Sale 1000 — Siegel Sale 1000
Sale Date — Wednesday, 8 December, 2010
Category — 1875 Re-Issue of 1869 Pictorial Issue
3c Blue, Re-Issue (125). Original gum, lightly hinged, intense color and detailed impression, wide margins with much better centering than usually encounteredEXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL LIGHTLY-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 3-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL RE-ISSUE. A RARE STAMP IN SOUND ORIGINAL-GUM CONDITION.
Original sales figures show that among the 1869 Pictorial Re-Issues, the 3c and 90c stamps accounted for the smallest number of units sold (1,406 and 1,356, respectively). Overall, the 1869's were popular with stamp collectors, far outselling the 1851-60 and 1861-66 Re-Issue sets. However, the 90c stamp's high denomination and the availability of ordinary 3c stamps limited demand. Today, both are rare, and handling over the years has not been kind to most of the surviving examples. This 3c is remarkable not only for its centering, but also its overall freshness and lightly-hinged gum.
With 1983 P.F. certificate
3c Blue, Re-Issue (125). Original gum, choice centering, beautiful shade and proof-like impression, bright and fresh, almost perfectly centeredEXTREMELY FINE. A RARE STAMP IN ANY CONDITION -- THIS 3-CENT 1869 RE-ISSUE RANKS AMONG THE VERY FINEST IN TERMS OF COLOR, CENTERING, FRESHNESS AND GUM.
Ex Odeneal. With 1992 and 2007 P.F. certificates
15c Brown & Blue, Re-Issue, Imperforate Horizontally (129a). Original gum, deep rich colors and proof-like impressions, wide nicely proportioned marginsEXTREMELY FINE. AN INCREDIBLY FRESH ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 15-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL RE-ISSUE IMPERFORATE HORIZONTALLY. A TRUE CONDITION RARITY AND AMONG THE FINEST EXTANT.
In United States Postage Stamps of 1869, author Jonathan Rose states that only one sheet of 100 was issued. A significantly smaller group are still known to exist. Many are without gum, not well-centered, or faulty. The stamp offered here is one of the finest we have ever encountered, and it is comparable to the Whitman copy sold in Sale 968 for $32,500.00 hammer.
With 1982 and 2002 P.F. certificates
30c Blue & Carmine, Re-Issue (131). Original gum, h.r., brilliant colors and proof-like impressions, unusually choice centering with wide marginsEXTREMELY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 30-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL RE-ISSUE.
Scarce with such choice centering.