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China 1888 Small Dragons 1can Scott no. 13, Chan no. 19, literally perfect complete sheet of 40 stamps MNH ** with full, pristine, intact original gum and in the best possible condition, comprising two panes of 20 stamps each, joined by a vertical gutter and with totally complete sheet margins all around, perforated approximately 11½ - 11¾ clean cut (although most stamps are perforated about 11¾) and boasting absolute freshness, the “post officeâ€-type of freshness, throughout every single atom of it. All of the stamps, which show the “Tai-Chi Diagram†watermark in the inverted position, are very well centered, with most being virtually perfectly centered, the colour is vivid and bright, in the most pleasant shade of green one could think of, the impression is accurate and sharp, the perforations are simply spectacular, without even one single “blind†hole whatsoever, which is certainly unobtainable in case of the Small Dragons (not even in case of the clean cut perforated ones), thus only enhancing the general aspect of perfection and, on top of everything, there is not even the slightest separation present at all. On the back, things are looking even better, this miraculous sheet exhibiting absolutely full original gum, preserved in the best possible conditions and being totally unmounted throughout, having been applied on the entire surface, finely and carefully, without any skips whatsoever, which is truly unique for this issue, normally found with hardly any gum at all (on any of the three values). The sheet shows an abundance of varieties, as this particular stamp has produced quite a lot of them, with many dramatic and spectacular ones amongst which the “broken frames at top left & lower leftâ€, Chan no. 19b, on the second stamp in the fourth row of the left pane, the “break at bottom frame below “N†of “CANDARIN†“, Chan no. 19c, on the fourth stamp in the third row of the right pane, the “extra dot at upper right of “Dah†“, Chan no. 19e, on no less than four stamps (in the right pane, the second and third units in the first row, the third stamp in the fourth row, and in the left pane on the second stamp in the fifth row) and the “smaller size (19 x 22 mm)â€, Chan no. 19d, on at least a couple of stamps, all of these varieties being rare to very rare, not to even mention how scarce se-tenant pairs (of which there are quite a lot in this sheet) are. The overall quality and appearance of this marvelous sheet is truly beyond perfection, it is almost surreal. Hence, it would be rather vulgar to mention the minor and unnoticeable faint creases in the margins at places, as they simply don’t belong to the description of this sheet. Thus, I won’t. I will, however, have no hesitation whatsoever in saying that this must be the BEST sheet of the Small Dragons 1can Chan no. 19 in existence, for the simple reason that even if another one of comparable quality would exist (which I doubt), it couldn’t be any better, but just as good, at most. The complete sheet which was offered in the Zurich Asia (http://www.bennettstamps.com/) Auction no. 13 of June the 28th, 2007 as part of lot no. 136 (and which was probably the last to have surfaced the market, out of the very few which still exist) was of incomparably lower quality than this pristine gem. This auction represents a huge and unrivalled opportunity for the knowledgeable philatelist in general and for the China specialist in particular, and indeed for any philatelist with a highly acute taste for the best and most refined items possible. Not only is this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity on eBay, since this is obvious anyway, but it is the MOST serious opportunity for any dedicated philatelist, as this UNIQUE sheet (because it must be unique in this sublime quality) might not become available again for decades to come, once it leaves the market and becomes one of the pearls of a collection or investment portfolio. I am currently offering two other very important Small Dragons lots, besides this superb multiple. The three of them form an impressive and impossible to duplicate trio which constitutes a staggering opportunity for both the finest collectors and the wisest investors alike. Each lot is of immense rarity in its own right and does not appear on the market at all, generally, let alone on eBay. In order to view the other China lots I am offering, as well as the other worldwide classic rarities I currently have for sale, I would like to kindly invite you to please spare a couple of minutes to browse through my current auctions. You won’t be disappointed. In case of this item, especially if it will be purchased together with the other China Small Dragons lots I am currently offering, personal delivery worldwide could be arranged and, depending on several factors, I would even be willing to bear a significant part of the costs myself. However, please inquire about this possibility, as the conditions vary for each (potential) buyer in particular. IMPORTANT NOTE: I am prepared to offer the buyer a 5% DISCOUNT from the final sale price of this item IF he/she shall pay me by bank wire transfer or if we shall complete the transaction in person. If paying by any other method, other than the two described above, please be aware that there is no discount whatsoever and that the transaction shall be completed in the usual manner, just like all of my other transactions on eBay. A u t h e n t i c i t y a n d a c c u r a t e d e s c r i p t i o n a r e g u a r a n t e e d. P l e a s e r e a d b e l o w. P l e a s e c h e c k o u t m y o t h e r a u c t i o n s a s w e l l ! Please read and bear in mind the following policies before actually bidding: Description of the items All stamps are described to the best of my knowledge. I always illustrate the auction with clear, large photos (usually 600 dpi for single stamps, front and back). However, if you want an even larger photo for a certain auction of mine, please ask it (by sending me a message), and I will be glad to provide you with it. As general guidelines regarding descriptions, the condition of the items will be described as accurate as possible. All of the generally accepted major flaws which are not always visible in the pictures, regardless of the resolution (e.g. thins, etc.) will be mentioned in the description if they exist. Flaws which are clearly visible in the pictures, like missing perfs., tears, creases (especially on the back of the stamps), obvious soiling/toning, short margins on one or more sides, reinforced perfs. for multiples, etc. might not always be mentioned in the description and they alone do not constitute an acceptable reason in case of a return. Some "flaws" which are not uniformly accepted as being so, like paper adhesion on the back of a stamp, off-sets, natural gum skips or wrinkles, heavy hinging, etc. might not always be described. Repaired stamps will be described as such in all of the instances where the repair(s) is/(are) detectable and further details might not necessarily be given. Items described as repaired are not returnable on the basis of condition reasons. Returns are accepted for stamps which are found to be other than described, considering the conditions mentioned above. Authenticity of the items All of the items I am selling are guaranteed to be authentic and accurately identified, including the identification of their colour or shade. In case any of the items I have sold will turn out not to be authentic, I will offer the buyer a full refund, including the cost of shipping, the cost of the expertisation (including all the fees associated with it) and any auxiliary fees/costs which might have incurred during the transaction, in a maximum of 15 days from the moment I have received back the item (which is mandatory to be returned by registered mail). The ONLY acceptable proof for a refund in case of a return will be a negative certificate issued by a recognised and well-known expert or committee. No exceptions from this rule are accepted whatsoever. In case of the items which have the terms "sold as is" included in the description, no return will be accepted on the basis of authenticity matters. Items accompanied by certificates of authenticity or signed by various experts (not having undecipherable, unknown or bogus signatures, but signatures of well-known experts, and having this mentioned in the description), are considered to be universally genuine and no counter-expertise is accepted in this case, whatsoever. All sales which fall within this latter category are FINAL, and no return is accepted. Also, in case of certificates describing the condition of the item, this alone constitutes the description of that particular item. As a general guideline, the items I'm selling and which are accompanied by certificates of authenticity always have those certificates issued by well-recognised experts or committees. Bidding implies agreeing unconditionally with the following payment and shipping conditions (if you need special arrangements, please ask before bidding): Payment Payment has to REACH ME in a maximum of 2 weeks! I accept the following payment methods: - PayPal - MoneyBookers.com (to the e-mail address with which I am registered on eBay) - bank wire transfer – US $ or EUR (€) or GBP (£) ONLY! (Please note that it may take up to 10 days for me to receive the money. Usually it takes about 2-3 days.) Please be aware that you MUST pay all your transfer fees, and they shall not in any way be deducted from the amount you have to send me. If you need to arrange payment by other methods, please ask before bidding. I CAN’T accept checks or money orders OF ANY KIND, due to the high commissions for cashing them. I always send out an e-mail message (titled "Payment details for eBay won item(s) #...") to each of my customers right after the auction has ended, containing all the payment details he/she might need. Thank you for being so patient and waiting for it prior to asking any payment-related questions. Shipping $ 8 - Worldwide For items sold at over $ 1,500, shipping is free worldwide by FedEx. (You can also opt for FedEx shipping for any purchase at a rate of $ 55 for Europe and $ 85 for the rest of the world.) I ship only registered letters with receipt of delivery (International Avis de Réception). Shipping combined for multiple purchases! Stamps will be shipped on album pages (where shown like that) or on stockcards otherwise (or, in boxes if shown like that, etc.). Je parle français. Pas très bien, mais je le parle.
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