"Lafayette" Collection back to index

1853-1860 Empire Issue
80 centimes carmin tête-bêche

 unused tête-bêche pair, original gum, positions 140-150

Provenance:
ex Champion and Loeuillet

References: 
Ceres #T17, Yvert #17A
illustrated in 1975 Yvert & Tellier Specialisé catalog
illustrated in 2000 Yvert & Tellier Specialisé catalog

Census of unused:
the only reported unused example

Production information:
Two plates were used to print 9.9 million copies of the carmine 80 centimes stamp. One tête-bêche cliché was at position 150 (the lower right-hand corner of the sheet) of one of the plates.  Consequently, it can be estimated that only about 33 thousand tête-bêche pairs were printed.