Sale 1019 — United States Stamps
Sale Date — Thursday-Friday, 1-2 March, 2012
Category — $1.00-$2.00 1898 Trans-Mississippi Issue (Scott 292-293)
$1.00 Trans-Mississippi (292). Mint N.H., beautiful impression showing every nuance of the engraving, almost perfectly centered with wide and balanced marginsEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE $1.00 TRANS-MISSISSIPPI ISSUE.
With 2003 P.F. and 2004 P.S.E. certificates (XF 90; SMQ $8,000.00), this is a solid 95 in our opinion
$1.00 Trans-Mississippi (292). Original gum, lightly hinged, intense shade and impression, wide margins all around, which is unusual for this issue, fresh and Extremely Fine, with 1984 P.F. and 2011 P.S.E. certificates (OGph, XF 90; SMQ $1,550.00)
$1.00 Trans-Mississippi (292). Original gum, intense shade and impression, well-balanced margins, Extremely Fine, with 2011 P.F. certificate (XF 90 XQ)
$1.00 Trans-Mississippi (292). Original gum, intense shade and proof-like impression, wide margins with choice centering, Extremely Fine, with 2001 P.F. certificate
$1.00 Trans-Mississippi (292). Original gum, single light hinge mark, detailed impression on bright paper, Extremely Fine, with 1994 P.F. certificate
$1.00 Trans-Mississippi (292). Choice centering with wide balanced margins, light strikes of registry double oval cancel, detailed impression, Extremely Fine, with 2001 P.S.E. certificate
$2.00 Trans-Mississippi (293). Original gum, lightly hinged, unusually choice centering and margins for this difficult high value, detailed impression and rich colorEXTREMELY FINE GEM. AN OUTSTANDING LIGHTLY-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE $2.00 TRANS-MISSISSIPPI ISSUE, WHICH HAS BEEN GRADED XF-SUPERB 95 BY P.S.E.
The $2.00 Trans-Mississippi Issue is widely regarded as being the most difficult denomination of the series to obtain with any decent-size margins. The margins are almost always narrow on the $2.00, making it difficult for collectors of Gem-quality stamps to fill this space in their albums.
With 1999 and 2005 P.F. certificates (OGph, XF-Superb 95). With 2006 P.S.E. certificate (OGph, XF-Superb 95; SMQ $5,400.00). Only one example in any condition category has graded higher to date (hinged, at 98)
$2.00 Trans-Mississippi (293). Original gum, lightly hinged, rich color on fresh paper, beautifully balanced marginsEXTREMELY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE $2.00 TRANS-MISSISSIPPI ISSUE.
With 1993 P.F. certificate
$2.00 Trans-Mississippi (293). Original gum, deep rich color, Very Fine and choice, with 2003 P.F. certificate
$2.00 Trans-Mississippi (293). Slightly disturbed original gum, full to wide margins, rich color, short perf at top, otherwise Fine, with 1981 P.F. certificate
$2.00 Trans-Mississippi (293). Unused, regummed covering small thin spot and light corner crease, rich color, Extremely Fine appearance, with 1985 P.F. certificate
$2.00 Trans-Mississippi (293). Beautifully centered with wide margins all around, rich color on bright paper, lightly-struck circular datestamp at lower rightEXTREMELY FINE USED EXAMPLE OF THE $2.00 TRANS-MISSISSIPPI ISSUE.
With 1991 P.F. certificate
$2.00 Trans-Mississippi (293). Block of four, rich color, four strikes of New York oval registry cancel, well-centered throughout, each stamp affected by creasing as the block was apparently folded at one time, though creases are less obvious from frontVERY FINE APPEARING AND EXTREMELY RARE USED BLOCK OF THE $2.00 TRANS-MISSISSIPPI ISSUE.
Used dollar-value 19th Century commemorative blocks are extremely scarce, if only for the fact that this $8.00 face-value postage is worth more than $200 in today's inflation-adjusted dollars. This block comes from an old-time collection and has never before been offered at auction. It is the first used block we have offered since our 2001 Twigg-Smith sale, and Power Search turned up only four or five other blocks.