The Sante Fe Collection
December 7-8, 2011
| Images | Description | Current Bid |
 | Lot #13 United States 1979 "CIA" Invert 1979 $1.00 Rush Lamp & Candle Holder, intaglio brown color inverted, n.h., v.f., with 2001 APS cert. The CIA invert is the one of the most well known inverted color errors in United States collecting. These stamps were discovered by an on-duty CIA employee who teamed up with some colleagues to purchase the pane from a post office. Saving a copy each, the group later sold the bulk of the sheet to a prominent stamp dealer. News of the error reached CIA officials who sought to claim ownership and US Postal authorities who tried to recover the stamps. Official queries, threats, and even job losses followed the group until the sale of the pane was ruled legal. Only about 80-85 copies exist. Because the number of existing CIA inverts approximately equals the number of existing Inverted Jennies (C3a), many speculate that current values for 1610c are far too low; examples of C3a regularly bring six-figure sums at auction, ** Catalog #1610c Catalog Value $18,000 | Price Realized $16,500.00 |
