Sale 972 — The Laila Collection of United States Stamps
Sale Date — Monday-Tuesday, 27-28 April, 2009
Category — 1918-20 and Later Issues (Scott 525-679)
1c-3c Perforated and Imperforate Offset Issues (525-528, 528B-532, 534-536). Mint N.H., bright colors, wide margins and well-centered throughout, fresh and Very Fine set, two with copies of P.F. certificates for blocks
2c Carmine, Ty. VI (528A). Mint N.H., brilliant color as fresh as the day it was printed, Jumbo margins, Extremely Fine Gem, a gorgeous stamp, with 2002 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Ty. V, Imperforate (533). Mint N.H., large even margins all around, brilliant color, Extremely Fine, with copy of 1982 P.F. certificate for plate block
2c Carmine, Ty. VI, Imperforate (534A). Mint N.H., large margins all around, fresh and Extremely Fine, ex Piedmont, with 1997 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Ty. VII, Imperforate (534B). Mint N.H., large margins all around, brilliant color on crisp paper, detailed impressionEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE RARE TYPE VII IMPERFORATE OFFSET STAMP.
Most Type VII stamps were used by private vending and affixing machine companies. However, unlike Scott 314A and 482A, a small supply of the imperforate 2c Type VII stamps did reach the public.
Ex Piedmont. With 1997 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine Rose, Ty. II, Rotary Perf 11 x 10 (539). Mint N.H., bright fresh color, well-centered for this notoriously challenging issueVERY FINE MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 1919 2-CENT TYPE II ROTARY PRESS WASTE ISSUE, SCOTT 539.
The rotary waste sheets were rarely perforated in a uniform manner. Many are very poorly centered and have been hinged
1c Green, Rotary Perf 11 (544). Mint N.H., fresh and bright color, choice centering for this notoriously challenging issueVERY FINE AND CHOICE. ONE OF THE FEW EXTANT MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLES OF THIS MAJOR 20TH CENTURY RARITY. PROBABLY FEWER THAN 20 OF THE 1923 ONE-CENT ROTARY PERF 11, SCOTT 544, EXIST IN ANY UNUSED STATE -- LESS THAN TEN ARE MINT NEVER-HINGED.
A small quantity of 1c Rotary Press stamps was perforated 11 at the end of 1922, using remainder sheets from the earlier experimental printings that were normally perforated in 10 gauge or 10/11 compound gauge. Its existence as a Perf 11 variety was discovered in 1936, and the stamp received its Scott Catalogue listing in 1938.
Most of the recorded copies of Scott 544 are off-center or have been damaged -- the result of poor production standards and mis-handling.
Ex Silver Lake. With 1966 (for strip of four, left stamp), 1996 and 2004 P.F. certificates. With 2005 P.S.E. certificate (F-VF 75; SMQ $65,000.00 as 70, $125,000.00 as 80). This is the highest grade awarded to date. SMQ does not price this in Mint N.H. condition above the grade of 80, and we doubt whether an example in Mint N.H. condition would ever grade higher.
1c Green, Rotary (545). Lightly hinged, rich color and proof-like impression, choice centering, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2003 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine Rose, Ty. III, Rotary (546). Mint N.H., wide margins with joint line at right, brilliant color, detailed impression, wide and balanced margins, Extremely Fine, with 1990 P.F. certificate for block
$2.00 Carmine & Black (547). Mint N.H., rich colors, detailed impressions, balanced margins, Very Fine and choice, with 1995 P.F. certificate
-1/2c-$5.00 1922-26 Issues (551-573). Mint N.H., many are unusually well-centered and/or wide margined, extra No. 558 in a different shade, Very Fine-Extremely Fine set
1c Green, 2c Carmine, Rotary (578-579). Mint N.H., brilliant colors, well-proportioned margins, Very Fine-Extremely Fine, both are very attractive
1c-10c 1923-26 Issue, Perf 10 (581-591). Mint N.H., brilliant color, Very Fine and choice set
1c Green, Rotary, Perf 11 (594). Unobtrusive strike of machine slogan cancel at top, radiant color, long full perfs all aroundVERY FINE AND CHOICE EXAMPLE OF SCOTT 594. ONE OF THE RAREST 20TH CENTURY STAMPS IN SOUND AND CENTERED CONDITION.
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 recently completed exhaustive census of Scott 594, available at our website at: http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/594/594.pdf , contains 88 used singles, four used pairs and five covers (including one with a pair) for a total of 102 used stamps. Many have perforations either in on one or more side, or have faults.
Census No. 594-CAN-52. With 1997 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Rotary, Perf 11 (595). Mint N.H., radiant color, fresh and Very Fine example of this rotary press printing, with copy of 1993 P.F. certificate for block of four
2c Carmine, Ty. II, Coil (599A). Mint N.H. pair, brilliant color, detailed impression, Very Fine and choice, with 2001 P.S.E. certificate
2c Harding, Rotary Perf 11 (613). Well-centered with unusually wide margins for this printing, sharp impression, bold wavy-line machine cancelFRESH AND EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF THE FINEST SINGLES OF THE 44 2-CENT HARDING ROTARY PERF 11 STAMPS RECORDED IN OUR CENSUS.
Our census of the 2c Harding Rotary Perf 11 at our website at www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/613/613.pdf ) records 43 used singles (one faintly cancelled, if at all), one used pair and a newly-discovered used strip of three. Of the singles, approximately 30 are sound, but of these only six rate a grading of Very Fine or Extremely Fine. The stamp offered here is unquestionably in the finest existing condition and is rivalled only by two or three others.
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 distinguishes sheet-waste stamps -- Scott 544, 596 and 613 -- from the coil-waste stamps and explains the existence of a straight-edge on Scott 613.
Census No. 613-CAN-08. Illustrated in United States Stamps 1922-26 by Gary Griffith, p. 190. Ex Hewitt, Zoellner and Twigg-Smith. With 1966 and 1981 P.F. certificates. Scott Catalogue value is based on grade of Fine.
2c White Plains Souvenir Sheet (630). Mint N.H., radiant color, virtually free from the natural gum skips and bends that can plague this issue, Fine-Very Fine
2c Carmine, Ty. II (634A). Mint N.H. with selvage at top, intense shade and impression on bright paper, well-balanced margins, Extremely Fine, a superb stamp in every respect, with 2001 P.S.E. certificate
1c-10c Kans. Overprints (658-668). Mint N.H., rich colors, choice centering throughout, Very Fine set
1c-10c Nebr. Overprints (669-679). Mint N.H., 10c with selvage at right, bright colors, better centering than normally found, Very Fine set