Sale 968B — The Alan B. Whitman Collection, Part Three: 1902-34 Issues, B-O-B
Sale Date — Tuesday-Friday, 22-25 September, 2009
Category — 1902-08 Issue (Scott 300-314)
1c Blue Green (300). Mint N.H. with part imprint selvage at bottom, deep rich color, detailed impression, wide and balanced margins, Extremely Fine Gem, a Jumbo stamp, with 1990 P.S.E. and 2000 P.F. certificates
1c Blue Green, Booklet Pane of Six (300b). Mint N.H., intense shade and impression on crisp paper, Very Fine and choice, a pretty Mint N.H. pane, with 1996 P.S.E. certificate
2c Carmine (301). Mint N.H. with plate no. 1616 at bottom, brilliant color on bright paper, almost perfectly centered, Extremely Fine Gem, a beautiful stamp
2c Carmine, Booklet Pane of Six (301c). Position E with horizontal guideline, Mint N.H., brilliant color, gorgeous centering with well-balanced margins throughout, Extremely Fine, a stunning Mint N.H. pane, with 2000 P.F. certificate
3c Bright Violet (302). Mint N.H., deep rich color and proof-like impression on bright paper, beautiful centering with wide margins, fresh and Extremely Fine, tremendous visual appeal, with 1992 P.F. certificate
4c Brown (303). Mint N.H., rich color, well-balanced margins, Extremely Fine, with 1996 P.F. certificate
5c Blue (304). Mint N.H. with partial imprint top selvage, uncommonly wide margins with choice centering, intense color, Extremely Fine, with 1998 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (XF 90; SMQ $330.00)
6c Claret (305). Mint N.H., rich color, detailed impression, well-balanced margins, fresh and Extremely Fine Gem, with 1996 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $1,350.00)
8c Violet Black (306). Mint N.H., plate no. selvage at top, intense shade, Jumbo margins and near perfect centering, clear impression, Extremely Fine Gem, with 1992 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95 Jumbo; SMQ $800.00 as 95, $2,750.00 as 98)
10c Pale Red Brown (307). Mint N.H., brilliant color, choice centering with wide even margins, Extremely Fine Gem, a beautiful stamp, with 1992 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $1,200.00), only one has graded higher to date
13c Purple Black (308). Mint N.H. with part imprint at bottom, deep rich color and proof-like impression, Jumbo margins, fresh and Extremely Fine, with 1993 P.F. certificate
15c Olive Green (309). Mint N.H., vivid color, proof-like impression, perfect centering and exceptionally wide margins seldom seen on this issueEXTREMELY FINE GEM. AN OUTSTANDING MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 15-CENT 1902 ISSUE WITH THE EXALTED P.S.E. GRADE OF SUPERB 98.
With 1993 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (Superb 98; SMQ $13,700.00). This is the highest grade awarded to date, and only one other shares this desirable grade
50c Orange (310). Mint N.H., vibrant color which is as fresh as the day it was printed, gorgeous centering with well-balanced marginsEXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 50-CENT 1902 ISSUE. SCARCE WITH SUCH WONDERFUL COLOR AND WITH SUCH CHOICE CENTERING.
With 1998 P.F. certificates (one as a block and one as a single)
$1.00 Black (311). Barest trace of what may be hinging, new P.S.E. certificate states previously hinged but two earlier P.F. certificates state Mint N.H. -- we lean toward the P.F. -- intense shade and impression, perfectly centered with wide and balanced marginsEXTREMELY FINE. A SUPERB EXAMPLE OF THE $1.00 1902 ISSUE.
With 1989 and 2000 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (OGph, Superb 98; SMQ $2,100.00)
$2.00 Dark Blue (312). Mint N.H., detailed impression on bright paper, unusually wide marginsVERY FINE AND CHOICE. AN ATTRACTIVE MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE $2.00 1902 ISSUE.
With 1992 P.F. certificate
$5.00 Dark Green (313). Mint N.H. with part imprint at top, deep rich color and proof-like impression, beautiful centering with wide and balanced margins, lightly hinged in selvage onlyEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE $5.00 1902 ISSUE. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT ISSUE TO OBTAIN IN SUCH CHOICE MINT NEVER-HINGED CONDITION.
The 1902-03 Regular Issue was a great improvement over the Bureau's first efforts in 1894 and 1895. Perforations tend to be cleaner, and centering better, but the large plate layout and perforating method still resulted in a large number of poorly centered stamps. Furthermore, stamps issued in choice condition seldom stayed that way, because the boom in stamp collecting that began with the Roosevelt administration caused hordes of hinge-bearing philatelists to mount stamps over and over again. For this reason, today's collectors have grown accustomed to paying many multiples of Scott value for Extremely Fine stamps in Mint Never-Hinged state. This is especially true when it comes to the $5.00 denomination. This fact is made abundantly clear when you realize that the highest grade awarded by P.S.E. to a $5.00 value in never-hinged condition is a 90, given to only two stamps.
With 1998 P.S.E. and 1999 P.F. certificates, the former as a strip of three.
1c Blue Green, Imperforate (314). Mint N.H. pair, massive margins incl. part of ten adjoining stamps, brilliant color, detailed impressions, Extremely Fine Gem, a gorgeous pair, with 2004 P.F. and 2005 P.S.E. certificates
1c Blue Green, Imperforate (314). Mint N.H., enormous margins showing significant portion of all eight adjoining stamps, brilliant color, Extremely Fine Gem, this would surely grade 100J