For the ordinary collector it might be a bit of an exaggeration, because for him it's just a big letter with a few rays on it. For the connoisseur of Durheim, however, a rarity: Folded letter after Reiden, probably in the 5th weight category in the 1st circle of letters, which almost does not occur with rayon. franking: 16II, stone BRO, type 16 and 17II, unsuccessful stone, lower group, types 38, 22, 14 and 7. The condition is above average for such a franking. When it comes to a lot of individual pieces, you don't often find that all pieces are well to very well margined! This document must have been part of a giant envelope or packaging wrapper. The mention "With a title of CHF 600.00" can be inferred from the number of bonds or shares that ultimately made up this large weight. What makes this lot one of the biggest rarities in Durheim and Old Switzerland is the printing stone!

From the rarest of all printing stones, the so-called "Unsuccessful Stone", only very few multiples on letter are known. Pairs are rare, stripes of three are very rare and stripes of four are known to me until today only two letter parts: One with a horizontal strip of four (as 20-Rp franking) and this colored franking here as 30-Rp postage.

A word about the frequency of unsuccessful stones: Werner Städeli estimated that the unsuccessful stones still preserved today were only around 300 pieces. This figure is certainly underestimated. After more than 50 years of research in this field, I assume that at least twice this number will be available. Now you have to put this in relation to other rare stamps: It is estimated that there are still about 800 single Double Geneva today! More than unsuccessful stones! The Double Geneva is noted in the catalog of Switzerland. Stamp dealer federation with 55'000.-, the unsuccessful stone however only with 4'000.-! It has to be said that Dr. Streiff informed me with his letter of 30.09.1971 with the periodically transmitted list of errors that he was now only looking for three stones M for his reconstruction. So he alone had 77 pieces that slumber in the Postal Museum with his donation. Further we have in our clientele two collectors, who reconstruct this printing stone (thus all 80 bow fields) and already quite far proceeded. And there's another one that's almost finished with its 40s! These few collectors alone have taken most of the existing pieces from the market. Now there are four of these rare numbers glued on this voucher (and moreover still in a high colour franking!)! And every single one of these four stamps has about the same amount of deposits today as a loose double genf! If we make a comparison out of it, imagine what a letter with four Double Geneva (!) (+ additional franking!) would have to have for a catalog price or what such a thing would cost virtually! There you can calculate yourself, what a price-related fantasy lies in this printing stone today still! And for the time being you can still buy these unsuccessful stones with a catalog price of loose = 4'000.- and on letter = 7'000.- (without variations or stamp rarities). Not just in quantities, but for the time being we can still deliver. Shouldn't such a purchase be worth considering?

The following price comparisons may be interesting:

Von dieser 3. Gruppe der Gelborangen gibt es bisher insgesamt nur sechs Stücke (wovon zwei in der Sammlung Ernst Müller im Basler historischen Museum, die andern in Privatsammlungen sind).
Diese Klassierung wird in den Katalog des Schweiz-Briefmarken-Händlerverbandes aufgenomme.

Studieren Sie dazu nachfolgenden Nummern aus diesem Katalog:

Vergleichen Sie obige Zahlen mit der Seltenheit unseres Beleges und ziehen Sie Ihre eigenen Schlüsse daraus! Ein einmaliges Spitzenstück für den grossen Klassik-Sammler!