as Rarity-9 (2 to 4 known) according to Fred Reed. In "The Standard Catalogue of Encased Postage" published 1989, Michael Hodder suggests that "less than Three" examples were known. Over three decades later, the consensus still stood that there are only exactly Three. Two were sold as part of the historic John J. Ford, Jr. collection of June 2004. Regardless of either 3 or 4 known, this is an extraordinary rarity by all numismatic and philatelic standards.
This specimen has a nice, clean rich red stamp that is very well centered. The mica is not perfect from handling use, yet it is clear and whole, having a thin edge rim lamination craze at 7:00 which allowed some soiling within on top of the stamp, and there is a very small craze near the top rim edge by Washington's forehead with all of the underlying mica layers still remaining intact. The case itself is very clean, having pleasing deep-chestnut in color and has sharp detail to all of the legends. This Three Cents stamp is the rarest of all Norris denominations. We sold one example in our EAHA Auction of June 10, 2007 Lot 5265 graded Extremely Fine (with mica problems) which sold for $5,074; plus another on October 15, 2011 graded Extremely Fine+ that sold for $7,080 over a decade ago. This is a great opportunity to add an exceedingly rare Rarity-9 that is quite likely, lacking in your collection.