Sale 1348 — The Philip Pivawer Collection of U.S. Stamps
Sale Date — Wednesday, 19 March, 2025
Category — 1908-10 Issue including Orangeburg Coil
1c Green, Coil (385). Mint N.H. guide line pair, wide margins and rich color, Very Fine and choice, with 1979, 1999 and 2014 P.F. certificates (latter VF-XF 85)
2c Carmine, Coil (386). Guide line pair, original gum, barest trace of hinging, brilliant color, gorgeous centering both side to side and top to bottom
EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB GUIDE LINE PAIR OF THE 2-CENT 1910 VERTICAL COIL, SCOTT 386.
According to Johl (Vol. 1, p. 111), the Bureau switched to Perf 8½ for their coils after a very short period of time. The Perf 12 coils proved to be too susceptible to falling apart in the machines used to affix (and make) the coils. Scott 386 was one of the first to be discontinued.
Ex "Scarsdale", Curtis and "Alan". 1998 P.F. certificate as Mint N.H. no longer accompanies. With 2004 P.S.E. certificate (OG, XF-Superb 95). This is the only guide line pair awarded this high grade with none higher. The highest Mint N.H. line pair is graded 90. SCV $1,600.
1c Green, Coil (387). Guide line pair, original gum, barely hinged, proof-like impression and choice centering
EXTREMELY FINE. A REMARKABLY CHOICE GUIDE LINE PAIR OF THE ONE-CENT 1910 HORIZONTAL COIL, SCOTT 387.
Ex "Clipper City". With 1990 and 2017 P.F. certificates. With 2005 P.S.E. certificate (OGph, XF 90). Only one Scott 387 line pair in any gum condition exceeds this grade (one hinged at 95). Collectors waiting for an Extremely Fine Mint N.H. line pair should seriously consider this example, as the highest grade awarded to a Mint N.H. example is VF 80.
2c Carmine, Coil (388). Pair with 2mm spacing, showing guideline at left, original gum, bright color and nicely centered
VERY FINE PAIR OF THE 1910 2-CENT PERF 12 SINGLE-LINE WATERMARK HORIZONTAL COIL, SCOTT 388.
This 2c coil was in production for only a short period of time before being superseded by the Perf 8½ issue. Due to the greater popularity of the horizontal coils with users, combined with a wary attitude by many collectors that early coils were simply trimmed stamps, many were used and few preserved.
Small backstamp. With 1961, 1996 P.F. and 2004 P.S.E. certificates.
3c Deep Violet, Orangeburg Coil (389). Pair, small piece of hinge reinforcing a few perf separations at bottom, gum is otherwise pristine, deep rich color, completely sound
VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE UNUSED PAIR (with original gum) OF THE 1911 3-CENT ORANGEBURG COIL, SCOTT 389. ONLY FOUR UNUSED SINGLES AND FIVE UNUSED PAIRS ARE AVAILABLE TO COLLECTORS. ONE OF THE GREATEST RARITIES OF 20TH CENTURY UNITED STATES PHILATELY.
The so-called Orangeburg coil was made by the Post Office Department in 1911, specifically for use by the Bell Pharmaceutical Company in Orangeburg, New York. The 3c coil stamps were used to send samples of their products to physicians. Due to the quantity of mail, they were put through the first-class cancelling machine at Orangeburg. The Orangeburg coil stamps’ use on mail containing product samples and the fact that philatelists were generally unaware of their production account for their rarity.
Our census of unused Scott 389, available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/389, contains six pairs and four singles. An uncertified unused pair with paste-up at left is in the The New York Public Library's Benjamin K. Miller collection (on extended loan to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum) and will never be available to collectors. Of the five pairs available to collectors, one is a paste-up, one has perfs touching at left and three are centered strongly to one side. This pair comes from the strip of five that was broken into two pairs and a single. The other pair from the strip, which adjoined this pair to the right, contains the only known Mint N.H. example of the Orangeburg coil (the other stamp in that pair has a small thin spot). That pair, which is ex Alan B. Whitman (Sale 968B, lot 494) was last offered in our 2021 sale of the Gary Petersen collection (Sale 1234, lot 324) and realized $370,000 hammer.
Census no. 389-OG-PR-05. Ex Hall. With copy of 1997 P.F. certificate for a strip of five, this pair from positions 2-3. With 1997 and 2015 P.F. certificates as this pair.
1c Green, Coil (390). Mint N.H. guide line pair, near perfect centering, bright and fresh, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2014 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95)
2c Carmine, Coil (391). Guide line pair, original gum, bottom stamp Mint N.H., essentially perfectly centered, vivid color on fresh paper, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2008 P.S.E. certificate (OGh, XF-Superb 95)
1c Green, Coil (392). Mint N.H. guide line pair, intense shade and impression on bright paper, fresh and Extremely Fine, with 2012 P.S.E. certificate (XF 90), SCV $400
2c Carmine, Coil (393). Mint N.H. guide line pair, brilliant color and choice centering, Extremely Fine, with 2001 and 2014 P.F. certificates (XF 90)
3c Deep Violet, Coil (394). Guide line pair, original gum, lightly hinged, rich color and well-centered, Very Fine and choice, with 1998 P.F. certificate
4c Brown, Coil (395). Guide line pair, original gum, right stamp Mint N.H., left stamp lightly hinged, rich color and choice centering, Extremely Fine, with 1985 P.F. and 2014 P.S.E. certificates (OGph, XF 90), SCV $475
5c Blue, Coil (396). Guide line pair, original gum, rich color and excellent centering, Extremely Fine, with 2001 P.S.E. and 2015 P.F. certificates (XF 90)