Sale 1288 — The Nelson Berman Collection of Outstanding United States Stamps
Sale Date — Thursday, 22 June, 2023
Category — 1851-56 Issue (Scott 5-16)
1c Blue, Ty. I (5). Position 7R1E, large margins to barely in at bottom and showing significant parts of the bottom plumes, lovely bright Plate 1 Early shade, dark blue grid cancel, tiny corner crease in top right corner margin is an utterly trivial flaw in this beautiful and essentially sound stampVERY FINE AND CHOICE. POSITION 7R1E IS THE ONLY ONE OF THE 1,000 POSITIONS USED TO PRINT IMPERFORATE ONE-CENT STAMPS THAT SHOWS THE COMPLETE DESIGN. AN ATTRACTIVE EXAMPLE WITH A FANTASTIC PROVENANCE.
The 1c 1851 Franklin, a workhorse postage stamp from 1851 through 1861, was printed from 200-subject steel plates numbered 1 through 12 (Plate 6 was never used, and Plate 1 exists in Early and Late states). Only Plates 1 through 4 were used to print stamps that were issued imperforate. The original 1c 1851 die design has an elaborate ornamental border on all four sides. Several factors affected the designs entered on the plates, which in turn produced variations in the printed stamps. Stanley B. Ashbrook developed the system used to classify design types, based on the premise that Type I should be a printed version that comes closest to the original die design. The completeness of the ornamentation at top and bottom is a requirement for Type I. For imperforate stamps, Ashbrook found only one position among the 1,000 subjects that met this requirement--Position 7R1E--which is why Scott 5, a Type I imperforate stamp, is so rare. Type Ib, Scott 5A, has slightly less ornamentation and was also printed from Plate 1 Early (imperforate only).
The census compiled by Jerome S. Wagshal, available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/5 , contains at least 98 unduplicated records of Scott 5. There are probably no more than ten examples existing outside of the Wagshal census population. Therefore, the 1c 1851 Type I is the rarest of all United States stamps issued regularly prior to the 1868 Grills.
Census no. 5-CAN-27. Ex Grunin, Sheriff, Chanin and Koppersmith. With 1971 and 2002 P.F. certificates.
1c Blue, Ty. Ib (5A). Position 6R1E, full margins to clear, deep rich color, circular datestamp cancelVERY FINE AND CHOICE. AN ATTRACTIVE USED EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 1851 ONE-CENT TYPE Ib FROM PLATE ONE EARLY, FROM ONE OF THE TWO POSITIONS THAT FURNISHED THE BEST TYPE Ib EXAMPLES.
Type Ib was produced only as an imperforate stamp from Plate 1 Early. Six positions on Plate 1E furnished stamps qualifying as Type Ib -- Positions 3-6R and 8-9R -- distinguished by the complete design at top and nearly complete design at bottom. When first entered on the plate, these six positions (as well as 7R1E) had the complete design at top and bottom. However, unlike 7R, small portions of the bottoms were ironed out when the entries were made below them. Positions 6R and 8R had less of the bottom erased than the other Type Ib positions, and for this reason they are more desirable examples of the type.
With 1980 (on cover) and 1992 P.F. certificates.
1c Blue, Ty. Ic (6b). Position 96R4, huge margins to clear including part of bottom sheet margin and also part of adjoining stamps at left and top, deep rich color, face-free strike of circular datestamp leaves the type characteristics clearly visibleEXTREMELY FINE USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 ONE-CENT TYPE TYPE Ic FROM THE BOTTOM ROW OF PLATE 4. ONE OF THE TWO BEST POSITIONS OF THIS RARE SUB-TYPE OF TYPE Ia.
Positions 91R and 96R on Plate 4 come from the bottom row and have the full plume at bottom left and partly complete plume at right (a sub-type of Type Ia). These two are the most desirable examples of Type Ic. Other Type Ic positions on the plate come from positions above the bottom row and are less distinct.
With 1984 P.F. certificate.
1c Blue, Ty. III (8). Position 19L4, large margins all around showing wide breaks at top and bottom (the characteristics of the type), circular datestamp and red cancels, deep rich colorEXTREMELY FINE USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 IMPERFORATE ONE-CENT TYPE III.
With 1991 P.S.E. certificate.
1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (8A). Huge margins including left sheet margin, large margins to just in at upper left, neat strike of "Boston Paid Mar. 1" circular datestamp, Very Fine and choice, with 1989 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. IV (9). Position 6R1L, recut once at bottom (only eight positions on the plate), huge margins with top sheet margin and part of three adjoining stamps, circular datestamp cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, this position was Type Ib on Plate 1 Early (prior to recut) and in its later state still shows some of the distinctive features of that type, with 1981 P.F. certificate
5c Red Brown (12). Large even margins all around, rich color, neat New Orleans circular datestamp, Very Fine and choice, blue backstamp, with 1980 P.F. certificate
10c Green, Ty. I (13). Huge margins all around including part of bottom sheet margin, rich color, bold strike of San Francisco circular datestampEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A STUNNING USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1855 IMPERFORATE 10-CENT TYPE I.
The 10c Type I stamps are defined as having complete scrolls at bottom. They are only found on the bottom row of the plate (20 positions). For some reason, they were usually trimmed at bottom when they were separated, leaving a dearth of quality copies. This example, with its enormous margins, is an extreme exception to the rule.
With 1990 P.F. certificate.
10c Green, Ty. IV (16). Position 76L1, recut at bottom, huge margins all around including significant portion of adjoining stamp at right, deep rich color, circular datestamp cancelsEXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1855 IMPERFORATE 10-CENT TYPE IV.
With 1986 P.F. certificate.