Sale 1244 — The Arthur S. Przybyl Collection of United States, Confederate States and Hawaii
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 9-10 November, 2021
Category — 1922 and Later Issues (Scott 594-1610c)
1c Green, Rotary, Perf 11 (594). Very light machine cancel, decent centering with intact perfs at left, completely soundFRESH AND FINE EXAMPLE OF THE ONE-CENT ROTARY PERF 11 ISSUE, SCOTT 594--ONE OF THE RAREST 20TH CENTURY STAMPS.
The 1c Green, Scott 594, is waste from a horizontal rotary printing used to make coils. At the beginning or end of a coil-stamp print run from the 170-subject rotary plates, some leading or trailing paper was produced that was too short for rolling into 500-stamp rolls. In 1919 the Bureau devised a plan to salvage this waste by perforating and cutting the sheets into panes. They were put through the 11-gauge flat plate perforator in use at the time, giving the sheets full perforations on all sides. The existence of Scott 594 was not reported until four months after the final sheets were delivered, and the 1c Rotary Perf 11 was soon recognized as one of the rarest United States stamps.
Our census of Scott 594, available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/594 , contains 98 used singles, 6 stamps in 3 used pairs, and 6 stamps on 5 covers (one with a pair) for a total of 110 used stamps. Another 19 unused stamps are recorded. Many have perforations cutting in on one or more sides, or have faults.
Census no. 594-CAN-98. With 2008 P.S.E. certificate
2c Carmine, Rotary, Perf 11 (595). Mint N.H., bright color, fresh and Very Fine, with 2011 P.F. certificate
1c Green, Rotary Perf 11 (596). Bold "Kansas City Mo." Bureau precancel, dark shade and rich color, fine impression, corner thin spot at bottom rightFINE APPEARANCE. A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE THE ONE-CENT FRANKLIN ROTARY PERF 11 ISSUE, SCOTT 596, WHICH IS ONE OF THE KEYS TO A COMPLETE COLLECTION OF UNITED STATES STAMPS.
The discovery of the stamps that would eventually become Scott 596 and 544 was announced in a November 1936 article in the Bureau Specialist by Max Johl. A third rotary press rarity, the 2c Harding (Scott 613), would not be discovered for another two years. Scott 596 is a slightly taller design than both the flat plate printing and the rotary coil waste printing, or Scott 594, due to the direction it was rolled around the rotary press printing cylinder. The "tall stamp" was considered to be a variety of Scott 594, the “wide” Rotary Perf 11; it was given its own Scott number in 1963.
All three issues (Scott 544, 596 and 613) were rotary sheet waste perforated 11 in both directions on the flat plate perforating machine. It is unclear whether they were produced at the same time. Production quality and quantity were very low, due to the rotary press stamps' natural tendency to curl, and the use of the flat plate perforator for the slightly different-sized rotary printing.
Our census of Scott 596, available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/596 , contains 15 stamps, all used or precancelled. None are graded above 70. Only 5 of the 15 have postal cancels, and only one of these is completely sound (number 1, realized $190,000 hammer in our 2009 Whitman sale). Only three precancelled copies are confirmed as sound (numbers 10, 11 and 13; No. 11 realized $190,000 hammer in our 2018 auction of the Wingate collection). One has not been seen since 1969 (number 6) so its condition has not been verified. Therefore, only one postally cancelled and three precancelled copies are confirmed as sound. The example offered here has trivial unobtrusive flaws and better centering than most.
Census no. 596-CAN-12. Ex Lessin and Hoffman. With 1951, 2002 and 2008 P.F. certificates
2c Harding, Rotary, Perf 11 (613). Intense shade and impression, unobtrusive cancel leaves entire design clearly visibleFRESH AND FINE EXAMPLE OF THE 2-CENT HARDING ROTARY PERF 11, WHICH IS ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL 20TH CENTURY ISSUES. ONLY 50 ARE RECORDED.
Warren G. Harding, the 29th President, died in San Francisco on August 2, 1923, during a cross-country "Voyage of Understanding". Several people suggested a Harding memorial stamp, printed in black, and it was rushed into production. The first flat plate printing (Scott 610) was issued on September 1, 1923, in his home town of Marion, Ohio, followed less than two weeks later by the normal Perf 10 rotary press printing (Scott 612) on September 12.
The 2c Harding Rotary Perf 11 stamp was discovered in 1938 by Leslie Lewis of the New York firm, Stanley Gibbons Inc. Gary Griffith presents his hypothesis in United States Stamps 1922-26 that rotary-printed sheets of 400 were first reduced to panes of 100 and then fed through the 11-gauge perforating machine normally used for flat plate sheets. This method explains the existence of a straight-edge on Scott 613. Production quality and quantity was very low, due to the rotary press stamps' natural tendency to curl, and the use of the flat plate perforator for the slightly different-sized rotary printing.
Our census of the 2c Harding Rotary Perf 11, available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/613 , records 45 used singles (one faintly cancelled, if at all), one used pair and the used strip of three, for a total of 50 stamps. Of the singles, 22 are confirmed as sound, but of these only six rate a grade of Very Fine or Extremely Fine. The example offered here, with three wide margins and in sound condition, is highly desirable.
Census no. 613-CAN-34. Ex Dr. Graves ("Argentum") and Wingate. Signed in pencil by Weill. With 1987 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Ty. I, II Coil (599-599A). Joint line pair, left stamp No. 599A, original gum, single h.r. at top, Very Fine, with 1992 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Ty. II (634A). Mint N.H., brilliant color, well-centered, Very Fine, with copy of 2002 P.S.E. certificate for a block of four (top left stamp)
$1.00 Candle Holder, Brown (Engraved) Color Inverted (1610c). Mint N.H., deep rich colorsVERY FINE MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THIS POPULAR MODERN ERROR--THE C.I.A. INVERT.
Popularly called the "C.I.A. Invert", a single pane of 100 stamps was purchased at the McLean Va. Post Office by employees of the C.I.A., for use on mail from the agency. They noticed the error, pooled together funds to buy a replacement sheet and kept the pane for themselves. When it was discovered who had purchased the stamps, a scandal ensued over who actually owned the stamps. Of the pane of 100, only 93 sound examples reached collectors.
With 2014 P.S.E. certificate