Sale 1293 — The Vaquero Collection of Errors, Freaks and Oddities Plus Other Eclectic Selections
Sale Date — Thursday, 28 September, 2023
Category — 1851-1868 Issues
3c Rose Red, Ty. II, Double Impression (11Ae). Three large margins, just into label at top, pen squiggle cancel, remarkably strong impressions with pronounced doubling of rosettes and virtually unreadable wording, small corner creases at top left and bottom left
FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE 1851 3-CENT TYPE II IMPERFORATE WITH DOUBLE IMPRESSION. THIS IS ALSO THE ONLY DOUBLE IMPRESSION KNOWN FOR ANY DENOMINATION OF THE 1851-56 ISSUE. AN IMPORTANT CLASSIC RARITY.
Most double impressions occur when the first impression is made and found to be inadequate. The paper is then put in the press a second time, where it receives the heavier impression. It is a common misconception that the weaker impression is the second one.
A review of philatelic literature, auction catalogues, research notes and the records of The Philatelic Foundation found only one other example, which was certified in 2021 and offered in our 2021 Gordon Eubanks Collection sale.
Census no. 11Ae-CAN-01. From our 1968 Rarities of the World sale. Ex Piller, Wagshal and "Natalee Grace". Accompanied by the cover from which this stamp was removed (manuscript "Clear Spring Pa" postmark). With 1980 and 2010 P.F. certificates.
3c Dull Red, Ty. IV, Extra Vertical Perfs at Left (26A var). Vertical pair, original gum, bottom stamp barely hinged, deep rich color, Very Fine and unusual
1c Blue, Misperforation (63 var). Original gum, h.r., brilliant color, with diagonal fold causing a dramatic misperforation, Very Fine and very unusual, illustrated in Evans 1c book on p. 36 where described as "the most spectacular error of this kind that this author has ever seen", ex Jennings, Scott value $275 as a normal stamp
3c Rose, Production Flaws (65 var). Ten items, including excellent group of five misperfs with some wild perforations and two with double perfs, two with misprints due to foldovers, two with battered plates, one shows re-entry at lower left, last is cover with scratched plate, few small faults to be expected but trivial compared to the variety of unusual items, ex Hofmeyr
3c Rose, Printed on Both Sides (65e). Back printed in same orientation as the front and with most of the design clearly printed, front of stamp with grid cancel
VERY FINE. A RARE SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE 3-CENT 1861 ISSUE PRINTED ON BOTH SIDES. OUR CENSUS CONTAINS ONLY TWELVE USED AND THREE UNUSED COPIES. ONLY FOUR USED EXAMPLES ARE CONFIRMED AS SOUND. THIS IS FAR RARER THAN PREVIOUSLY ASSUMED.
Engraved stamps printed on both sides usually have a poor impression on one side and a second, complete impression on the other. They probably occurred when a sheet was printed without proper moistening, which prevented the paper from picking up the ink in the recessed lines of the engraved plate.
The 3c 1861 printed-on-both-sides stamps are known with the orientation of the back impression the same or inverted in relation to the design on the front, which indicates that more than one sheet was printed. The inverted impression on back is a result of the sheet being turned 180 degrees before it was put on the press the second time.
Our census of Scott 65 printed on both sides, available at our website at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/65e, contains twelve used and three unused examples (including one in the Benjamin K. Miller Collection at The New York Public Library). As the census indicates, most of these are in poor condition. Short perfs and rounded corners are the most obvious flaws. The example offered here is exceptional for its sound condition.
Census no. 65e-CAN-02. With 1994 P.F. certificate.
3c Rose, Double Impression (65f). Clear double impression of the entire stamp, rich color, light strike of target cancel at top left leaves design clearly visible, tiny corner perf crease at top right not mentioned on accompanying certificate
EXTREMELY FINE. THIS IS THE FINEST KNOWN EXAMPLE OF THE 1861 3-CENT DOUBLE IMPRESSION. ONLY NINE EXAMPLES OF THIS RARE DOUBLE IMPRESSION ARE RECORDED. OF THESE, ONE HAS BEEN STOLEN, ONE HAS NEVER BEEN CERTIFIED, ONE IS IN THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY'S MILLER COLLECTION, AND ONE IS SERIOUSLY DEFECTIVE. ONLY TWO ARE SOUND. A GREAT RARITY OF THE ISSUE.
Most double impressions occur when the first impression is made and found to be inadequate. The paper is then put in the press a second time, where it receives the heavier impression. It is a common misconception that the weaker impression is the second one.
Our census of Scott 65f, available at our website at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/65f, records only nine copies (including one in the Benjamin K. Miller Collection at The New York Public Library). None is known unused. Seven have been certified as genuine by The Philatelic Foundation, including one repaired with portions of design added and one reperfed on two sides. Another was stolen from a Fedex package several years ago and is still missing. This leaves only six certified and one uncertified available to collectors. The example offered here, with superior centering and showing clear doubling of the entire design, is the finest contained in our records -- only one other is sound.
Census No. 65f-CAN-03. Ex Ishikawa, Drucker and "Natalee Grace". With 1993 and 2012 P.F. certificates.
2c Black, Offset Impressions (73 var). Two unused stamps showing dramatic offset impressions on gummed side, each with a full Jackson portrait in different orientations, mirrored of course from the normal impression, one with straight edge, Fine and visually striking varieties, ex Faust
2c Black, Production Flaws (73 var). Three used items with production flaws, including one with prominent pre-printing paperfold, one with double perforations at top and bottom, last is strip of three with radically misaligned vertical perfs, Fine-Very Fine, interesting items
2c Black, Printed on Both Sides (73f). Back printed in same orientation as the front, strongly showing equal parts of four stamps, front of stamp with choice centering and grid cancel, small toned area at upper left
EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. THIS IS THE FINEST EXAMPLE OF THE 2-CENT BLACK JACK PRINTED ON BOTH SIDES. ONLY FOUR USED AND ONE UNUSED EXAMPLES ARE RECORDED. IN OUR OPINION, THIS IS THE MOST VISUALLY APPEALING PRINTED-ON-BOTH-SIDES VARIETY, WITH AN EXTREMELY STRONG IMPRESSION ON BACK SHOWING PARTS OF FOUR STAMPS. IT IS ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE ON THE POPULAR "BLACK JACK" ISSUE.
Engraved stamps printed on both sides usually have a poor impression on one side and a second, complete impression on the other. They probably occurred when a sheet was printed without proper moistening, which prevented the paper from picking up the ink in the recessed lines of the engraved plate.
The 2c Black printed-on-both-sides stamps are known with the orientation of the back impression the same or inverted in relation to the design on the front, which indicates more than one sheet was printed. The inverted impression on back is a result of the sheet being turned 180 degrees before it was put on the press the second time.
Our census of the 2c Black Jack printed on both sides, available at our website at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/73f , records four used and one unused example of this rarity. The example offered here shows the strongest impression on back of any known. This also is the only example with perforations on all sides that has not been reperfed.
Census No. 73f-CAN-01. Ex MacKay, Metzger (where illustrated on the front cover of the catalogue) and "Natalee Grace". Illustrated in Brookman, Vol. II, p. 10. With 2002 P.F. certificate.
3c Red, F. Grill, Misperforation (94 var). Rich color, dramatic misperforation caused during grilling, quartered cork cancel, few perf separations sensibly reinforced, light creases to be expected (which caused the variety), very unusual and dramatic, accompanied by cover from which this originated, ex Herzog and Drews
3c Red, F. Grill, Double Grill, One Points Up (94 var). Straight edge at left, wide margins at sides showing part of adjoining stamp at right, bold target cancel, light diagonal crease, vertical crease at right which caused the variety, Very Fine and choice, a phenomenal rarity, this must have been folded over when placed in the grilling machine, with 1999 note from Scott Catalogue editor James E. Kloetzel stating this is the only example of this variety which has been found, listed but unpriced in Scott