Sale 1135 — The Grant Inman Collection, Part 2: U.S. Officials
Sale Date — Thursday, 15 September, 2016
Category — Official Special Printings - State Department
1c-7c State, Specimen Ovpt. (O57S-O61S. O57Sb, O57xS). Without gum as issued, bright colors, choice centering, few faults incl. 7c diagonal crease, O57Sb thin spot and pinhole and O57xS light crease, Very Fine appearance
1c State, Specimen Ovpt., Horizontally Ribbed Paper, Dotted "i" in "Specimen" (O57Sc; formerly O57Sb). Without gum as issued, radiant color, trivial soiling at top left not mentioned on accompanying certificates, Very Fine, with 2007 Weiss and 2008 P.S.E. certificates
10c State, Specimen Ovpt. (O62S). Without gum as issued, intense shade and impression, fresh and Fine, only 346 sold
12c State, Specimen Ovpt. (O63S). Without gum as issued, bright color, Very Fine, a pretty stamp, only 280 sold
15c State, Specimen Ovpt. (O64S). Without gum as issued, radiant color, Very Fine and choice, only 257 sold
24c State, Specimen Ovpt. (O65S). Without gum as issued, bright color, wide margins, Very Fine, only 253 sold
30c State, Specimen Ovpt. (O66S). Without gum as issued, radiant color, fresh and Fine, only 249 sold
90c State, Specimen Ovpt. (O67S). Without gum as issued, brilliant color, wide margins, Very Fine, only 245 sold
$2.00 State, Specimen Ovpt. (O68S). Without gum as issued, bright colors, unusually wide margins for this difficult issueVERY FINE AND CHOICE. THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF THE $2.00 STATE DEPARTMENT SPECIAL PRINTING WITH "SPECIMEN" OVERPRINT THAT WE HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED. A BEAUTIFUL STAMP.
Of the 32 sold, Markovits estimated that approximately 20 are known (2004 Bennett sale). Most seem to be strongly centered to one side.
From our 1993 Rarities sale. With 1974 and 1990 P.F. certificates
$5.00 State, Specimen Ovpt. (O69S). Without gum as issued, bright color, detailed impression, choice centeringVERY FINE. A PHENOMENAL EXAMPLE OF THE $5.00 STATE DEPARTMENT SPECIAL PRINTING WITH AN IMPECCABLE PROVENANCE. THIS EXAMPLE WAS PART OF THE SET PURCHASED FROM THE THIRD ASSISTANT POSTMASTER GENERAL'S OFFICE BY PAUL LIETZOW OF GERMANY, AND WAS BOUGHT BY ROBERT LEWENTHAL IN 1953. ONLY TWELVE WERE SOLD AND IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ONLY EIGHT STILL EXIST.
Paul Lietzow was a German collector/dealer who displayed his collection in one of the first philatelic exhibitions in Germany. The first was held in April 1870 and featured one person's collection. Lietzow exhibited his collection in July 1877 in Berlin for the benefit of wounded soldiers. His collection at the time comprised 6,200 stamps housed in six large volumes, quite an achievement for the time. In 1880 and 1882 he published handbooks on philately, one of which was a precursor to the Scott Catalogue. The idea of exhibitions and handbooks was to increase the appeal of stamp collecting, which was widely seen as suitable only for schoolboys and not worthy of serious pursuit.
Lietzow was an enthusiastic purchaser of high-denomination stamps thru the Special Printing program. He is the only purchaser of the $36.00 (two), $48.00 and $60.00 Newspaper special printings, and also purchased two each of the $9.00 and $12.00 values. The Combs book notes the Lietzow set of dollar-value State departments was purchased by Lewenthal from a German dealer in 1953. They were offered as single lots and then as a set in the 1978 Simmy's auction of the Lewenthal collection, where they were acquired by Leonard Sheriff. They were offered individually in the 1993 Sheriff sale, where they were dispersed to different buyers.
Although the Scott Specialized states that twelve $5.00 State "Specimen" stamps were sold, the description for the Markovits example states that eight are recorded, presumably based on Markovits's original research.
Ex Lietzow, Lewenthal and Sheriff. With 1993 P.F. certificate
$10.00 State, Specimen Ovpt. (O70S). Without gum as issued, bright colors, detailed impressionsFRESH AND FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE $10.00 STATE DEPARTMENT SPECIAL PRINTING. ONLY EIGHT WERE SOLD, OF WHICH FIVE ARE RECORDED. ONE OF THE KEYS TO ASSEMBLING A COMPLETE SET OF THE OFFICIAL SPECIAL PRINTINGS.
Although the Scott Specialized states that eight $10.00 State "Specimen" stamps were sold, the description for the Markovits example (2004 Bennett sale) states that five are recorded, presumably based on Markovits's original research. Our numbers concur with Markovits -- our census is available at our website.
With copy of 1991 P.F. certificate, obtained after this was offered in a June 1991 Christie's auction featuring the Governor Pierre S. duPont IV collection and property from the Frank G. Back stock.
$20.00 State, Specimen Ovpt. (O71S). Without gum as issued, fresh colors, detailed impressions, choice centering with perfs clear of the design on all sidesVERY FINE. THE $20.00 STATE DEPARTMENT IS ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL SPECIAL PRINTINGS. ONLY SEVEN WERE SOLD, AND PERHAPS FOUR ARE KNOWN. THIS IS THE KEY TO A COMPLETE SET OF OFFICIAL PRINTINGS.
Official records note that seven of the $20.00 State Department Special Printings were sold. The Combs book did not have any sale histories and noted that in February 1960 Philip Ward wrote in Mekeel's Weekly that he was aware of two copies each of the $10.00 and $20.00. We are aware of four examples of the $20.00 (in order of condition):
1) The example offered here, last sold in a June 1991 Christie's auction featuring the Governor Pierre S. duPont IV collection and property from the Frank G. Back stock, with other dollar-value State Department stamps. PFC 241742 stating "it is genuine"
2) The ex Lietzow, Lewenthal and Sheriff copy, centered to top left, single pulled perf at bottom
3) perfs clear all around, small stain spots, small thin and short perf, last offered in Siegel Sale 728 (Sept. 14, 1990), currently in the collection of a Southern gentleman
4) Ex Sinkler and Siegel Sale 623 (Sept. 21, 1983), centered to top left, PFC 437782 stating "faint horizontal thin at lower left".
With 1991 (copy) and 2016 P.F. certificates
1c State, "Sepcimen" Error (O57Sa). Without gum as issued, bright shade, single nibbed perf at right, Fine appearance
2c State, "Sepcimen" Error (O58Sa). Without gum as issued, three extra wide margins, top perfs just touching, light creases at bottom left and top right, tiny ink mark in forehead, otherwise Fine, Markovits (2004 Bennett sale) estimated perhaps 7-10 exist, ex Sheriff
3c State, "Sepcimen" Error (O59Sa). Without gum as issued, bright color, three wide margins, perfs just in at topFINE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 3-CENT STATE DEPARTMENT "SEPCIMEN" ERROR. ONLY APPROXIMATELY FIVE EXAMPLES ARE KNOWN.
Only 793 copies of the 3c State 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 eight can possibly exist. Only five were recorded by Markovits (2004 Bennett sale). There is one in the Miller collection (on extended loan by The New York Public Library to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum). We are aware of five privately-owned examples: the Lewenthal, Combs, Sheriff, Markovits and Golden copies.
Ex Sheriff. Sloane backstamp. With 2016 P.F. certificate
6c State, "Sepcimen" Error (O60Sa). Without gum as issued, brilliant color, unusually choice centeringVERY FINE. AN ABSOLUTELY STUNNING EXAMPLE OF THE 6-CENT STATE DEPARTMENT SPECIAL PRINTING WITH THE "SEPCIMEN" SPELLING ERROR. ONLY THREE ARE RECORDED, INCLUDING ONE IN AN INSTITUTION.
Only 467 copies of the 6c State 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 five can possibly exist. Only three were recorded by Markovits (2004 Bennett sale). The Combs book notes an example in the Miller collection (on extended loan by The New York Public Library to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum), and the copy offered here. We are unaware of the third copy. This is the first we have offered since our 1993 Sheriff sale -- it was not present in the Golden collection.
Ex Lewenthal, Sheriff and Markovits. With 2004 P.F. certificate.
7c State, "Sepcimen" Error (O61Sa). Without gum as issued, bright color, tiny tear at upper right affects the third perf tipFINE APPEARANCE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 7-CENT STATE DEPARTMENT "SEPCIMEN" ERROR. FEWER THAN SEVEN ARE KNOWN.
Only 791 copies of the 7c State 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 eight can possibly exist. Only six were recorded by Markovits (2004 Bennett sale). We are aware of five outside of public institutions--an example is in the Miller collection (on extended loan by The New York Public Library to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum). The others are ex Markovits, Sheriff, Golden, Rollin C. Huggins, Jr. and the example offered here.
With 2016 P.F. certificate
10c State, "Sepcimen" Error (O62Sa). Without gum as issued, bright color, wide marginsVERY FINE AND CHOICE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT STATE DEPARTMENT WITH THE "SEPCIMEN" SPELLING ERROR. ONE OF THE GREATEST RARITIES OF THE OFFICIAL ISSUES.
Only 346 copies of the 10c State 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 four can possibly exist. The Combs book does not record any, and the Miller collection, which has copies of most Official Special Printing rarities, does not contain one.
Ex Markovits. With 1937 R.P.S. and 1991 P.F. certificates.
12c State, "Sepcimen" Error (O63Sa). Without gum as issued, brilliant color, choice centering, small thins at topVERY FINE APPEARANCE. THIS IS ONE OF TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE 12-CENT STATE DEPARTMENT WITH THE "SEPCIMEN" ERROR. A PHENOMENAL RARITY.
Only 280 copies of the 12c State 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 three can possibly exist. Only two were recorded by Markovits (2004 Bennett sale). Both are ex Lewenthal; the other is also ex Combs.
Ex Lewenthal, Sheriff and Markovits. Illustrated in Combs book on page 42. With 2004 P.F. certificate.
24c State, "Sepcimen" Error (O65Sa). Without gum as issued, bright color, choice centering with wide marginsEXTREMELY FINE. THE FINER OF ONLY TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE 24-CENT STATE DEPARTMENT WITH THE "SEPCIMEN" ERROR. A PHENOMENAL RARITY.
Only 253 copies of the 24c State 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 three can possibly exist. Only two were recorded by Markovits (2004 Bennett sale). The other, ex Markovits, has perfs trimmed at top.
Ex Sheriff.
30c State, "Sepcimen" Error (O66Sa). Without gum as issued, brilliant colorVERY FINE. THE FINER OF ONLY TWO RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE 30-CENT STATE DEPARTMENT WITH THE "SEPCIMEN" ERROR. A GREAT RARITY.
Only 249 copies of the 30c State 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 three can possibly exist. Only two were recorded by Markovits (2004 Bennett sale). The other, ex Sheriff, has perfs just in at right and is scissors-separated.
Ex Markovits. With 2004 P.F. certificate.
90c State, "Sepcimen" Error (O67Sa). Without gum as issued, radiant color, perfs scissors-separated but intactFINE. ONLY TWO EXAMPLES OF THE 90-CENT STATE DEPARTMENT WITH THE "SEPCIMEN" ERROR ARE RECORDED. A WONDERFUL RARITY.
Only 245 copies of the 90c State 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 three can possibly exist. Only two were recorded by Markovits (2004 Bennett sale), and we not know the whereabouts of the second copy. The Combs book did not record any sales.
Ex Stone, Sheriff and Markovits. With 2004 P.F. certificate