Sierra Leone 1983 Birds Turaco COMBO Color Proof Gutter Pair Set! Bileski Rarity

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SIERRA LEONE 1983 Birds Featuring Knysna Turaco & Black Crake Scott# 463 & 473 noted, Stanley Gibbons# 760 & 770 EXTREMELY RARE ARCHIVAL COMBO VERTICAL GUTTER PAIRS! MATCHED IMPERFORATE PROGRESSIVE COLOR PROOF SET Cut and matched by the late Kasimir Bileski DETAILS AND FAULTS VERY FINE AND MINT NEVER HINGED In beautiful condition! All have crease on gutter where the press sheets were folded for storage in the archive. Today I continue present another little known to exist and extremely rare item from the Bileski Estate! Due to time constraints I am able to only list a few lots today friends. Let's have some fun! In my purchases and research of the Format Printers Archive I purchased a number of auction lots from the Bileski estate containing pieces from the uncut press sheets from the archive. In several lots I found the Sierra Leone 1980-3 Birds Definitive pieces from press sheets. I found a large box with several hundred little green envelopes inside. In exploring further I found them to be the 1980-3 Birds progressive color proofs in a quite unorganized state! From them I found that Mr. Bileski had broken the press sheets into gutters, crossgutters and blocks with large selvage. Also the remaining pieces cut into pairs. It is now evident that he broke all of the press sheets for this issue. Only a few normal press sheets still exist intact. None of the color proofs as uncut press sheets exist. My acquisition of the material included the mentioned green envelopes. Each pair, gutter etc. were cut from the same position on the press sheets and placed into the envelope. Then Mr. Bileski wrote what they were (gutter pair or pair etc.) and a number. Only two sets of gutter pairs from this position of the 1983 imprint issue exist! In my research I was able to almost fully reunite the pieces for several of the press sheets matching the scissor cuts. From that I was then able to figure out that the numbers Mr. Bileski wrote on the envelopes were indeed the positions on the press sheets! As with many Bileski items from the archive the evidence shows that there were two full press sheet sets of the 1983 issue along with some values having two more press sheets of the final imperforates. He cut them all into gutters and pairs. I have seen gutters from the press sheets for this issue available on the market but they are rare offerings at high prices and the seller usually does not know the full history about them. There were also the panes of the color proofs from later issues which single sets or pairs from them are more common and still offered at higher prices. Therefore if you obtain this you can safely say you have ownership of an, as Mr. Bileski used to say, "absolute rarity in the first degree!" and you got it for a steal too! The 4th scan is a diagram I made showing the different positions and formations of how they were cut. You can copy and save the image for reference. Vertical stamp sheets and horizontal stamp sheets have different positions so there is a different diagram for each. The original Bileski envelope is included with each set being offered. I wrote the diagram, value and year on the envelopes during the research. The envelope is the only proof of the position and the other sellers of these do not have them. Almost half of the collection was gone when I got the box so many of the pieces are scattered across the world! Today I am offering several other combo gutter pair sets of the 1983 Birds color proofs. All are from either position #25 or #26. Some lots comes with two different final combo imperforate gutter pairs both from the same position on the press sheets! Many have part of the printers notes or signature on them. Auction ends on Sunday next week! Please contact me if you which to register it which is an added $13.65 now and I do advise you to do it for international safe mailing. (Please view scans at 300dpi an... read more

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