Sale 1068 — United States Stamps and Possessions
Sale Date — Wednesday-Thursday, 30 April-1 May, 2014
Category — 1857-60 Issue
5c Brick Red (27). Three wide margins, touched at left but intact perfs create a wide visual margin, tiny thin spot not mentioned on certificate, Very Fine appearance, with 1968 P.F. certificate
10c Green, Ty. IV (34). Position 86L1, recut at top, beautiful centering with unusually wide and balanced margins, wonderful deep shade and early impression, bold New York Ocean Mail circular datestamp with integral grid cancel leaves the type characteristics clearly visible, two perf tips expertly added at left, Extremely Fine appearance, ex Welling, Dr. Morris and Lyons (as sound), with 1986 P.F. certificate as sound and 2012 P.F. certificate noting the perfs, unlisted in Scott with the rare N.Y. Ocean Mail cancel, Scott Retail as with normal cancel
24c Gray Lilac (37). Choice centering with wide margins, neat dark red grid cancel, Extremely Fine, with 1990 P.F. (as No. 37a) and 2014 P.S.E. certificates (VF-XF 85; SMQ $525.00)
24c Gray Lilac (37). Bright color, red grid cancel, Very Fine, with 1988 P.F. certificate (as No. 37a) and 2014 P.S.E. certificates (VF 80; SMQ $375.00)
24c Gray Lilac (37). Horizontal pair, bright shade nicely complemented by bold red grid cancels, Very Fine, with 1991 P.F. certificate
30c Orange (38). Vibrant color nicely complemented by red grid cancel, well-centered, Extremely Fine, with 1987 and 1991 P.F. certificates, the latter as Reddish Orange, with 2014 P.S.E. certificate (VF-XF 85; SMQ $750.00)
90c Blue (39). Rich color, neat strikes of red grid cancel and black cancel at bottom, tiny perf flaw at bottom left not mentioned on accompanying certificate, insignificant tiny tear at top centerVERY FINE APPEARANCE. A SCARCE USED EXAMPLE OF THE SHORT-LIVED 90-CENT 1860 ISSUE.
The 90c stamp was issued in 1860, along with the 24c and 30c values, all of which were needed to prepay high international letter rates established by various postal treaties. The basic 24c and 30c rates to England, France and Germany created a volume of mail franked with those values. However, the 90c saw much more limited use, partly due to the rates in effect, but more because of the American Civil War. When supplies of current postage stamps were declared invalid in the South and ultimately demonetized by the Federal government, the 90c had been in use for only one year. For this reason, genuinely cancelled copies are scarce, and covers bearing the 90c are extremely rare.
Approximately 180 used examples have been certified by The Philatelic Foundation, of which one-quarter are sound. With 1995 P.S.E. and 2013 P.F. certificates
1c Bright Blue, Reprint (40). Without gum as issued, pretty shade, single perf tip expertly reattached at lower left, Very Fine appearance