Sale 1093 — The Curtis Collection: U.S. 20th Century and Air Post
Sale Date — Monday-Tuesday, 23-24 February, 2015
Category — 1918-21 Offset, Rotary and Bi-Colored Issues (Scott 525-547)
2c Carmine, Ty. VI (528A). Mint N.H. wide top plate no. 11599 block of six, diagonal and horizontal printing creases, otherwise Fine-Very Fine
2c Carmine Rose, Ty. IV, Imperforate (532). Mint N.H. top plate no. 10918 block of six, large to huge margins, deep shade, faint stain visible on back and natural inclusion, otherwise Extremely Fine
2c Carmine, Ty. V, Imperforate (533). Mint N.H. horizontal pair with left sheet margin, large margins, creased in margin far from stamp, Extremely Fine Gem
2c Carmine, Ty. V, Imperforate (533). Mint N.H. left plate no. 11893 block of six, huge margins, intense shade, natural gripper marks visible on back, Extremely Fine, scarce plate block, with 2001 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Ty. V, Imperforate (533). Centerline block of four, huge margins, cancelled by multiple strikes of Benton Harbor Mich. Sep. 29, 1920 duplex datestamp and grid cancel, earliest documented use, Extremely Fine, ex Wagner, with 2003 A.P.S. certificate
2c Carmine, Ty. V, Imperforate (533). Top plate no. 11260 block of six, cancelled by Benton Harbor Mich. Aug. 9, 1921 duplex datestamp and grid, creased at bottom right, Extremely Fine appearance
2c Carmine, Ty. VI, Imperforate (534A). Top plate no. 11710 block of six, lightly hinged in gummed portion of sheet margin, full to large margins, rich color, fresh and Very Fine, ex Fogelson
2c Carmine, Ty. VII, Imperforate (534B). Mint N.H., ample to large margins, rich color and fresh, light gum bends, Very Fine, with 1987 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Ty. VII, Imperforate (534B). Horizontal pair, barest trace of hinging, large even margins, deep rich color, slight gum wrinkleEXTREMELY FINE PAIR OF THE IMPERFORATE 2-CENT TYPE VII.
With 2000 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Ty. VII, Imperforate (534B). Full to large margins, lightly cancelled by duplex datestamp and grid with 1921 yeardate visible, Very Fine, scarce in sound used condition, with 2004 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Ty. VII, Imperforate (534B). Block of four with huge 25mm right sheet margin, large margins other sides, intense shade and impression clearly showing the Ty. VII characteristics, bold strikes of "Chicago Ill. Hyde Park Sta. Dec. 27, 1921 9 AM" duplex cancelsEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE USED SHEET-MARGIN BLOCK OF THE 2-CENT TYPE VII OFFSET IMPERFORATE ISSUE.
According to Armstrong, the imperforates were issued to satisfy the needs of the last remaining private coil manufacturer. The Mail-O-Meter Company merged with the Schermack Company and so these issues are also known with the Schermack Type III perforations, such as are also seen on Scott 314A and 482A. However, a small supply of the imperforate 2c Type VII stamps without Schermack perfs did reach the public.
Our informal review of auction catalogues and the records of the Philatelic Foundation found four blocks of four and nine pairs, of which only four are sound. This is the first block we have offered since our 2001 Twigg-Smith sale.
The Scott Catalogue pricing is in error as it values two used pairs higher than a used block -- which is considerably rarer. Scott Retail as two used pairs
3c Violet, Ty. IV, Imperforate (535). Large margins to ample, tied by "San Diego Cal. Sep. 30, 1918 6PM" machine cancel on San Diego Society of Natural History corner card cover to Stanford University, pencil note on back "I have the advantage of you in not having to work with anything but shells--come up to see us", Very Fine, this is the earliest documented use of Scott 535, ex Berkun, with 2003 A.P.S. certificate
1c Gray Green (536). Mint N.H. bottom plate no. block of six, normal narrow selvage, bright and fresh, Very Fine and choice, with 2004 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine Rose, Ty. II, Rotary Perf 11 x 10 (539). Lightly hinged, bright fresh color, beautifully centeredEXTREMELY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 1919 2-CENT TYPE II ROTARY PRESS WASTE ISSUE, SCOTT 539.
The rotary waste sheets were rarely perforated in a uniform manner. Centered examples such as this are extremely rare.
Ex North Fork. With 1987 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine Rose, Ty. II, Rotary Perf 11 x 10 (539). Mint N.H., bright color, small handstamp on gum, Fine, with 1966 P.F. certificate for a block of four, and 2011 P.S.E. certificate
2c Carmine Rose, Ty. II, Rotary Perf 11 x 10 (539). Rich color, neat wavy-line machine cancel, repaired pinhole, small toned spot in headFINE APPEARANCE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE USED EXAMPLE OF THE 2-CENT TYPE II ROTARY PERF 11 x 10. THIS IS ONE OF THE RAREST COIL WASTE STAMPS IN USED CONDITION. ONLY THIRTEEN USED SINGLES ARE KNOWN.
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.
Our census of Scott 539, and available at our website at http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/539/539.pdf , records only thirteen used singles, one used block of four and one on cover. Most are off-center -- only two have decent centering and are confirmed as sound.
Census No. 539-CAN-11. Small purple backstamp. With copy of 1987 and 2006 P.F. certificates.
1c Green, Rotary Perf 11 (544). Mint N.H., deep rich color on bright paper, three balanced margins to clear at left, tiny perf hole tear at top leftFINE APPEARING AND RARE MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 1923 ONE-CENT ROTARY PERF 11, SCOTT 544. PROBABLY FEWER THAN TEN EXIST IN MINT NEVER-HINGED CONDITION.
A small quantity of 1c Rotary Press stamps was perforated 11 at the end of 1922, using remainder sheets from the earlier experimental 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.
Most of the recorded copies of Scott 544 are off-center or have been damaged -- the result of poor production standards and mis-handling.
With 1999 P.F. certificate
1c Green, Rotary Perf 11 (544). Intense shade and impression, neat wavy-line machine cancel, small pinhole at upper left, corner crease at upper right, Very Fine appearance, with 1993 P.S.E. certificate
1c Green, Rotary Perf 11 (544). Horizontal pair, bright color, clear 1922 duplex cancelFINE. A RARE PAIR OF THE ONE-CENT PERF 11 ROTARY WASTE ISSUE, SCOTT 544. THIS IS ALSO A VERY EARLY USE.
The earliest reported use of Scott 544 is December 17, 1922. Unfortunately the day of the cancel used on this pair is not known, but it would be in the first few weeks of use.
With 1974 and 1999 P.F. certificates. Scott Retail as singles.
1c Green, Rotary Perf 11 (544). Two horizontal pairs, tied by "San Francisco Calif. Mar. 18, 1924 10:30 PM" machine cancel on oversize cover with attorney's return address to Commissioner of patents in Washington D.C., second stamp with depression in paper from cancel at bottom left, third stamp tiny scrape at bottom right, fourth stamp with top right corner missingA REMARKABLE FRANKING WITH TWO PAIRS OF THE RARE ONE-CENT ROTARY PERF 11 ISSUE, SCOTT 544. VERY FEW COVERS OR CARDS ARE KNOWN, AND THIS IS THE LARGEST MULTIPLE USE.
Ex Martin. With 2005 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail as off-cover singles $15,000.00
1c Green, Rotary (545). Lightly hinged, rich color, detailed impression, Jumbo margins, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2000 P.F. and 2007 P.S.E. certificates (OGph, XF-Superb 95; SMQ $450.00 as 95, unpriced as 98), this is the highest grade awarded in the OG category and none share it
1c Green, Rotary (545). Top plate no. 13616 block of six with narrow selvage, stamps Mint N.H., rich color, Fine, Scott Retail as singles
1c Green, Rotary (545). Block of four, bright shade, bold central strike of Bloomington Ill. registry oval cancel, fresh and Fine, scarce used block, with 2004 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine Rose, Ty. III, Rotary (546). Mint N.H., brilliant color, gorgeous centering, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2008 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $1,650.00), only three have graded higher
2c Carmine Rose, Ty. III, Rotary (546). Bottom margin block of four, deep rich color, neat strikes of duplex cancel, light creases affect all stamps, appears Fine, scarce used block, ex Twigg-Smith, with 2001 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine Rose, Ty. III, Rotary (546). Tied by "New York N.Y. Sta. W Dec. 26, 1922 11-PM" machine cancel on locally addressed cover, fresh and Fine, with 1994 P.S.E. certificate
$2.00 Carmine & Black (547). Top double plate nos. 8177/8179 and arrow block of eight, lightly hinged, radiant colors, fresh and Very Fine, an attractive and desirable plate block
$2.00 Carmine & Black (547). Mint N.H., intense shade and impression, well-proportioned margins, fresh and Extremely Fine, with 2007 P.S.E. certificate (XF 90; SMQ $475.00)
$2.00 Carmine & Black (547). Complete sheet of 100 with selvage all around and double plate nos. at top, precancelled with Paterson N.J. roller cancel, selvage faults and "V" shaped piece out of selvage at top, perf separations as would be expected and some wrinkling, still Fine and extremely rare cancelled full sheet, Scott Retail as singles $4,000.00