Sale 1348 — The Philip Pivawer Collection of U.S. Stamps
Sale Date — Wednesday, 19 March, 2025
Category — Panama-Pacific, 1915-23 Issues
5c Blue, Panama-Pacific, Perf 10 (403). Mint N.H., choice centering with wide margins, Extremely Fine, with 2005 P.S.E. certificate (XF 90), SCV $400
10c Orange, Panama-Pacific, Perf 10 (404). Original gum, vivid color, Jumbo margins and well-centered, Very Fine, with 1995 P.F. certificate
50c Violet (421). Original gum, attractive centering and bright color, Very Fine, with 2007 P.F. certificate (VF 80)
50c Violet (422). Original gum, lightly hinged, intense shade, Extremely Fine, ex Geisler, with 2007 P.F. certificate (XF 90)
$1.00 Violet Brown (423). Original gum, lightly hinged, excellent centering with unusually wide margins, rich color and sharp proof-like impression, Extremely Fine Gem, a beautiful stamp, with 2000 P.F. and 2017 P.S.A.G. certificates (latter XF-Superb 95)
50c Violet (440). Original gum, nibbed perfs at top, otherwise Very Fine, with 1991 P.S.E. certificate
1c Green, Coil (441). Mint N.H. guide line pair, near perfect centering, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2007 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95), only seven line pairs grade higher
2c Carmine, Coil (444). Guide line pair, original gum, lightly hinged, near perfect centering with vivid color, Extremely Fine Gem, with 1993 P.F. and 2013 P.S.A.G. certificates (XF-Superb 95), SCV $300
3c Violet, Coil (445). Guide line pair, original gum, brilliant color and choice centering, Very Fine and choice, with 1987 P.F. certificate
4c Brown, Coil (446). Guide line pair, original gum, lightly hinged, rich color, Very Fine, the left stamp Extremely Fine, with 1994 P.F. certificate
5c Blue, Coil (447). Mint N.H. guide line pair, deep rich color, choice centering and margins, Extremely Fine, with 2003 and 2006 P.S.E. certificates (XF 90), SCV $525
1c Green, Coil (448). Mint N.H. joint line pair, outstanding centering, rich color
EXTREMELY FINE GEM MINT NEVER-HINGED JOINT LINE PAIR OF THE ONE-CENT 1915 ROTARY PRESS COIL, GRADED XF-SUPERB 95 BY P.S.E. THIS IS THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED AND IS SHARED BY ONLY ONE OTHER.
Ex Depew. With 2010 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95). Collectors lulled into the belief that this fairly common rotary press coil can be found in abundance in the higher grades should take note — this 95 is the highest grade awarded to a Mint N.H. joint line pair and it is shared by only one other. An earlier owner, James Depew, had one of the most superb Washington-Franklin coil collections ever assembled and it took him many years to locate a suitable example of this coil.
2c Red, Ty. I, Coil (449). Pair, vivid color, attractive margins
FINE-VERY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM PAIR OF THE SCARCE 2-CENT TYPE I VERTICAL COIL, SCOTT 449.
The 2c Type I rotary plate was used very briefly to make vertical coils issued in late 1915. It was briefly used because the Type I plate was not very deeply engraved and the curvature of the rotary press yielded impressions lacking in some of the details. The Bureau noticed this immediately, and quickly replaced it with the Type III plate.
With 1962 and 2004 P.F. certificates.
2c Carmine, Ty. III, Coil (450). Mint N.H. joint line pair, bright color, fresh and Fine-Very Fine, with 2017 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine Rose, Ty. I, Coil (453). Joint line pair, original gum, bright color, well-centered, Extremely Fine, with 1997 P.F. certificate
3c Violet, Coil (456). Joint line pair, original gum, lightly hinged, outstanding centering and margins, pretty pastel color, Extremely Fine Gem, a superb line pair, with 2007 P.S.E. certificate (OGph, XF-Superb 95), this is the highest grade awarded to a Scott 456 joint line pair in any gum condition, it is shared by only two other hinged line pairs and one Mint N.H., SCV $1,300
2c Carmine, Ty. I, Imperforate Coil (459). Mint N.H. pair, large margins, Extremely Fine, with 1999 P.F. certificate
$1.00 Violet Black (460). Original gum, h.r. and small pencil notation on gum, Very Fine, with 1991 P.S.E. certificate
6c Red Orange (468). Mint N.H., vivid color and wide margins, Extremely Fine, with 1994 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (VF-XF 85), SCV $225
15c Gray (475). Mint N.H., essentially perfect centering, soft grayish shade, Extremely Fine Gem, an outstanding stamp, ex "Vineyard", with 1988, 2001 and 2006 P.F. certificates (latter XF-Superb 95), SCV $375
50c Light Violet (477). Original gum, lightly hinged, wide margins and outstanding centering, Extremely Fine, with 2008 P.F. certificate (XF 90)
2c Carmine, Ty. II, Coil (487). Mint N.H. joint line pair, vivid color and well-centered, Very Fine and choice, with 2013 and 2014 P.S.E. certificates (latter VF-XF 85), SCV $275
2c Carmine, Ty. II, Coil (491). Pair, original gum, lightly hinged, beautiful color and well-centered
VERY FINE AND CHOICE ORIGINAL-GUM PAIR OF THE RARE 2-CENT HORIZONTAL COIL, SCOTT 491.
Unlike many other issues, this horizontal coil is much scarcer than its vertical coil counterpart (Scott 487). The Type II horizontal coil, Scott 491, was in production for only a short period of time before being replaced by the Type III, Scott 492. Only five weeks separates the EDU's for the two coils (Dec. 5, 1916 for No. 491 and Jan. 13, 1917 for No. 492).
With 2002 P.S.E. and 2006 P.F. certificates (VF-XF 85).
3c Violet, Ty. I, Coil (493). Mint N.H. joint line pair, pretty pastel color, choice centering, Extremely Fine, with 2014 P.S.E. certificate (XF 90), only nine joint line pairs grade higher, SCV $230
4c Orange Brown, Coil (495). Mint N.H. joint line pair, choice centering, Extremely Fine, with 2014 P.F. certificate (XF 90)
2c Deep Rose, Ty. Ia (500). Mint N.H., vivid Ty. Ia color, well-centered, Very Fine and choice, with 2006 P.F. certificate (VF-XF 85)
2c Carmine (519). Mint N.H., bright and fresh, Very Fine, with 1989 P.F. certificate for a block of four (lower left stamp), with 2004 P.F. certificate as this single
$2.00 Orange Red & Black (523). Original gum, wide margins and choice centering, Extremely Fine, with 2004 P.S.E. certificate (OG, XF 90), SCV $525
2c Carmine, Ty. VII, Imperforate (534B). Pair with vertical guide line, original gum, huge margins and bright color
EXTREMELY FINE. A SUPERB AND DESIRABLE PAIR OF THE RARE TYPE VII IMPERFORATE OFFSET ISSUE, WITH THE VERTICAL GUIDE LINE.
Most Type VII stamps were used by private vending and affixing machine companies. However, unlike Scott 314A and 482A, a small supply of the imperforate 2c Type VII stamps reached the public. With 1968 (for block) and 2005 P.F. certificates.
2c Carmine Rose, Ty. II, Rotary Perf 11 x 10 (539). Mint N.H., vivid color, outstanding centering for this difficult Rotary Waste issue
VERY FINE AND CHOICE MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 1919 2-CENT TYPE II ROTARY PRESS WASTE ISSUE, SCOTT 539.
At the beginning or end of a coil-stamp print run from the 170-subject rotary plates, some leading or trailing paper was left over that was too short for rolling into 500-stamp rolls. In 1919 the Bureau devised an economical plan to salvage this waste by converting the leftovers from coil stamps into sheet stamps. This was accomplished by cutting the sheets into panes and running them through the flat-plate perforator for the horizontal perforations, giving the stamps perforations on all sides. The Type III design was far more plentiful (producing Scott 540) but a small number of Type II (Scott 539) was also produced.
Since Scott 539 was put through two different perforating machines (perforated 10 vertically on the rotary perforator during the coil part of production and then perforated 11 on the flat plate perforator), most of the stamps are off-center. The rotary press sheets also had a natural tendency to curl, making perforating on the flat plate perforator especially difficult.
Ex "Golden Oak". With 1992 and 2014 P.F. certificates (VF 80). Only two Mint N.H. Scott 539s grade higher in The Philatelic Foundation online listings (one each at 85 and 95). VF 80 is the highest grade awarded by P.S.E. (one recorded).
1c Green, Rotary Perf 11 (544). Unused (no gum), rich color and exceptionally well-centered for this very difficult issue
VERY FINE AND RARE CENTERED UNUSED EXAMPLE OF THE 1923 ONE-CENT ROTARY PERF 11, GRADED VF 80 BY P.S.E — THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED TO AN UNUSED EXAMPLE. PROBABLY FEWER THAN 20 EXIST IN ANY UNUSED STATE.
A small quantity of 1c Rotary Press stamps was perforated 11 gauge at the end of 1922, using remainder sheets from the earlier printings that were normally perforated in 10 gauge or 10/11 compound gauge. Its existence as a Perf 11 variety was discovered in 1936, and the stamp received its Scott Catalogue listing in 1938. Unused examples are much scarcer than used and very few have any semblance of decent centering. This is the perfect stamp for the collector who values centering and margins over original gum.
With 2019 P.F. and 2018 P.S.E. certificates (latter NG, VF 80). This is the highest graded unused Scott 544 in the P.S.E. Population Report and no others are equal. It is unpriced in SMQ and Scott as unused, no gum. SMQ as original-gum VF 80 (which does not exist) is $40,000. SCV as original gum is $22,500.
1c Green, Rotary (545). Mint N.H., deep rich color and sharp proof-like impression, choice centering for this difficult rotary-press issue, Extremely Fine Gem, ex "Clipper City", with 1996 P.F. and 2012 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95), only seven grade higher and only four others share this grade, SCV $600
$2.00 Carmine & Black (547). Mint N.H., wide margins and precise centering, deep rich frame color, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2013 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95), SCV $275