Canada #595xi (SG#703p) 15c Mountain Sheep 1972-1978 Caricature Issue Type 1, W2B Tagging, Paper Type 11 Blank UL Blue Tail Variety VF-80 NH

A well centered and very fine mint NH upper right corner block of the 15c multicoloured mountain sheep definitive from the 1972-1977 Caricature and Landscapes Issue. Type 1, with Winnipeg 2 bar tagging, and showing the "blue tail" variety. Comb perf. 12.5 x 12, with a single extension hole in the top margin. Horizontal wove paper with visible vertical ribbing on the chalk surfacing. Smooth creamy PVA gum with a satin sheen. Under ultraviolet light, the paper gives the following readings:

Unitrade lists this stamp as being on LF paper, but this is a gross over-simplification, as the above description shows. There are actually at least four different paper types of the type 1, on low fluorescent vertical ribbed paper with Winnipeg tagging. Generally these seem to be of almost equal scarcity. Unitrade lists a VF-75 NH block at $60, and prices the blue tail variety at between 2.5x and 5x the price of a normal stamp. This the value of this block is at least $150. The block offered here grades VF-80 NH as follows: Margins/centering: 50/70 Paper freshness: 5/5 Colour: 5/5 Impression: 5/5 Absence of visible paper flaws: 5/5 Perforations: 10/10 Note any vertical or horizontal line shown in the scan is the edge of the acetate strip that the stamp was resting inside on the stockcard. Note: the above scan is a stock photo as are all my scans for material after 1952. The item(s) you will receive has (have) been carefully checked to adhere to the above grading standards, so while it (they) may not be exactly the same, it (they) will be of the same quality. Also, I do not provide back scans of NH stamps or blocks after 1952 unless they are required to illustrate some attribute of the paper or gum.