Sale 1025 — 2012 Rarities of the World
Sale Date — Tuesday, 26 June, 2012
Category — 1870-88 Bank Note Issues, including Scott 204
2c Brown, 11 x 14 Grill, Points Up (135-E). Unused (traces of original gum), unusual strongly-impressed grill with points up, few creases at top left corner, appears Very Fine, extremely rare and possibly unique, ex Lake Shore, believed to originate from Charles F. Steel (inventor and patent holder for grilling device) and the Earl of Crawford collection, with 2011 P.F. certificate as "essay grill", unlisted in Scott
3c Green, Grill (136). I. Grill, Mint N.H. bottom right corner selvage block of 25 with part imprint, choice centering throughout, grills on the top four horizontal rows are clearly impressed, but the bottom row is completely without grill, rich color, few small natural gum skips, few insignificant horizontal perf separations between pos. 16 and 21VERY FINE. A RARE AND FASCINATING MINT NEVER-HINGED BLOCK OF 25 OF THE 1870 3-CENT NATIONAL BANK NOTE COMPANY GRILLED ISSUE WITH THE I GRILL OMITTED FROM BOTTOM ROW. A MAGNIFICENT SHOWPIECE.
Normally, the combination of grilled and ungrilled in a multiple is a result of more than one sheet being fed into the grilling machine, where the grills that do show up are faint. The multiple offered here was caused instead by the sheet being grilled out of registration or incompletely, so that the entire bottom row is missing the grill impression.
With 1977 and 2010 P.F. certificates. Scott Retail as hinged singles with bottom five stamps counted as without grills
10c Brown, I. Grill (139 var). Early state with a well-defined grill impression, large, nearly balanced margins, rich color, grid cancel, small corner crease at top left, bottom right corner perf extendedVERY FINE APPEARANCE. THE 10-CENT I GRILL IS ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL UNITED STATES STAMPS. TO DATE, ONLY TWELVE USED EXAMPLES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED. BY ALL RIGHTS, THIS GRILL SHOULD BE GIVEN A MAJOR CATALOGUE LISTING AND TREATED THE SAME AS ITS OTHER RARE GRILLED COUNTERPARTS FROM THE 1867-68 ISSUE.
At least two sizes of grills were used by the National Bank Note Company for the 1870 Issue. They are identified in the Scott Catalogue by a notation preceding Scott 134, which assigns them the letters H and I, but these have not been separately catalogued, as have the different grills used in 1867 and 1868 (A, B, C, D, Z, E and F). The I Grill measures from 9-11 points wide by 10-13 points tall. It is currently recorded on all values except the 24c. The 1c thru 7c values make up most of the population of I Grill stamps. The 10c, 15c and 90c I Grills are extremely rare and it is only in recent years that their existence was reported by Ronald Burns. The 12c and 30c are unique (see Siegel Sale 1014, lots 1371-1372).
With 1988 and 2004 P.F. certificates. Accompanied by note from Ronald A. Burns
15c Orange, Grill (141). H. Grill, block of four, original gum, h.r., few adherences on gum, vibrant color as fresh as the day it was printed, each stamp with clear grill points, reperforated at rightVERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCK OF THE 1870 15-CENT NATIONAL BANK NOTE COMPANY GRILLED ISSUE. THIS IS THE LARGEST RECORDED MULTIPLE FOR THE ISSUE.
Perhaps three or four unused blocks of four are known. One has creases affecting all stamps, and another has perforations touching the design on one or more sides. The block offered here has full original gum, clear grill points and marvelous color. Despite the reperfing it is likely the finest in existence.
With 2012 P.F. certificate
90c Carmine, Grill (144). H. Grill, original gum, clearly-defined grill points easily visible on face of stamp, intense shade and impressionEXTREMELY FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1870 90-CENT GRILLED NATIONAL BANK NOTE ISSUE. THE 90-CENT IS THE THIRD MOST DIFFICULT OF THE NATIONAL BANK NOTE GRILLED ISSUES TO OBTAIN IN ORIGINAL-GUM CONDITION.
Considering original-gum examples only, after the extremely rare 12c and non-existent 24c, the 90c is the rarest of the 1870 National Grilled Issue.
With 2012 P.S.E. certificate (OGph, VF 80; SMQ $26,000.00). Only one has graded higher to date and none shares this grade.
1c-90c National Bank Note Co., Plate Proofs on India (145P3-155P3, 166P3). Complete set of top imprint and plate no. blocks of 20 from the National Bank Note Co. issue, plus the 90c Continental issue, comprising the top two rows of the left pane of the sheet with sheet margin at left, affixed to their original cards, absolutely brilliant colors throughout, 6c couple minor wrinklesEXTREMELY FINE. A SPECTACULAR SET OF MATCHED TOP PLATE BLOCKS OF 20 OF THE NATIONAL BANK NOTE COMPANY ISSUE INDIA PROOFS FROM THE LILLY SHEETS.
The Siegel firm auctioned the Lilly India and card proof sheets in September 1967. The left panes of the India sheets were broken up, and this set of top plate blocks originates from those panes. The right panes remain intact in a private collection.
Scott Retail as plate blocks of 12 and blocks of four does not adequately convey the rarity of this set
90c Carmine (155). Block of twelve, unused (no gum), brilliant color, centered to bottomFRESH AND FINE UNUSED BLOCK OF TWELVE OF THE 1873 90-CENT UNGRILLED NATIONAL BANK NOTE COMPANY ISSUE. THIS IS THE LARGEST RECORDED MULTIPLE OF THIS ISSUE.
Linn's U.S. Stamp Facts lists a block of twelve as the largest recorded unused multiple, and a block of ten as the largest recorded used multiple.
Scott Retail as original-gum blocks of four and two pairs is $71,000.00. Scott Retail as no gum singles
90c Rose Carmine (166). Original gum, barely hinged, brilliant color on crisp paper, perfectly centered with wide and balanced marginsEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 90-CENT 1873 CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY ISSUE, SCOTT 166. THIS STAMP HAS BEEN GRADED SUPERB 98 BY P.S.E. A TRUE CONDITION RARITY.
The Superb 98 grade becomes exponentially more difficult to achieve as one moves away from the modern issues toward the perforated classics. In particular, the Bank Note Issue high values rarely possess the wide "boxed" margins and precise centering that define the Superb 98 grade.
Ex Scarsdale. 2002 P.F. certificate no longer accompanies. With 2012 P.S.E. certificate (OGph, Superb 98; SMQ $16,100.00). Only one has graded higher to date (at 98J) and no others share this grade.
90c Rose Carmine (166). Block of four with plate no. 23 selvage at bottom, natural s.e. with part arrow at right, brilliant color, left stamps Mint N.H., right stamps lightly hinged, bottom right stamp faint natural pre-printing paperfoldVERY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED BLOCK SHOWING THE PLATE NUMBER OF THE 1873 90-CENT CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY ISSUE. ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE WITH THE LEFT STAMPS -- INCLUDING THE PLATE NUMBER SINGLE -- IN MINT NEVER-HINGED CONDITION.
The Chapin book records this unique plate number block of four without imprint. In the Whitman sale we offered a block of four with imprint only. Our search of specialized Bank Note auctions and major name sales failed to reveal another block showing the imprint. Probably a half-dozen additional blocks still exist, but most of the well-centered blocks have been broken into singles. Given the two Mint N.H. stamps, we are surprised this is still intact -- we have sold only three Mint N.H. singles, according to Power Search.
Ex Colonel Edward H. R. Green. Scott Retail with no premium for the Mint N.H. stamps.
10c Brown, Without Secret Mark, Double Paper (187a). Original gum, lightly hinged, bright color and crisp impression, double paper folded partway back to confirm the varietyVERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT 1879 AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY ISSUE WITHOUT SECRET MARK AND WITH DOUBLE PAPER.
With 2003 P.F. certificate for block of four. We are aware of only four other stamps with this variety, in a block offered in our 1985 Rarities sale
15c Red Orange (189). Top imprint and plate no. 31 block of fourteen, twelve stamps Mint N.H., pos. 10 and 11 lightly hinged, vibrant color as fresh as the day it was printed, few natural inclusionsVERY FINE-EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL PLATE BLOCK OF FOURTEEN OF THE 15-CENT 1879 AMERICAN BANK NOTE PRINTING.
Scott Retail as hinged plate block and two Mint N.H. singles
5c Deep Blue, Special Printing (204). Without gum as issued, beautiful rich color and sharp proof-like impression, perfectly centered with Jumbo marginsEXTREMELY FINE GEM. WITHOUT QUESTION THIS IS THE FINEST RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT 1880 AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY SOFT-PAPER SPECIAL PRINTING. ONLY 18 COPIES ARE RECORDED IN OUR CENSUS. ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING STAMPS OF THE ENTIRE CLASSIC PERIOD.
The 5c 1880 Special Printing on soft paper is one of the most elusive of the Bank Note Special printings. Our census of Scott 204 is available at http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/204/204.pdf and records only 18 copies of this stamp, including one example in the Miller collection at The New York Public Library. About one-third of the known stamps have minor faults. Of the dozen sound examples available to collectors, this stamp has the widest margins and is in the most remarkable state of preservation of any.
Census No. 204-UNC-05. Ex Hetherington, Anderson, Floyd and Minervino. 1953, 1992 and 2001 P.F. certificates no longer accompany. With 2012 P.S.E. certificate (NGAI, Superb 98 Jumbo; unpriced in SMQ above the grade of 98, SMQ $610,000.00 as 98).
1c Ultramarine, Plate Proof on Card (212P4). Block of four, full margins, intense color, neatly scored between the proofs to check the paperVERY FINE AND EXTREMELY RARE BLOCK OF FOUR OF THE ONE-CENT 1887 AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY ISSUE PLATE PROOF ON CARD.
With 1993 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail a singles.