Sale 1256 — The Great Point Collection of United States Stamps
Sale Date — Wednesday, 8 June, 2022
Category — 1851-60 Issues (Scott 7-39)
1c Blue, Ty. II (7). Position 6R2 from the top row of Plate 2, original gum, lightly hinged, deep rich color, large margins including trace of adjoining stamp at bottom, Extremely Fine, a beautiful original-gum example of the 1c 1851 Type II, with 2013 P.S.A.G. and 2016 P.F. certificates (VF-XF 85)
1c Blue, Ty. IV (9). Recut once at top and bottom, original gum, full margins to barely touched at upper right, rich color, Very Fine and attractive, with 1999 P.F. certificate
3c Dull Red, Ty. I (11). Mint N.H., enormous margins all around including part of five adjoining stamps, brilliant color and detailed impressionEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 3-CENT DULL RED, GRADED SUPERB 98 BY P.S.E.
Although the 3c 1851 is by no means a rare stamp, there are very few examples in Mint Never-Hinged condition.
With 2011 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98; unpriced in SMQ as Mint N.H., SMQ $2,550.00 as hinged). One other shares this grade and two have graded higher. Scott value $250.00 as hinged
1c Blue, Ty. I (18). Plate 12, C Relief, Mint N.H., radiant color and crisp impression, choice centering for this difficult issue with the type characteristics clearly visibleEXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS IS QUITE PROBABLY THE FINEST MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 PERFORATED ONE-CENT TYPE I, WHICH COMES ONLY FROM PLATE 12. THIS MAGNIFICENT STAMP IS GRADED XF-SUPERB 95 BY P.S.E. -- THIS IS THE ONLY GRADED MINT NEVER-HINGED STAMP IN THE P.S.E. POPULATION REPORT, AND THIS IS THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED IN ANY CATEGORY.
The defining characteristic of Type I is that the entire design is printed, including the scrolls and plumes at bottom. Among the plates used to print imperforate stamps, only one position out of 1,000 can claim that honor (Position 7R1E, Scott No. 5). Type I perforated stamps are only known from certain positions on Plate 12. Due to the narrow spacing between perforations and difficulties of production, this issue is usually found with part of the design cut off by the perforations. The wide margins of this stamp leave the Type I characteristics around the perimeter almost completely intact.
Ex "Hanover". With 2007 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95; unpriced in SMQ in Mint N.H. condition. The highest price in SMQ is for a hinged 90, which is not even remotely relevant). The highest grade awarded in any category is 95 (eight used plus this N.H. example). We have offered only a half-dozen other Mint N.H. examples since keeping computerized records, and probably none would grade higher than 75 or 80. Scott value $2,100.00 as hinged
1c Blue, Ty. II (20). Top row of Plate 11, T Relief, original gum, lightly hinged, perfectly centered with wide margins all around, deep rich color and proof-like impressionEXTREMELY FINE GEM. AN EXTRAORDINARY 1857 PERFORATED ONE-CENT STAMP WITH IMMENSE MARGIN WIDTH. SUPERB IN EVERY RESPECT AND WITHOUT QUESTION ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF A TYPE II PLATE 11 STAMP IN EXISTENCE.
According to Neinken, Toppan Carpenter produced Plates 11 and 12 in November 1860 to replace plates that had become too worn for use. In laying down the new plates, Toppan Carpenter evidently abandoned the six-relief transfer roll and used two different three-relief rolls. With recent scholarship revising some of the old accepted concepts about 1851-57 plate production, we will go no further in explaining the mechanics of Plate 11, from which this stamp was printed.
Some of the unusual features of Type II stamps from the top row of Plate 11 are seen in this example. The strong horizontal and vertical guidelines and guide dots are visible at the upper right. The enormous margins show the complete T Relief (Type II) characteristics. This relief was used to enter only the top row (20 subjects), and the Neinken book (p. 467) notes, "The design of the T relief was a perfect example of Type II, and in this respect, none of the plates furnished finer examples of this type than those from the top row of Plate 11. They are quite scarce, as the plate was only in use slightly over six months. In addition, each sheet of 200 stamps only furnished 20 of these scarce top row Type II stamps."
Ex "Scarsdale" and "Hanover". With 2002 P.F. certificate. The Scott Catalogue premium for an unused Type II stamp from Plate 11 is insufficient, in our opinion.
1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (22). Plate 12, B Relief, one of the positions with a break in the bottom line and very faint line or possibly a small break in top line, original gum, lightly hinged, well-centered with balanced margins, bright shade, Extremely Fine, a rare 1c 1857 Issue plate variety from the last plate produced for this regular-issue design, ex Hillmer, with 1994 P.F. certificate as No. 22 but incorrectly identifying this as Plate 11, A Relief
3c Rose, Ty. I (25). Original gum, lightly hinged, deep rich color and detailed impression, well-balanced margins for this exceedingly difficult issue with outer framelines visible on all sidesVERY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 3-CENT TYPE I 1857 ISSUE.
With 1998 P.F. certificate
3c Dull Red, Ty. III (26). Original gum, brilliant color, unusually choice centering, Extremely Fine, with 2006 P.F. certificate (XF-Superb 95)
5c Orange Brown, Ty. II (30). Original gum, lightly hinged, beautiful vibrant color, well-centered with wide margins, Very Fine and choice, scarce in this condition, with 2003 P.F. certificate
5c Brown, Ty. II (30A). Original gum, lightly hinged, deep shade and proof-like impression, gorgeous centering for this difficult issueEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB LIGHTLY HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT TYPE II 1860 ISSUE. THIS STAMP IS GRADED XF-SUPERB 95 -- ONLY ONE HAS GRADED HIGHER AND ONLY ONE SHARES THIS DESIRABLE GRADE.
Unlike its Orange Brown counterpart, the 5c Type II in Brown was not on hand in post offices when the 1861 demonetization order took effect. Therefore, original-gum examples of Scott 30A are far scarcer than Scott 30. The narrow spacing between subjects on the plate, as well as Toppan Carpenter's imprecise perforating, leaves collectors with very few well-centered original-gum examples.
With 1996 P.F. and 2005 and 2016 P.S.E. certificates (OGph, XF-Superb 95; SMQ $11,500.00). Only one unused stamp in any gum condition has graded higher -- a single original gum example at 95J last sold by us in 2007. One other shares this grade -- it brought $12,500 hammer in our 2018 Rarities sale.
10c Green, Ty. V (35). Original gum, rich color, wide margins, Very Fine, with 1990 P.F. certificate
12c Black, Plate 3 (36B). Original gum, lightly hinged, intense shade and impression on bright paper, better centering than normally seen, fresh and Very Fine, with 1983 and 1999 P.F. certificates
24c Gray Lilac (37). Original gum, lightly hinged, crisp shade and impression, fresh and Very Fine, with 2000 P.F. certificate
30c Orange (38). Original gum, radiant color, wide margins, Very Fine, with 1999 P.F. certificate
90c Blue (39). Original gum, rich color, wide marginsVERY FINE AND CHOICE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 90-CENT 1860 ISSUE.
With 2000 and 2005 P.F. certificates (VF 80)