Sale 1048 — 2013 Rarities of the World
Sale Date — Tuesday, 25 June, 2013
Category — 1922 and Later Issues, incl. 2c Harding Rotary Perf 11 Strip of Three
2c Carmine, Vertical Pair, Imperforate Horizontally (554b). With wide selvage at bottom, stamps Mint N.H., natural short gum at right, deep rich color, centered to leftFINE. A RARE AND DESIRABLE EXAMPLE OF THE 2-CENT 1922 IMPERFORATE HORIZONTALLY. VERY FEW ARE KNOWN. A GREAT RARITY OF THE ISSUE
Gary Griffith states that 3 to 5 pairs are known. The most desirable (and most easily authenticated) originate from a block of twelve with plate no. 14213 which contained three examples of the variety as well as a fourth pair with part perfs. The multiple had Bureau brown paper fixing tears at left (including one in an error pair). The pair offered here is the rightmost pair in the multiple, which was offered in our 1966 Rarities sale.
Ex Griffith and Whitman. With 1978 and 2001 P.F. certificates.
10c Orange, Vertical Pair, Imperforate Horizontally (562a). Lightly hinged, wider right margin than usual, bright color on fresh paper, Pos. 62/72 lightly noted in pencil on gum (by Ward)EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFULLY CENTERED EXAMPLE OF THIS SCARCE HORIZONTALLY IMPERFORATE ERROR.
Datz states one pane known. All of the examples we have seen of this error are centered to the right, some quite strongly. This example has the best vertical margins we have encountered.
With 1986 and 2001 P.F. certificates
10c Orange, Imperforate Pair (562b). Vertical pair, Positions 83/93, large margins incl. sheet margin at bottom, unused (no gum) as are all known examples, rich colorVERY FINE AND SCARCE. A DESIRABLE BOTTOM SHEET MARGIN PAIR OF THE IMPERFORATE 10-CENT 1923 ISSUE.
According to United States Stamps 1922-26 by Gary Griffith, noted dealer Philip Ward purchased a pane in 1925 in Oklahoma. Large areas were marked for destruction with a blue crayon -- examples such as the pair offered here, not defaced by the blue crayon, are scarce.
Ex Whitman. With 2005 P.F. certificate
20c Carmine Rose, Horizontal Pair, Imperforate Vertically (567a). Lightly hinged, deep rich color, usual light natural gum crease, two small spots of blue ink on back of left stamp barely shows thruVERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 20-CENT 1922 ISSUE IMPERFORATE VERTICALLY.
According to Gary Griffith, a complete pane of 100 was found in Pasadena Cal. in 1929, which was divided between two collectors. This would make 50 pairs total. At least one of the panes was broken into pairs and blocks.
With 1989 and 2006 P.F. certificates
25c Yellow Green, Imperforate Horizontally (568b). Block of four with right selvage and plate no. 14063, lightly hinged, bright colorEXTREMELY FINE. THE UNIQUE PLATE NUMBER BLOCK OF THE HORIZONTALLY IMPERFORATE 1922 25-CENT NIAGARA FALLS ISSUE. ONE OF THE GREAT 20TH CENTURY RARITIES.
According to United States Stamps 1922-26 by Gary Griffith, this error was discovered in 1927 in Georgia. In Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News, Sep. 5, 1927, noted dealer Philip H. Ward stated that "the pane was normal with this small corner receiving the vertical perforation only", indicating that only part of the pane contained the error. Auction records seem to support this -- we have only offered a strip of three and a single since keeping computerized records.
Ex Lilly. With 1980 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail $6,500.00 as two pairs with no premium for the multiple or for the unique plate position.
2c Harding, Rotary, Perf 11 (613). Horizontal strip of three comprising Positions 56-58 from the upper right pane of 100 of Plate 14867, choice centering with perforations completely clear of all three designs, deep shade, neat duplex cancel leaves outer stamps barely cancelled, lightly cleaned (shows only under ultraviolet light), single short perf at top of Position 58 mentioned on accompanying P.S.E. certificate, but not on P.F. certificateVERY FINE APPEARANCE. THIS IS THE UNIQUE STRIP OF THREE OF THE 2-CENT HARDING ROTARY PERF 11, WHICH IS THE LARGEST KNOWN MULTIPLE. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT 20TH CENTURY MULTIPLES EXTANT, WHICH WAS DISCOVERED IN THE LAST TEN YEARS.
Warren G. Harding, the 29th President, died in San Francisco on August 2, 1923, during a cross-country "Voyage of Understanding". Several people suggested a Harding memorial stamp, printed in black, and it was rushed into production. The first flat plate Perf 11 stamps (Scott 610) were issued on September 1, 1923, in his home town of Marion, Ohio, followed less than two weeks later by the rotary press Perf 10 stamps (Scott 612) on September 12.
The 2c Harding Rotary Perf 11 stamp -- combining the rotary press printing with the perforation gauge used for the flat plate printing -- was discovered in 1938 by Leslie Lewis of the New York firm, Stanley Gibbons Inc. Gary Griffith presents his hypothesis in United States Stamps 1922-26 that rotary-printed sheets of 400 were first reduced to panes of 100 and then fed through the 11-gauge perforating machine normally used for flat plate sheets. This method explains the existence of a straight-edge on Scott 613. Production quality and quantity was very low, due to the rotary press stamps' natural tendency to curl, and the use of the flat plate perforator for the slightly different-sized rotary printing.
For the first approximately 70 years that this issue was known, the largest multiples recorded were two pairs, one of which has been broken into two singles. The discovery of this strip by a Harding specialist created a sensation in the philatelic press before it was first auctioned by Matthew Bennett in 2007. In the process of expertizing the strip, the discoverer went to the National Postal Museum to study the eight proof sheets (3,200 stamps) pulled from the plates that were used for the rotary press printings. On the fifth sheet, the matching plating marks were discovered, proving that this multiple came from Positions 56-58 in the upper right pane of Plate 14867 -- a plate that was used only for rotary press printings.
Our updated census of the 2c Harding Rotary Perf 11, available at our website at http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/613/613.pdf , records 43 used singles (one faintly cancelled, if at all), one used pair and this unique used strip of three.
Census No. 613-CAN-STR-01. With 2007 P.F. and P.S.E. certificates (the latter transposing two digits of the plate number)
4c Project Mercury, Imperforate (1193 var). Mint N.H. pane of 50, plate no. 27071 at lower left, rich colorsVERY FINE. A SCARCE MINT NEVER-HINGED PANE OF 50 OF THE 4-CENT PROJECT MERCURY WHICH IS IMPERFORATE.
Scott Catalogue notes that imperforates are printer's waste.
5c Florida Settlement, Yellow Omitted (1271a). Mint N.H. bottom left plate no. block of four, showing the Red and Black plate nos. but missing the yellow, bright color, Very Fine and choice, a rare plate block of this early color missing error, listed in Scott and Datz as singles but not as a plate block, Datz estimates 300-400 stamps known, this would equate to a possible 6-8 plate blocks that might exist, we have not sold another block since our 1993 Rarities sale, accompanied by normal block and articles, Scott Retail as four singles with no premium for the position
6c Disney, Ocher Omitted (1355a). Mint N.H. plate no. and Zip blocks of four, light fingerprint on gum of each, Very Fine, a rare pair of position blocks of this error, these are the first examples we have sold since a full pane in our 1981 Rarities sale, the plate block listed in Datz but unpriced, the Zip block unlisted, Scott Retail as eight singles with no premium for the positions
6c Professional Baseball, Black (Engr.) Double Impression (1381 var). Mint N.H., showing clear doubling of all text incl. "1869-1969" at top, country, denomination and label at bottom, bright colorVERY FINE AND CHOICE. THIS NEWLY DISCOVERED RARITY -- THE 1969 PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL COMMEMORATIVE WITH DOUBLE IMPRESSION OF THE BLACK ENGRAVED DESIGN -- IS THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE. A WONDERFUL RARITY.
With 2013 P.S.E. certificate. Unlisted in Scott.