Sale 1188 — United States Stamp Treasures: The William H. Gross Collection
Sale Date — Wednesday, 3 October, 2018
Category — Pan-American Issue Invert Multiples
This block of twenty of the 1¢ Pan-American Invert is unique--it is by far the largest known multiple of any Inverted Center postage stamp error, and ranks as one of the most outstanding items in United States philatelyDESCRIPTION
1¢ Pan-American, Center Inverted (294a), block of 20 (five by four), eleven stamps are Mint N.H. (the entire second and third rows plus top center stamp), the other nine are lightly hinged, deep rich colors and proof-like impressions, the centering of six stamps in the lower two rows at left is superb, and overall the block is beautifully centered and as fresh as the day it left the post office
PROVENANCE
* Warren H. Colson (exhibited by him in 1926)
* Owned by an anonymous collector and kept in a bank vault in Boston after the collector’s death in 1951; bought privately from the heirs by the Weills in 1975
* Sold to Alex Acevedo, Alexander Gallery (private transaction)
* Christie’s Robson Lowe sale, 2/2/1994, lot 28, to William H. Gross
CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES
* New York International Philatelic Exhibition 1926 (Colson)
* INTERPHIL 1976 “Aristocrats of Philately” (Weill)
* ANPHILEX 1996 Invited Exhibits (Gross)
* Collectors Club of New York “Aristocrats of United States Philately” exhibit, December 2000 (Gross)
* World Stamp Show 2016 Court of Honor (Gross)
CONDITION NOTES
* Very Fine-Extremely Fine and flawless
VIEW PDF OF HISTORY AND COMMENTARY at https://siegelauctions.com/2018/1188/101.pdf
The unique plate block of the 4¢ Pan-American Invert Error--an iconic rarity of United States 20th century philatelyDESCRIPTION
4¢ Pan-American, Center Inverted (296a), block of four with selvage showing frame plate’s “Bureau, Engraving & Printing.” imprint and plate number “1145” in Red Brown and vignette plate’s string of plate pressmen’s initials in Black, top pair with original gum and hinge remnants, bottom pair has traces of gum, most of which was lost when the pane in the National Museum (predecessor of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum) was removed from paper to which it was affixed
PROVENANCE
* National Museum accession (complete pane of 100), inventoried in July 1913
* Either “Exchange No. 3” to Nassau Stamp Company (77 copies) or “Exchange No. 4” to H. F. Colman, Washington D.C. dealer (20 copies)
* Supposedly discovered in a cigar box of duplicate stamps
* Weill Brothers’ Stock, Christie’s Robson Lowe sale, 10/12/1989, lot 263, to Jack Rosenthal (collection sold privately to Andrew Levitt; later acquired by William H. Gross)
CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES
* INTERPHIL 1976 “Aristocrats of Philately” (Weill)
* ANPHILEX 1996 Invited Exhibits (Rosenthal)
CONDITION NOTES
* Fine appearance; top left stamp has two small thin spots; brown color slightly affected by oxidation; some vertical perf separations
VIEW PDF OF HISTORY AND COMMENTARY at https://siegelauctions.com/2018/1188/102.pdf