Sale 1239 — 2021 Rarities of the World
Sale Date — Thursday, 24 June, 2021
Category — Air Post thru Newspaper Issues, including Inverted Jenny
16c Green, 1918 Air Post (C2). Mint N.H., rich color and detailed impression on bright paper, mathematically perfect centering with long and full perforationsEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A PHENOMENAL MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 16-CENT 1918 AIR POST, GRADED GEM 100 BY P.S.E. -- THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED AND SHARED BY ONLY ONE OTHER.
With 2014 P.S.A.G. and 2020 P.S.E. certificates (Gem 100; SMQ $4,100.00). This is the highest grade awarded and it is shared by only one other. This is the first in this grade we have offered. By way of comparison the highest grade awarded by the P.F. is one at 98.
24c Carmine Rose & Blue, Center Inverted (C3a). Position 5 from the top row, original gum, lightly hinged, bright colors, reperfed at top (all top row positions originally had a straight edge)VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A WELL-CENTERED EXAMPLE OF THE 1918 24-CENT INVERTED "JENNY" ERROR -- THE MOST FAMOUS STAMP IN AMERICAN PHILATELY.
The original sheet of one hundred Inverted Jenny errors was purchased by William T. Robey on May 14, 1918, the first day the stamps went on sale in all three principal airmail route cities: Washington, D.C., New York and Philadelphia. Robey bought the sheet for its $24 face value at the New York Avenue Post Office window in the District of Columbia. On Sunday, May 19, Robey agreed to give Eugene Klein, a prominent Philadelphia stamp dealer, a one-day option to buy the sheet for $15,000. Klein exercised his option on Monday, May 20, in a late afternoon phone call, and he confirmed it with a registered letter to Robey sent in the evening mail. The sheet was delivered to Klein’s office by Robey and his father-in-law on the following day, Tuesday, May 21, 1918.
No later than Monday, May 20, the day Klein exercised his option, he had arranged to sell the sheet for $20,000 to Colonel Edward H. R. Green. Half of the $5,000 profit went to Klein’s partners, Percy McGraw Mann and Joseph A. Steinmetz. Klein was then authorized by Colonel Green to divide the sheet into singles and blocks, and to sell all but a few key position blocks.
Despite the great rarity and value of Inverted Jenny stamps, many of the original hundred have been mistreated by collectors over the years. Colonel Green himself allowed moisture to affect some of the stamps he retained. Eight straight-edge copies that Klein was unable to sell and returned to Colonel Green were found in Green’s estate stuck together in an envelope (they were soaked and lost their gum). Other examples have become slightly toned from improper storage and climatic conditions. Hinge removal has caused thins and creases in numerous stamps, and one was physically Scotch-taped to an exhibit page. Another was nearly lost to philately forever when it was swept up in a vacuum cleaner.
The Position 5 stamp offered here has an interesting history. It was one of the straight edge copies retained by Col. Green after Eugene Klein broke apart the sheet and sold most of the singles. Its first auction appearance was in the Hugh C. Barr sale of the Col. Green Collection in 1942 (Part I). It next appeared in a Harmer, Rooke auction in 1949. Sometime after 1949 it was reperfed at top to eliminate the straight edge. Its next auction appearance was in the Siegel Rarities of the World sale in 1980, where it was acquired by famed dealer Irwin Weinberg -- in the same sale where Weinberg sold the unique British Guiana One-Cent Magenta. Position 5 passed between dealers and was then featured in Jacques Schiff and Ivy & Mader sales in 1999 and 2000. At the 2000 I&M sale it was sold to a Florida internet firm called TakeToAuction. That firm re-sold the stamp on Ebay in 2000 to benefit Mothers Against Drunk Driving -- the first Inverted Jenny sold in an online-only auction. In 2003 it was auctioned by Schuyler Rumsey, where it was acquired by Gary Petersen.
With 1999 P.F. certificate. For the complete history and detailed records of every Inverted Jenny and owners’ biographies, go to https://invertedjenny.com
6c Orange (C19). Mint N.H. with top selvage, mathematically perfect centering with Jumbo margins, vivid colorEXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS STUNNING MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 6-CENT WINGED GLOBE ROTARY ISSUE HAS ACHIEVED THE ULTIMATE GRADE OF GEM 100 JUMBO FROM P.S.E.
With 2021P.S.E. certificate (Gem 100 Jumbo; unpriced in this grade, SMQ $3,800.00 as 100). This is the only example of Scott C19 at 100J (two at 100)
50c Trans-Pacific, Air Post (C22). Mint N.H. wide top plate no. 21624 block of six, vivid color, outstanding centering throughoutEXTREMELY FINE MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE EXTREMELY RARE WIDE TOP PLATE BLOCK OF THE 50-CENT CLIPPER ISSUE.
Advanced collectors of U.S. plate blocks understand that this issue is far rarer as a wide top Mint N.H. plate block than even the $2.60 Graf Zeppelin. There are perhaps ten or fewer Mint N.H. examples extant. The Scott Catalogue notes "wide full selvage top margin plate blocks of No. C22 are extremely scarce and sell for $3,000.00 or more..." (versus $85.00 price for regular plate block).
With 2019 P.S.E. certificate
10c Red Brown (J19). Bottom imprint and plate no. 331 block of twelve, top stamps Mint N.H., bottom stamps barely hinged, deep rich color and proof-like impression, superbly centered throughoutEXTREMELY FINE. A SPECTACULAR AND EXTREMELY RARE PLATE NUMBER BLOCK OF TWELVE OF THE 10-CENT 1884 RED BROWN POSTAGE DUE.
This is the only plate block of Scott J19 listed in Power Search. 2001 P.F. certificate stating "Genuine, Top Stamps Never Hinged" no longer accompanies. With 2017 P.S.E. certificate also confirming the top stamps as Mint N.H.
$2.00 on $1.00 Offices in China, Double Surcharge (K16a). Clear second surcharge, rich colors, neat roller cancel from U.S. Post Office in Shanghai, reperfed at topVERY FINE APPEARANCE. A SCARCE USED EXAMPLE OF THE $2.00 OFFICES IN CHINA DOUBLE SURCHARGE.
The Offices in China double surcharge error occurred during the overprinting of stamps for use at the U.S. Postal Agency in Shanghai. It has been reported that the errors were among the last stamps to be put on sale before the agency closed on December 31, 1922. The Deputy Postal Agent, Mr. E. H. Murray, knew of the error but allowed it to be put on sale, as he was retiring and the Agency was closing. This stamp is far scarcer in used condition. Approximately six covers are known (at least one of which is dated Dec. 4).
With 2020 Crowe certificate
$1.00 Parcel Post (Q12). Mint N.H., Jumbo margins and near mathematical centering, vivid color on post-office fresh paper, long and full perforations all around.EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB JUMBO-MARGINED MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 1913 PARCEL POST SERIES TOP VALUE.
According to Johl and Gobie, the $1.00 Parcel Post stamp originally had the manufacturing design ultimately used for the 25c stamp. This fruit growing scene is from a photograph provided by the Department of Agriculture of a grove in Florida.
Ex Whitman. With 2000, 2010 and 2016 P.F. certificates (Superb 98 Jumbo). By way of comparison, P.S.E. has graded two at 98J and only one higher, at 100.
$1.00 Parcel Post (Q12). Mint N.H., gorgeous rich color on post office fresh paper, essentially perfect centering with wide and balanced marginsEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE $1.00 PARCEL POST ISSUE, GRADED SUPERB 98 BY P.S.E.
According to Johl and Gobie, the $1.00 Parcel Post stamp originally had the manufacturing design ultimately used for the 25c stamp. This fruit growing scene is from a photograph provided by the Department of Agriculture of a grove in Florida.
With 2010 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98; SMQ $8,000.00). Only three Mint N.H. stamps grade higher in the P.S.E. Population Report (highest is 100) and only five others share this desirable grade.
10c Dark Green, Parcel Post Postage Due (JQ4). Bottom plate no. 6252 block of six with wide selvage, original gum, top left and bottom right stamps Mint N.H., others barest trace of hinging, deep rich color, choice centering throughoutEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB PLATE BLOCK OF THE 10-CENT PARCEL POST POSTAGE DUE ISSUE.
Ex "MLG" collection and Curtis. With 2009 P.F. certificate
7c War, "Sepcimen" Error (O87Sa). Without gum as issued, rich color, choice centering for this difficult issue, completely soundEXTREMELY FINE. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION THE FINEST EXAMPLE OF THE EXTREMELY RARE 7-CENT WAR DEPARTMENT SPECIAL PRINTING WITH THE "SEPCIMEN" OVERPRINT ERROR.
Only 539 copies of the 7c War 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 only seven can possibly exist (five or six from sheets plus the Framingham Find example). Perhaps two or three are known. None was offered in the Combs, Sheriff or Markovits sales. Only the Inman example (which is cut in at the top and creased) and the stamp offered here, recently discovered and certified, are contained in the records of The Philatelic Foundation.
With 2021 P.F. certificate
25c Dark Carmine, 1875 Reprint (PR7). Without gum as issued, complete pane of ten from the top half of the original sheet of 20, with selvage on three sides and imprint and plate no. 40 at top, adherence at bottom probably from previous mounting in an album, few minor perf separationsVERY FINE. A RARE COMPLETE PANE OF TEN OF THE 25-CENT 1875 NEWSPAPER REPRINT, SCOTT PR7.
Scott value as two blocks of four and two singles without premium for the imprint and plate number
24c Pink, 1894 Issue (PR96). Mint N.H., attractive centering with perfs clear of design all around, brilliant colorVERY FINE AND CHOICE. PROBABLY THE FINEST MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 1894 24-CENT UNWATERMARKED BUREAU NEWSPAPER ISSUE.
The 1894 Bureau printing was made from the old plates of the American and Continental Bank Note Companies. The plates were re-entered, and there are also other differences in the printings, including the paper and gum. This issue was not in service for very long before the new plates were ready for the Bureau-produced issue of 1895.
With 2015 P.F. certificate for a block of four (this the top left stamp)