FLOAT
A grid-canceled 4-bajocchi of the Papal States 1852 first issue (Yvert 5), papal-arms design - an example of the issue; the unique mint sheet of 50 named by this constituent is not pictured.
A grid-canceled 4-bajocchi of the Papal States 1852 first issue (Yvert 5), papal-arms design - an example of the issue; the unique mint sheet of 50 named by this constituent is not pictured.

Papal States 1852 First Issue

Maker
Papal States (Pope Pius IX administration)
Year
1852
Rank
70 of 100
Identifier
Sassone first issue, papal-arms design (bajocchi/scudi); the record lot = the unique complete mint sheet of 50

Papal States 1852 First Issue

Realized at auction: $138,504, dated 2021-12-15. This is a realized sale. Somebody paid it.

What is it, and why is it in the FLOAT 100?

The 1852 papal-arms first issue is the cornerstone of Italian-states philately; the unique complete sheet is the headline rarity.

Sassone first issue, papal-arms design (bajocchi/scudi); the record lot = the unique complete mint sheet of 50

What is the best-sourced number for it?

Figure
$138,504
Kind
Realized at auction
Date
2021-12-15

A realized auction price is what a buyer actually paid on the date shown, including the buyer's premium where the sale reported it. It is the strongest kind of reference price, and it is a record of one sale of one object on one day, not a promise of what the next example will bring.

By reference price, Papal States 1852 First Issue is number 41 of 99 in the stamps entries of the FLOAT 100. 75 of those 99 rest on a realized sale; the rest carry an asking price or a guide value, and each page says which. Rank within the FLOAT 100 itself (70 here) is editorial: how much an object defines its field, not price alone.

How this is made

The figure
One reference price, shown with its own kind. FLOAT does not average it with anything or adjust it for time.
Realized or not
A realized price is a completed sale. A market asking price and a price-guide value are not sales, and are labeled as such wherever they appear.
Why no grade ladder
Most FLOAT 100 entries are individual objects. There is one of this, so there is no population and no spread across grades to show.
Archive
2026-08-08

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FLOAT is a free tracker. Add the stamps you own, keep photos and certificates with each item, and see a value built from real sales at your item's grade. This page is a public reference; it does not offer, price or sell insurance.