Sale 1135 — The Grant Inman Collection, Part 2: U.S. Officials
Sale Date — Thursday, 15 September, 2016
Category — Official Special Printings - Agriculture Department
1c-30c Agriculture, Specimen Ovpt. (O1S-O9S). Without gum as issued, rich colors, 10c small thin spot, overall a Very Fine and desirable set, ex Sheriff
1c Agriculture, Specimen Ovpt., Dotted "i" in "Specimen", Ribbed (O1Sb, O1Sc). Without gum as issued, first with Jumbo margins and gorgeous centering, second with bright color and clearly showing the variety, few minor perf flaws, Very Fine-Extremely Fine
1c Agriculture, "Sepcimen" Error (O1Sa). Without gum as issued, bright color, few perf flaws, otherwise Fine, scarce, only approximately 20 are known
2c Agriculture, "Sepcimen" Error (O2Sa). Without gum as issued, rich color, typical centering for this issue, few natural inclusions, few perf flaws, otherwise Fine and scarce, only approximately ten are known to exist
3c Agriculture, "Sepcimen" Error (O3Sa). Without gum as issued, scissors separated sides but perfs largely intact, fresh and brightVERY FINE. AN IMPORTANT OFFICIAL SPECIAL PRINTING RARITY. ONLY TWO EXAMPLES OF THE 3-CENT AGRICULTURE "SEPCIMEN" ERROR ARE KNOWN.
Only 389 copies of the 3c Agriculture Special Printing were sold, but it is not known how the stamps were taken from the sheets or if full sheets were exhausted before breaking a subsequent sheet. If full sheets were used, then at most four can possibly exist. Only one other is recorded (ex Sheriff, Markovits and our Sale 905) and it has similar scissors-separated perfs.
6c Agriculture, "Sepcimen Error" (O4Sa). Without gum as issued, vibrant color, perfs scissors-separated but intactFRESH AND FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE 6-CENT AGRICULTURE SPECIAL PRINTING WITH "SEPCIMEN" ERROR.
Only 373 copies of the 6c Agriculture Special Printing were sold, but it is not known how the stamps were taken from the sheets or if full sheets were exhausted before breaking a subsequent sheet. If full sheets were used, then at most four can possibly exist. The Combs book does not record an example.
Ex Stone, Sheriff and Markovits. With 1952 and 2004 P.F. certificates
10c Agriculture, "Sepcimen" Error (O5Sa). Without gum as issued, brilliant color, wide margin at left (as does the only other recorded example)FRESH AND FINE. ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE 10-CENT AGRICULTURE SPECIAL PRINTING WITH THE "SEPCIMEN" SPELLING ERROR. A PHENOMENAL RARITY.
Only 390 copies of the 10c Agriculture Special Printing were sold, but it is not known how the stamps were taken from the sheets or if full sheets were exhausted before breaking a subsequent sheet. If full sheets were used, then at most four can possibly exist. None were known to Combs. The other example known to us, ex Stone, Sheriff and Markovits, has similar centering but is closer at bottom. It was incorrectly described in the 2004 Markovits sale as the only recorded example.
With 1971 P.F. certificate.
12c Agriculture, "Sepcimen" Error (O6Sa). Without gum as issued, brilliant color, typical centering for this issueFINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE 12-CENT AGRICULTURE WITH "SEPCIMEN" SPELLING ERROR. FEWER THAN FIVE ARE KNOWN, AND THIS IS UNDOUBTEDLY THE FINEST.
Only 379 copies of the 12c Agriculture Special Printing were sold, but it is not known how the stamps were taken from the sheets or if full sheets were exhausted before breaking a subsequent sheet. If full sheets were used, then at most four can possibly exist. Robert Markovits recorded only three examples (2004 Bennett sale). We are aware of four, including the used example offered in the following lot, one offered in our 2016 sale of the Rollin C. Huggins Jr. collection, and one offered in our Sale 1017 that had a large stained repair.
Ex Lewenthal, Sheriff and Markovits. Signed Bloch. With 2004 P.F. certificate.
12c Agriculture, "Sepcimen" Error ( O6Sa). Rich color, bold target cancel described on accompanying certificate as counterfeit, Fine, an unusual item, the "SEPCIMEN" error is genuine (only four are known) but this must be offered on its own merits due to the cancel, illustrated in the Combs book on page 36, ex Worthington, Lewenthal (where illustrated on front cover) and Sheriff, with 1999 P.F. certificate, Scott Retail as unused $12,500.00
15c Agriculture, "Sepcimen" Error (O7Sa). Without gum as issued, rich color, wide marginsVERY FINE AND CHOICE. AN EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 15-CENT AGRICULTURE WITH THE "SEPCIMEN" ERROR. ONLY THREE ARE KNOWN.
Only 370 of the 15c Agriculture Special Printing were sold, but it is not known how the stamps were taken from the sheets or if full sheets were exhausted before breaking a subsequent sheet. If full sheets were used, then at most four can possibly exist. Robert Markovits recorded only two examples (2004 Bennett sale), but it is not clear if his census included the Golden example. We record three: 1) intact perfs, sound, ex Golden (Siegel Sale 1095, lot 522, realized $10,500 hammer); 2) the example offered here; and 3) ex Lewenthal and Markovits, last sold in Siegel Sale 905, scissors-separated into the perfs at top.
Small purple backstamp. With 2016 P.F. certificate
24c Agriculture, "Sepcimen" Error (O8Sa). Without gum as issued, brilliant color, scissors-separated at left but with intact perfs, tiny corner perf tear at top rightVERY FINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE 24-CENT AGRICULTURE WITH THE "SEPCIMEN" SPELLING ERROR. ONLY FOUR ARE KNOWN. A GREAT RARITY.
Only 352 of the 24c Agriculture Special Printing were sold, but it is not known how the stamps were taken from the sheets or if full sheets were exhausted before breaking a subsequent sheet. If full sheets were used, then at most four can possibly exist. Robert Markovits recorded only three examples. We record the following four examples: 1) ex Golden, intact perfs, sound (Siegel Sale 1095, lot 523, realized $11,000 hammer); 2) the example offered here, wide left margin; 3) similar centering, ex Pickard, Stone and Sheriff (Siegel Sale 752, lot 484); and 4) similar left margin, reperfed at top, thins and tear, ex Markovits.
With 2002 A.P.S. and 2016 P.F. certificates, the former not mentioning the tiny fault
30c Agriculture, "Sepcimen" Error (O9Sa). Without gum as issued, vivid color, wonderfully well-centered with wide margins, bright and freshEXTREMELY FINE. THIS IS THE FINEST OF ONLY THREE RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE 30-CENT AGRICULTURE "SEPCIMEN" ERROR.
Only 354 of the 30c Agriculture Special Printing were sold, but it is not known how the stamps were taken from the sheets or if full sheets were exhausted before breaking a subsequent sheet. If full sheets were used, then at most four can possibly exist. Robert Markovits recorded only three examples, which accords with our records. The ex-Sheriff and Markovits copy and the example sold in Siegel Sale 913 are not nearly as well-centered as the stamp offered here.
Ex Lewenthal and pictured in Combs book on page 36. Signed Bloch