Sale 956 — The Jay Hoffman Collection of United States Stamps
Sale Date — Thursday-Friday, 8-9 May, 2008
Category — 1908-12 Issue (Scott 333-356)
3c Deep Violet (333). Mint N.H., Deep rich color on bright paper, Jumbo margins which are well-balanced, Extremely Fine, a beautiful stamp, with 2001 P.F. certificate
5c Blue (335). Mint N.H., rich color on bright paper, wide and well-balanced margins, Extremely Fine, ex North Fork, with 1998 P.F. certificate
8c Olive Green (337). Mint N.H., almost perfectly centered with well-proportioned margins, bright color, Extremely Fine, ex Silver Lake, with 2004 P.F. certificate
10c Yellow (338). Mint N.H. with plate no. 4940 at top, vibrant color, perfectly centered with enormous margins, -1/2mm short gumming at top, Extremely Fine, a magnificent stamp in every respect, with 1998 and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (VF 80 Jumbo; SMQ $165.00 as 80, $295.00 as 85)
15c Pale Ultramarine (340). Mint N.H., radiant color, well-balanced margins, Very Fine and choice, with 2003 P.S.E. certificate
50c Violet (341). Mint N.H., pretty pastel shade, wide margins, Very Fine and choice, an beautiful stamp, with 2007 P.F. certificate (VF 80; SMQ $800.00)
$1.00 Violet Brown (342). Mint N.H., deep rich color and proof-like impression, wide margins for this issue, Very Fine and choice, a pretty stamp, with 1989 P.F. and 2004 P.S.E. certificates
1c Green, Coil (348). Mint N.H., deep rich color, perfectly centered with wide and balanced margins, Extremely Fine, with 2001 and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (XF 90; SMQ $150.00)
1c Green, Coil (348). Mint N.H. pair, rich color and proof-like impression, wide margins and choice centering, fresh and Extremely Fine, a beautiful pair, with 2007 P.F. certificate
1c Green, Coil (348). Mint N.H. guide line pair, intact perfs at top and bottom, deep shade, Very Fine and choice, with 2000 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Coil (349). Mint N.H., brilliant color, wide margins, Extremely Fine, light pencil notation on gum, with 2002 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Coil (349). Mint N.H. pair, intense shade and impression, wide margins, Very Fine and choice, with 1995 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Coil (349). Mint N.H. guide line pair with full guide line at left, near perfect centering with wide and well-balanced margins on all sides, bright color and detailed impression on radiant paperEXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS IS EASILY ONE OF THE FINEST GUIDE LINE PAIRS OF THIS COIL IN TERMS OF CENTERING, COLOR, GUM AND PAPER.
With 2001 P.F. certificate
4c Orange Brown, Coil (350). Mint N.H., rich color on bright paper, crisp impression, Very Fine and choice, with 1999 P.F. certificate
4c Orange Brown, Coil (350). Mint N.H. pair, rich color and proof-like impression, wide and balanced margins, fresh and Extremely Fine, with 1999 P.F. certificate
4c Orange Brown, Coil (350). Mint N.H. guide line pair, rich color, proof-like impression, wide margins for this difficult issueEXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL MINT NEVER-HINGED GUIDE LINE PAIR OF THE 4-CENT HORIZONTAL COIL, SCOTT 350, WHICH HAS BEEN GRADED XF-SUPERB 95 BY P.S.E..
According to Johl (Vol. 1, page 153), this coil was issued approximately eighteen months after the horizontal coil Scott 354 and was only in use for a short period of time.
With 1999 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $12,900.00). Only one has graded higher to date and only one other shares this desirable grade.
5c Blue, Coil (351). Mint N.H., bright color, detailed impression, well-proportioned margins, fresh and Extremely Fine, a beautiful stamp, with 2001 P.F. certificate
5c Blue, Coil (351). Mint N.H. pair, deep rich color and proof-like impression, wide margins, Very Fine and choice, an attractive pair, with 2003 P.F. certificate
5c Blue, Coil (351). Mint N.H. guide line pair, intense shade and impression, unusually wide and balanced margins, post-office freshVERY FINE AND CHOICE. A BEAUTIFUL MINT NEVER-HINGED GUIDE LINE PAIR OF THE 5-CENT PERF 12 DOUBLE-LINE WATERMARK VERTICAL COIL.
Interestingly, this is the only 5c Washington-Franklin perforated vertical coil stamp ever produced. Demand proved to be so low that no others were made.
With 1990 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (VF 80; SMQ $2,450.00)
1c Green, Coil (352). Mint N.H., deep rich color, wide margins, fresh and Very Fine, with 2004 P.F. certificate for strip of three
1c Green, Coil (352). Mint N.H. pair with 3mm spacing, rich color, proof-like impression, choice centering with well-proportioned margins, fresh and Extremely Fine, ex Scarsdale, with 2000 P.F. and 2004 P.S.E. certificates (XF 90; SMQ $1,200.00), only one pair has graded higher to date and only two others share this grade
1c Green, Coil (352). Guide line pair, very lightly hinged, intense shade and proof-like impression, Fine-Very Fine, with 2002 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Coil (353). Mint N.H. pair with 3mm spacing, brilliant color, each stamp with three wide margins, fresh and Fine-Very Fine, with 1998 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Coil (353). Mint N.H. guide line pair, beautiful strong color and nicely centered, Very Fine, scarce in this post-office fresh condition, with 1990 and 2006 P.F. certificates
4c Orange Brown, Coil (354). Mint N.H., detailed impression, wide margins, Extremely Fine, ex Vineyard, with 1986 and 2003 P.F. certificates, the former for pair
4c Orange Brown, Coil (354). Mint N.H. guide line pair, deep rich color on bright paper, sharp proof-like impressionVERY FINE AND CHOICE. A SCARCE MINT NEVER-HINGED GUIDE LINE PAIR OF THE 4-CENT 1909 HORIZONTAL COIL.
A review of our computerized records reveals that we have offered only seven Mint N.H. guide line pairs in the past 13 years of auctions. Only four have been graded to date by P.S.E. (including one graded 50).
With 2002 P.F. certificate
5c Blue, Coil (355). Mint N.H., intense color on bright paper, well-balanced margins, Very Fine and choice, with 2002 P.S.E. certificate
5c Blue, Coil (355). Mint N.H. pair, deep rich color and proof-like impression, wide marginsVERY FINE AND CHOICE MINT NEVER-HINGED PAIR OF THE 1909 5-CENT HORIZONTAL COIL, SCOTT 355.
Only four Mint N.H. pairs have been graded to date. With 2000 P.F. certificate
5c Blue, Coil (355). Mint N.H. guide line pair, brilliant color and detailed impression, remarkably choice centering with balanced marginsEXTREMELY FINE. A GORGEOUS MINT NEVER-HINGED GUIDE LINE PAIR OF THE 5-CENT HORIZONTAL COIL, SCOTT 355.
With 1984 P.F. and 2005 P.S.E. certificates (XF 90; SMQ $7,350.00). This is the highest grade awarded to date (two others share this grade, including one which realized $9,500 hammer in our Scarsdale sale). A review of our computerized records shows that we have on average offered one Mint N.H. guide line pair a year for the past ten years. Very few of those compare favorably to the example offered here.
10c Yellow, Coil (356). Lightly hinged, dazzling color as fresh as the day it was printed, wide margins for this difficult issueVERY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1909 10-CENT HORIZONTAL COIL, SCOTT 356. SCARCE IN SUCH PRISTINE CONDITION.
With 1977 P.F. certificate
10c Yellow, Coil (356). Pair, first certificate states Mint N.H., second states previously hinged at top center but which looks more like the typical natural gum bends found on this issue, unusually choice centering with wide and balanced margins, vibrant colorVERY FINE AND CHOICE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE PAIR OF THE 10-CENT HORIZONTAL COIL, SCOTT 356.
According to Johl (Volume 1, page 181), only 10,000 of the 10c Washington coil stamp were issued. They were made especially for a New York firm to send out advertising samples, similar to the 3c Orangeburg coil. Only a few rolls were sold to the firm, and the remaining rolls were distributed to some of the large post offices across the country. Dealers acquired several rolls, but because most contemporary collectors did not collect coils, many were used and destroyed.
With 1997 and 2008 P.F. certificates, the former specifically stating Mint N.H.. Scott Retail as hinged
10c Yellow, Coil (356). Mint N.H. guide line pair, unusually wide margins, vibrant colorVERY FINE AND CHOICE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE MINT NEVER-HINGED GUIDE LINE PAIR OF THE 10-CENT HORIZONTAL COIL, SCOTT 356. THIS IS ONLY THE THIRD MINT NEVER-HINGED GUIDE LINE PAIR WE HAVE OFFERED IN 14 YEARS OF AUCTIONS.
Our computerized records encompass fourteen years of auctions. In that time we have offered in Mint N.H. condition only three singles, two pairs and the following guide line multiples of Scott No. 356: 1) Mint N.H. guide line strip of four, ex Zoellner (Sale 804, lot 560, realized $35,000 hammer); 2) Mint N.H. guide line pair, ex Silver Lake (Sale 866, lot 206, realized $47,500 hammer), also offered in Sale 937; and 3) the guide line pair offered here.
With 2006 P.F. certificate (F-VF 75; SMQ $27,000.00 as 70, $50,000.00 as 80 which is the highest grade priced)