Sale 1120 — Outstanding United States Stamps
Sale Date — Thursday-Friday, 17-18 March, 2016
Category — 1898 Trans-Mississippi Issue (Scott 285-293)
2c Trans-Mississippi (286). Mint N.H. horizontal block of 12, incredibly well-centered throughout for such a large multiple, deep rich color, a couple stamps with small wrinkles and a few faint fingerprints on gum, some perf separations at top middle, still Extremely Fine, Scott Retail as Mint N.H. singles
4c Trans-Mississippi (287). Mint N.H., choice centering, wide margins, bright color, Extremely Fine, with 1993 P.F. and 2016 P.S.E. certificates (XF 90; SMQ $625.00)
5c Trans-Mississippi (288). Mint N.H., rich color on bright paper, wide and balanced margins, Extremely Fine, with 1992 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (XF 90; SMQ $725.00)
8c Trans-Mississippi (289). Mint N.H. horizontal block of nine with left selvage, rich color, fresh and Fine large multiple, Scott Retail as singles
50c Trans-Mississippi (291). Mint N.H. top imprint and plate no. 603 pair, with wide selvage, excellent centering, deep rich color, a couple trivial perf separationsEXTREMELY FINE. A SELECT QUALITY MINT NEVER-HINGED 50-CENT TRANS-MISSISSIPPI IMPRINT AND PLATE NUMBER PAIR.
With 1977 P.F. certificate
50c Trans-Mississippi (291). Original gum, single hinge mark, deep rich color, choice centering and margins, Extremely Fine, with 2015 P.F. certificate (XF 90)
$1.00 Trans-Mississippi (292). Mint N.H., wonderfully well-centered, deep intense shade and a proof-like impression on fresh paperEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A HIGHLY DESIRABLE MINT NEVER-HINGED $1.00 TRANS-MISSISSIPPI.
With 1985 P.F. and 2016 P.S.E. certificates (XF 90; SMQ $8,850.00)
$1.00 Trans-Mississippi (292). Bottom imprint selvage, lightly hinged in one corner at bottom of selvage, intense shade, wide margins, Very Fine and choice
$1.00 Trans-Mississippi (292). Original gum, small h.r., deep shade, crisp impression, Very Fine
$2.00 Trans-Mississippi Collateral. Republican National Convention in St. Louis guest ticket for June 16, 1896, with illustration of Mississippi River Bridge in St. Louis, with stub at right intact, dated almost exactly two years before the stamp was issued, an excellent collateral item, ex Rosenthal
$2.00 Trans-Mississippi (293). Mint N.H., well-centered within uncommonly wide margins, extraordinarily fresh, rich color and deeply-etched impression on bright paper
EXTREMELY FINE. A HANDSOME AND SCARCE MINT NEVER-HINGED $2.00 TRANS-MISSISSIPPI.
This stamp was once part of a famous block of ten (position 8) containing eight Mint N.H. examples that was offered in the 1989 Christie's sale of the Weill Brothers' stock. All of the stamps in that block are incredibly fresh and pristine. The six middle stamps are particularly well centered and margined. The block was broken up right after the sale. The majority of Extremely Fine Mint N.H. singles of the $2.00 Trans-Mississippi offered in the last 25 years emanated from that block.
With 1991 P.F. and 2016 P.S.E. certificates (VF-XF 85; SMQ $8,500.00)
$2.00 Trans-Mississippi (293). Block of 20 from the right pane with half-arrow selvage at right, sixth thru ninth rows, 17 stamps Mint N.H., only positions 3, 17 and 19 are barely hinged, natural s.e. at left, the Mint N.H. middle block of six (positions 7-9/12-14) exceptionally well-centered, many others with choice centering as well, deep rich color, incredibly freshVERY FINE-EXTREMELY FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE MARGIN BLOCK OF TWENTY OF THE $2.00 TRANS-MISSISSIPPI ISSUE CONTAINING SEVENTEEN MINT NEVER-HINGED STAMPS AND A HALF-DOZEN WITH EXCEPTIONAL CENTERING. THIS IS THE SECOND LARGEST RECORDED MULTIPLE.
The design of the $2.00 Trans-Mississippi depicts the Eads bridge, which spans the Mississippi River at St. Louis. The original engraving was used on the admission ticket to the Republican Convention of 1896, which nominated William McKinley as candidate for president. The stamp, issued during the McKinley Administration, illustrates the natural boundary between East and West and so was appropriate for the Trans-Mississippi Issue. All of the $2.00 Trans-Mississippi stamps were printed in a single day's run on June 3, 1898, from plates of 100, which were then divided vertically into panes of 50 for sale at post offices.
There are no known full panes of 50 of the $2.00 Trans-Mississippi -- the only denomination of the series for which no full panes remain. There exists one block of 25 from the lower half of the right pane, which is the largest known multiple. This margin block of 20 is the second largest multiple and has not been offered at auction in nearly 50 years, last appearing in the Siegel 1968 Rarities of the World sale, where it realized double the then current catalogue value. The central block of six mentioned earlier is likely the finest known Mint N.H. block. We believe there are a few stamps in this piece that would grade 90 or 95
With 2016 P.F. certificate.
$2.00 Trans-Mississippi (293). Bottom imprint and plate no. 613 pair, original gum, barely hinged in lower part of selvage, stamps Mint N.H., rich color and detailed impressionFINE-VERY FINE. A RARE PLATE NUMBER PAIR OF THE $2.00 TRANS-MISSISSIPPI.
With 2015 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail as two Mint N.H. singles
$2.00 Trans-Mississippi (293). Original gum, barely hinged, well-centered, bright fresh color, Very Fine, with 2000 P.S.E. (as Mint N.H.) and 2015 P.F. certificates
$2.00 Trans-Mississippi (293). Outstanding margins and centering, deep rich color, neat target cancel, Extremely Fine, with 1983 P.F. certificate
$2.00 Trans-Mississippi (293). Rich color, well-proportioned margins, light town cancel, Extremely Fine, with 2015 P.F. certificate (VF-XF 85)