Sale 1094 — The Curtis Collection: Back of Book and Possessions
Sale Date — Wednesday, 25 March, 2015
Category — Newspapers & Periodicals: 1894 Issue (Scott PR90-PR101)
1c Intense Black, 1894 Issue (PR90). Pane of 50 with imprint and plate no. 482 at top and part imprints at sides, natural s.e. at bottom, intense shade and impression, 19 stamps Mint N.H., some perf separations sensibly reinforcedFINE-VERY FINE. A SCARCE PANE OF 50 OF THE ONE-CENT 1894 UNWATERMARKED NEWSPAPERS & PERIODICALS ISSUE.
With 2003 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail as singles with no premium for the plate block (which is not even listed in Scott)
2c Intense Black, 1894 Issue (PR91). Original gum, lightly hinged, incredibly deep shade and crisp impression, Very Fine and choice, with 2000 P.F. certificate
4c Intense Black, 1894 Issue (PR92). Original gum, lightly hinged, well-centered with almost perfectly balanced margins, Extremely Fine, with 2007 P.S.E. certificate
6c Intense Black, 1894 Issue (PR93). Mint N.H., intense shade and impression, three wide margins, natural vertical creases at right, Fine, rare in Mint N.H. condition, with 2007 P.F. certificate
6c Intense Black, 1894 Issue (PR93). Original gum, h.r., intense color and impression, thin spot and light vertical crease, Very Fine appearance, a scarce Newspaper stamp, with 1984 P.F. certificate
12c Pink, 1894 Issue (PR95). Original gum, lightly hinged, pretty pastel shade, fresh and Fine, ex Cook, with 2006 P.F. certificate
12c Pink, 1894 Issue (PR95). Central strike of Providence R.I. oval cancel, slightly discolored, small horizontal crease ending in tear, Very Fine appearance, a rarely seen used example of which only three or four examples are known, with 1999 P.F. certificate
24c Pink, 1894 Issue (PR96). Original gum, lightly hinged, bright fresh color, couple slight natural gum bends endemic to this issue (not mentioned on accompanying certificate), Fine, ex Johnson, with 1998 A.P.S. certificate
24c Pink, 1894 Issue (PR96). Light purple Cincinnati O. straightline handstamp, characteristic pastel shade, well-centered within particularly wide margins, light vertical wrinkleVERY FINE AND IMMENSELY RARE. ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED USED EXAMPLES OF THE 24-CENT 1894 FIRST BUREAU ISSUE. THIS IS EASILY THE FINER OF THE TWO.
The only other recorded used example that we can find was offered in the Richard Collier sale in 2009. That example was centered to the top left, had a corner crease and surface scrape.
With 2005 P.S.E. certificate
36c Pink, 1894 Issue (PR97). Original gum, h.r., bright color, centered to bottom and capturing part of imprint at top, small tear at top, some light creasing at bottomFINE APPEARANCE. THIS IS THE SECOND EXAMPLE OF THE 36-CENT 1894 UNWATERMARKED BUREAU NEWSPAPER ISSUE WE HAVE OFFERED SINCE KEEPING COMPUTERIZED RECORDS. ONLY NINE ARE CONTAINED IN OUR RECORDS, AND NONE ARE SOUND.
Our recently updated census of PR97 (available at http://siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/PR98/PR97.pdf ) contains nine unused examples, all with original gum. None are sound -- most have thin spots or creases. The only other example we sold was in 2014 in the George A. Schwenk Collection -- it was reperfed and had a small thin spot, and it realized $57,500 hammer.
Census No. PR97-OG-02. Ex Engel. With 1969 and 1992 P.F. certificates. Scott Catalogue values this issue in the grade of Very Good-Fine
$6.00 Pale Blue, 1894 Issue (PR101). Original gum, h.r., radiant color, tiny natural inclusion, repaired at top with light thinningFINE APPEARANCE. THE $6.00 1894 UNWATERMARKED BUREAU ISSUE IS ONE OF THE RAREST OF THE REGULARLY-ISSUED NEWSPAPER STAMPS. ONLY FIFTEEN UNUSED EXAMPLES HAVE BEEN CERTIFIED AS GENUINE BY THE PHILATELIC FOUNDATION, MOST OF WHICH HAVE VARYING DEGREES OF FAULTS.
Our recently updated census of PR101 (available at http://siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/PR101/PR101.pdf ) contains fifteen unused and one used copy of this rarity. Only five are potentially sound.
Census No. PR101-OG-08. With 1996 P.F. certificate