Sale 1084 — The Curtis Collection: 1847-1901 Stamps and Covers
Sale Date — Wednesday-Thursday, 5-6 November, 2014
Category — 1901 Pan-American Issue Inverts (Scott 294a-296a)
1c Pan-American, Center Inverted (294a). Deep rich colors, neat strike of Syracuse N.Y. oval cancel, reperfed at top, small thin spot at centerVERY FINE APPEARING USED EXAMPLE OF THE ONE-CENT PAN-AMERICAN INVERT.
The 1c Pan-American Inverts were found in at least four different post offices around the country, soon after release of the issue in May 1901. According to the revised Johl-King book (p.7) "The first known copies of this error were discovered at Bessemer, Alabama, by the Carrell Jewelry Company on some circulars just prior to mailing them. When they realized the find they had made they lost no time in removing the stamps from the circulars and thus saved them to philately."
The 1c Pan-American Invert in used condition is considerably scarcer than unused. Our updated census, available at our website at http://siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/294a/294a.pdf , records 48 used examples plus three on cover, for a total of 51 copies. 39 off-cover stamps plus one on cover have faults ranging from corner creases to repairs.
Ex Lake Shore. Census No. 294a-CAN-27. With 1997 P.F. certificate.
2c Pan-American, Center Inverted (295a). Bright colors and well-centered, machine cancel leaves entire design clearly visible, flaws including vertical crease ending in small tear, tiny corner repair at top left and reperfed at topVERY FINE APPEARANCE. ONLY SEVEN USED EXAMPLES OF THE 2-CENT PAN-AMERICAN INVERT ARE KNOWN, AND NONE ARE SOUND.
Our census of the 2c Pan-American Invert in used condition records only seven copies, and is available at our website at http://siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/295a/295a.pdf . None are sound -- two are reperfed, one has a tear and another is thinned. Three others have more have minor flaws.
Census No. 295a-CAN-05. With 1970 P.F. and 2013 P.S.E. certificates. In our opinion this is very undercatalogued in Scott -- the unused invert catalogues $55,000.00 in Scott and is significantly more plentiful with approximately 64 unused singles known, versus $60,000.00 for the used with only seven known.
4c Pan-American, Center Inverted (296a). Disturbed original gum, margins to touched at bottom, thin spot at upper right and tiny perf tear at top leftFINE APPEARING ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 4-CENT PAN-AMERICAN INVERT.
The 4c stamp portrays an electric automobile, known at the time as the "Electric Vehicle Service", as depicted on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad brochure from which the engraving was made. In the background one can see the dome of the Capitol. One of the two men in the front is Samuel P. Hege, so this stamp actually depicts a living person in violation of the law.
The 4c Pan-American Invert was a special printing and not regularly issued. Examples were distributed through two official channels, and the gum on the majority of stamps without "Specimen" overprint was disturbed. In fact, because the stamps were removed from mounting paper, they are generally thinned or have seriously disturbed gum.
The Scott Catalogue value is for a stamp with slightly disturbed gum.