Sale 1224 — 2020 Rarities of the World
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 30 June-1 July, 2020
Category — Washington-Franklin and Panama Pacific Issues
4c Orange Brown, Bluish (360). Mint N.H. with wide top selvage, deep rich color on nicely blued paper, long and full perforationsFRESH AND FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 4-CENT ON BLUISH PAPER. WE HAVE OFFERED ONLY TWO MINT NEVER-HINGED SINGLES SINCE KEEPING COMPUTERIZED RECORDS.
The June 1910 Third Assistant Postmaster General’s report states that 4,400 (eleven sheets) of the 4c were printed on Bluish Paper. It is believed that none of the 4c and 8c Bluish Paper stamps were distributed to post offices, and that all of the examples in collectors’ hands reached the market through the Travers-Steinmetz exchange and the 1914 National Museum trades to H. F. Colman (12 copies) and Nassau Stamp Company (65 copies).
We have offered only two Mint N.H. singles since keeping computerized records. The most recent was in our 2009 Whitman sale, which had similar top selvage with the plate number. The other was offered in our 2007 sale of the "Scarsdale" collection and was graded 75. Two are contained in the unique imprint and plate number strip of three, which is unlikely to be broken.
With 1999 and 2019 P.F. certificates
4c Orange Brown, Bluish (360). Rich color on deeply blued paper, typical centering for this difficult issueFRESH AND FINE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 4-CENT ON BLUISH PAPER.
The June 1910 Third Assistant Postmaster General’s report states that 4,400 (eleven sheets) of the 4c were printed on Bluish Paper. It is believed that none of the 4c and 8c Bluish Paper stamps were distributed to post offices, and that all of the examples in collectors’ hands reached the market through the Travers-Steinmetz exchange and the 1914 National Museum trades to H. F. Colman (12 copies) and Nassau Stamp Company (65 copies).
With 1995 P.F. certificate
5c Blue, Bluish (361). With wide sheet selvage at top, stamp Mint N.H., h.r. at top in ungummed part of selvage, deep rich color on nicely blued paper, three huge marginsVERY FINE AND CHOICE. AN ATTRACTIVE EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT ON BLUISH PAPER, WITH THE STAMP IN MINT NEVER-HINGED CONDITION.
We have offered only a handful of Mint N.H. examples of Scott 361 in the past 25 years. With 2007 P.F. certificate. Small blue backstamp and tiny pencil notation
3c Deep Violet, Orangeburg Coil (389). Centered to right, small tear at top, lifted and hinged in place, tied by "Orangeburg N.Y. May 1 5PM 1911" wavy-line machine cancel on light blue envelope with "Bell & Company Incorporated Manufacturing Chemists" corner card to White Plains N.Y., May 2 receiving backstamp, cover with small scuff spots at left from erased pencil notations of no consequenceFINE APPEARANCE. A RARE ON-COVER USE OF THE 3-CENT ORANGEBURG COIL. ONLY 13 ORANGEBURG COIL COVERS HAVE BEEN CERTIFIED AS GENUINE BY THE PHILATELIC FOUNDATION.
The Orangeburg coil was made by the Post Office Department in 1911, specifically for use by the Bell Pharmaceutical Company. The 3c coil stamps were used to send samples of their products to physicians. Due to the quantity of mail, they were put through the first-class cancelling machine at Orangeburg, New York. The Orangeburg coil stamps' use on third-class mail, and the fact that philatelists were generally unaware of their production accounts for their rarity.
With 1991 P.F. certificate. Signed Raymond H. Weill and Spencer Anderson
3c Deep Violet, Orangeburg Coil (389). Wide and balanced margins at sides, neat wavy-line machine cancel used at Orangeburg N.Y., tiny thin speck and light wrinkles visible when dryingFINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 3-CENT ORANGEBURG COIL.
This coil was used exclusively by Bell Pharmaceutical Co. in Orangeburg N.Y. to mail physician's samples. Due to their use on mass mailings, many of the existing Orangeburg coils are faulty to some extent. The most common defects are corner creases or tears.
10c Orange, Panama-Pacific (400A). Top plate no. 6143 block of six with full selvage, top right stamp Mint N.H., others lightly hinged and small h.r. at bottom reinforces a couple minor perf separations, vibrant color on post-office fresh paperVERY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM FULL TOP PLATE BLOCK OF THE 10-CENT ORANGE PERF 12 PANAMA-PACIFIC.
Full or wide top plate blocks of this issue are very elusive. We have offered only a handful in any condition in the last ten years, including one in a pane of 70