Sale 1096 — The Robert R. Hall Collection of Outstanding United States Stamps
Sale Date — Tuesday-Thursday, 28-30 April, 2015
Category — 1910-11 Washington-Franklin Issue (Scott 374-396)
1c-15c 1910-11 Issue (374-382, 383-384). Blocks of four, 1c Mint N.H., 2c two Mint N.H., 6c three Mint N.H., most others lightly hinged with few h.r., bright colors, Fine-Very Fine
1c-6c 1910-11 Issue (374-379). Plate blocks of six, 1c, 3c, 5c and 6c hollow star, 2c letter "A", 4c plate no. only, lightly hinged, few perf separations sensibly reinforced, Fine-Very Fine
8c Olive Green (380). Mint N.H., Jumbo margins, outstanding centering, bright and fresh, tiny natural straw inclusion at bottom, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2003 P.F. certificate
8c Olive Green (380). Top imprint, plate no. 5204 and hollow star block of six, bright color, choice centering, Very Fine-Extremely Fine
10c Yellow (381). Right imprint, plate no. 5200 and star block of six, lightly hinged, vivid color, three with natural gum bend, Fine-Very Fine
15c Pale Ultramarine (382). Bottom imprint and plate no. 4949 block of six, lightly hinged, brilliant color, some perf separations at top left, otherwise Very Fine
2c Carmine, Coil (386). Mint N.H. pair, wide margins and precise centering, bright color, Extremely Fine Gem, with 1991 P.F. certificate for strip of four, this is the top pair, the bottom pair realized $1,100 in our 2013 sale of the Golden Oak collection, this is the better centered of the two pairs
2c Carmine, Coil (386). Mint N.H., vivid color, balanced margins, Extremely Fine, with 2002 (copy for a pair) and 2004 P.F. certificates
1c Green, Coil (387). Guide line pair, rich color, Fine, with 1988 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Coil (388). Pair with 3mm spacing, lightly hinged, rich color and sharp impression, choice centering with exceptionally wide balanced marginsEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB PAIR OF SCOTT 388.
From our 2003 Rarities sale. With 2000 and 2005 P.F. certificates
2c Carmine, Coil (388). Pair with 3mm spacing, perfectly centered, radiant color, neat grid cancel and part of circular datestamp at lower leftEXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION THE FINEST USED PAIR OF SCOTT 388. A PHENOMENAL CONDITION RARITY.
This 2c coil was in production for only a short period of time before being superseded by the Perf 8-1/2 issue. Due to the greater popularity of the horizontal coils with users, combined with a wary attitude by many collectors that early coils were simply trimmed stamps, many were used and few preserved.
Approximately ten used pairs are known. The only used guide line multiple we record is the strip of four from our Natalee Grace sale, which is specifically mentioned as being unique in Scott Catalogue (Sale 1028, lot 357). A review using Power Search shows that most other pairs are significantly off-center.
With 1972 and 1994 P.F. certificates.
3c Deep Violet, Orangeburg Coil (389). Pair, small piece of hinge reinforcing a few perf separations at bottom, gum is otherwise pristine, deep rich color, completely soundVERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE UNUSED PAIR OF THE 1911 3-CENT ORANGEBURG COIL, SCOTT 389. ONLY TWO UNUSED SINGLES AND SIX UNUSED PAIRS ARE AVAILABLE TO COLLECTORS. ONE OF THE GREATEST RARITIES OF 20TH CENTURY UNITED STATES PHILATELY.
The Orangeburg coil was made by the Post Office Department in 1911, specifically for use by the Bell Pharmaceutical Company. The 3c coil stamps were used to send samples of their products to physicians. Due to the quantity of mail, they were put through the first-class cancelling machine at Orangeburg, New York. The Orangeburg coil stamps' use on third-class mail and the fact that philatelists were generally unaware of their production account for their rarity.
A census of the Orangeburg coil, published in The Philatelic Foundation's Opinions VII book, certifies two singles and six unused pairs, plus an uncertified unused pair with paste-up at left in the The New York Public Library's Benjamin K. Miller collection (on extended loan to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum). The P.F. Census comports with our own, which is available at http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/389/389.pdf . Of the certified pairs, three are centered strongly to one side. This pair comes from the strip of five that was broken into two pairs and a single. The other pair from the strip, which adjoined this pair to the right, contains the only known Mint N.H. example of the Orangeburg coil (the other stamp in that pair has a small thin spot). That pair was last offered in our 2009 sale of the Alan B. Whitman Collection, where it realized $330,000 hammer (Sale 968B, lot 494).
Siegel Census No. 389-OG-PR-05. With copy of 1997 P.F. certificate for a strip of five, this pair from positions 2-3 (certificate no. 317652). With 1997 P.F. certificate as a pair
3c Deep Violet, Orangeburg Coil (389). Rich color, neat wavy-line machine cancel, three wide margins, small thin spot, small faults in top margin, as many have, resulting from placement in the corner of the thick envelope containing pharmaceutical samplesVERY FINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 3-CENT ORANGEBURG COIL.
The Orangeburg coil was made by the Post Office Department in 1911, specifically for use by the Bell Pharmaceutical Company. The 3c coil stamps were used to send samples of their products to physicians. Due to the quantity of mail, they were put through the first-class cancelling machine at Orangeburg, New York. The Orangeburg coil stamps' use on third-class mail, and the fact that philatelists were generally unaware of their production accounts for their rarity. Many have small faults such as corner creases or small tears.
With 1989 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Coil (391). Mint N.H. pair, bright color, wide margins, Extremely Fine, with 1998 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Coil (391). Pair, bright color, neat registry oval cancels, Extremely Fine, with 2005 P.S.E. certificate (XF 90; SMQ $400.00)
1c Green, Coil (392). Guide line pair, deep rich color and proof-like impression, neat wavy-line machine cancel, well-balanced margins, Very Fine and choice, with 1996 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Coil (393). Guide line pair, brilliant color, gorgeous centering with wide margins, neat central strike of Philadelphia registry oval cancel, Extremely Fine, a beautiful guide line pair, with 2003 P.F. certificate
3c Deep Violet, Coil (394). Mint N.H. pair, 2mm spacing, rich color, outstanding centering with wide margins, Extremely Fine, with 2000 P.F. certificate
3c Deep Violet, Coil (394). Mint N.H., extra wide margins, precise centering, Extremely Fine Gem, wonderful quality, with 2004 P.F. certificate
4c Brown, Coil (395). Guide line pair, rich color, balanced margins, Very Fine and choice, with 2003 P.F. certificate
5c Blue, Coil (396). Guide line pair, rich color, light strike of Avalon N.J. circular datestamp, Extremely Fine, with 1991 P.F. certificate