Sale 1120 — Outstanding United States Stamps
Sale Date — Thursday-Friday, 17-18 March, 2016
Category — 1869 Pictorial Issue (Scott 112-122)
1c Buff (112). Rich color, balanced margins, bold strike of spokes cancel, Very Fine and choice, with 2007 P.F. certificate
2c Brown (113). Mint N.H., deep rich color, attractive margins and centering, Very Fine, with 2016 P.F. certificate, Scott Retail as hinged
2c Brown (113). Original gum, lightly hinged, beautifully centered, dark shade and sharp impression on crisp paper, Extremely Fine, with 2001 P.F. certificate
6c Ultramarine (115). Particularly choice centering within Jumbo margins, rich color, neat target cancel with trace of red datestamp at corner, Extremely Fine, with 1995 P.F. certificate
6c Ultramarine (115). Rich color on bright paper, bold strike of circle of wedges and red cancel at lower left, Very Fine and choice, with 1984 P.F. certificate
6c Ultramarine (115). Two, first with Boston circular datestamp, second with unusual cork cancel, bright colors, Very Fine, with 1996 or 2000 P.F. certificate
6c Ultramarine (115). Two, one with negative star cancel, other with face-free target cancels, few small faults, appear Very Fine, with 2003 or 2007 P.F. certificate
10c Yellow (116). Unused (no gum), vibrant color, extra wide margins and perfectly centered, trivial light corner crease, Extremely Fine appearance, with 2016 P.F. certificate
10c Yellow (116). Radiant color, bold strike of unusual 7-ring target cancel, fresh and Extremely Fine, the cancel is very scarce on this issue, ex Senchuk, with 2009 P.F. certificate
10c Yellow (116). Bright color, cancelled by well-struck Hollow Heart fancy cancellation, faint vertical crease, faint diagonal scoring line at top left, Very Fine strike of this highly unusual fancy cancel, with 2012 P.F. certificate
10c Yellow (116). Rich color, with trace of arrow at top right so from Position 60R or 110R, cancelled by well-struck Floral fancy cancel, (S-E PP-FL14), two scissors-blunted perfs at lower right, Very Fine strike of this unusual cancel, ex Juhring, with 2010 P.F. certificate
10c Yellow (116). Well-centered with wide balanced margins, bold strike of "College Point Md. Aug. 11" circular datestamp, trace of red cancel at bottom, Extremely Fine, with 2000 P.F. certificate
10c Yellow (116). Four singles, including clear Mount Pleasant Utah circular datestamp, unusual 7-bar grid in circle, five-spoke, last is neat rosette, few with faults, all appear Very Fine, an attractive group
12c Green (117). Slightly disturbed original gum, rich color and sharp impression, unusually choice centering with wide margins all aroundEXTREMELY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 12-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE.
With 2013 P.S.E. certificate (DOG, XF 90; SMQ $5,750.00 as original gum)
12c Green (117). Original gum, lightly hinged, intense color and proof-like impressionVERY FINE AND CHOICE. A REMARKABLY FRESH ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 12-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE.
With 1996 P.F. certificate
12c Green (117). Choice centering and wide margins, rich color on bright paper, nicely contrasting dark red Baltimore foreign mail cancels, Extremely Fine, ex Dr. Hinrichs, with 1987 P.F. certificate
12c Green (117). Jumbo margins, deep rich color, neat cork cancel, long and full perforations, Extremely Fine, a huge stamp, with 2001 and 2007 P.S.E. certificates (VF-XF 85 Jumbo; SMQ $285.00)
15c Brown & Blue, Ty. I (118). Exceedingly well-centered, bold colors, attractive bright red cork cancel and part of matching New York transit datestamp, Very Fine and choice, a handsome example, with 1991 P.F. certificate
15c Brown & Blue, Ty. II (119). Block of four, original gum, h.r., rich colors, bottom stamps horizontal crease at bottom, top left stamp small natural gum bend at bottom leftFINE APPEARANCE. A SCARCE ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCK OF FOUR OF THE 15-CENT TYPE II 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE.
Blocks of this issue tend to be wildly off-center, with perfs heavily cutting into the design. The example offered here has better centering than most.
Ex Frelinghuysen. Scott Retail $18,000.00
15c Brown & Blue, Ty. II (119). Well-centered, impressively dark rich colors, proof-like impression on bright white paper, complementing blue cancel, Very Fine and choice, with 1986 and 1995 P.F. certificates
24c Green & Violet (120). Wide and balanced margins, bright colors, bold red cork cancelEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB USED EXAMPLE OF THE 24-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE CANCELED IN RED. A DIFFICULT ISSUE TO OBTAIN IN SUCH OUTSTANDING CONDITION.
Surviving used examples of high value 1869's often show the tendency of postal clerks to zealously cancel stamps that were typically used on mail to foreign countries or on heavy registered letters. Not so for the example offered here.
With 1999 P.F. and 2016 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $3,800.00). Only six examples have graded higher to date.
24c Green & Violet (120). Wide margins and choice centering, fresh colors, vivid red cork cancelEXTREMELY FINE. A GORGEOUS EXAMPLE OF THE 24-CENT 1869 ISSUE WITH A "PAINT RED" CANCEL.
With 2015 P.F. certificate (XF 90). Scott catalogue applies a $500.00 premium for red cancel
30c Ultramarine & Carmine (121). Impeccable centering within particularly wide margins, brilliant colors, black grid and neat red New York British transit datestamp, Extremely Fine, with 1990 P.F. certificate
30c Ultramarine & Carmine (121). Rich colors, choice centering, bold rosette and part of foreign transit cancel ("Franca"?), Extremely Fine, with 1999 P.F. certificate
30c Ultramarine & Carmine, Without Grill (121a). Unused (no gum), nicely centered with beautiful colors, tiny insignificant inclusion speck above eagle's neckVERY FINE. A RARE 30-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL WITHOUT GRILL VARIETY.
This is the true Scott 121a, which is often confused with the Double Paper, Without Grill variety. The shade and impression are noticeably different between the two.
With 2009 P.S.E. certificate. Scott Retail as original gum
90c Carmine & Black (122). Rich colors, detailed impressions on crisp paper, outstanding centering with wide and balanced margins, light cancel leave design clearly visibleEXTREMELY FINE. A GORGEOUS USED EXAMPLE OF THE 90-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE. SELDOM OFFERED IN THIS PRISTINE CONDITION.
The 90c 1869 Pictorial is widely admired for its beautiful engraving and dignified portrait of Abraham Lincoln. However, collectors have been frustrated in their efforts to acquire choice examples of this issue. Used 90c stamps are typically heavily cancelled, because the high denomination was cause for postal clerks to thoroughly obliterate any chance for re-use. Naturally, the significant monetary value of 90c in 1869 limited the number of unused stamps that would be saved for future collectors.
With 2003 P.F. certificate
90c Carmine & Black (122). Well-centered, cork cancel, bright colors, Very Fine, with 1972 P.F. certificate