Sale 1032 — The Nick Kirke Collection of Gem-Quality Used U.S. Stamps
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 23-24 October, 2012
Category — 1919-21 Rotary Press and Rotary Waste Issues, Pilgrim Issue (Scott 538a-550)
1c Green, Rotary Perf 11 x 10, Vertical Pair, Imperforate Horizontally (538a). Bright color, neat machine slogan cancel and additional cancel at bottom, choice centering, Extremely Fine, with 2012 P.F. and 2011 P.S.E. certificates (XF 90; unlisted in SMQ), in our opinion this is undercatalogued in Scott in used condition
2c Carmine Rose, Ty. III, Rotary Perf 11 x 10 (540). Outstanding centering with well-proportioned margins, unusual for this difficult issue, rich color, part strike of slogan machine cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2011 P.F. and 2009 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $200.00), only one example has graded higher (at 95J) and this is the only stamp to achieve this grade,
3c Violet, Ty. II, Rotary Perf 11 x 10 (541). Exceptionally well-centered, bright color, well-struck Wall Street New York circular datestamp cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, this Rotary Press issue is notoriously difficult to find with such superb centering, it was perforated in the horizontal direction on the flat plate perforating machine and the rotary sheets had a natural tendency to curl which affected centering, with 2011 P.F. and 2007 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $360.00), this is the highest grade awarded and it is shared by no others
1c Green, Perf 10 (543). Mathematically perfect centering, deep rich color on bright paper, face-free duplex cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, a incredible example of this common stamp in anything but common condition, with 2011 P.F. and 2010 P.S.E. certificates (Gem 100; unpriced in SMQ above the grade of 98, SMQ $210.00 as 98), this spectacular stamp is the only Washington-Franklin Rotary Press Experimental Sheet, Sheet Waste or Coil Waste issue to achieve a used Gem 100 grade in the P.S.E. Population Report, with none higher
1c Green, Rotary Perf 11 (544). Light circular datestamp cancel, deep rich color, Jumbo margins and particularly well-centered for this difficult issueVERY FINE AND CHOICE. A SOUND JUMBO LIGHTLY-CANCELLED EXAMPLE OF THE 1922 ONE-CENT ROTARY PERF 11, SCOTT 544.
A small quantity of 1c Rotary Press stamps was perforated 11 on a flat plate perforating machine at the end of 1922, using remainder sheets from the earlier printings that were normally perforated in 10 gauge or 10/11 compound gauge. Its existence as a Perf 11 variety was discovered in 1936, almost 13 years after it was produced. Its discovery was announced in an article in the Bureau Specialist by Max Johl, who in the same article announced the discovery of a 1c Franklin Rotary Perf 11 (what would become Scott 596 in 1963). The 1c Washington Rotary Perf 11 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 "Sirron" collection. With 1987 and 2001 P.F. certificates. With 2010 P.S.E. certificate (VF 80 Jumbo; SMQ $6,000.00 as 80, $7,800.00 as 85). This is the only stamp to achieve this grade with only two graded higher, at 85 and 90J.
1c Green, Rotary (545). Choice balanced margins for this rotary coil waste issue which is rarely found centered in used condition, Rich color, neat town cancel, Extremely Fine, with 2011 P.F. and 2004 P.S.E. certificates (XF 90; SMQ $375.00), only two examples have graded higher (at 95) and this is the only stamp to achieve this grade
2c Carmine Rose, Ty. III, Rotary (546). Almost perfect centering, radiant color, light totally face-free cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, a superb used example of Scott 546 which has been graded XF-Superb 95 by P.S.E. -- this is the highest grade awarded, with 2011 P.F. and 2009 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $880.00), this is the highest grade awarded and no others share this grade
1c Pilgrim Tercentenary (548). Colossal margins and mathematically perfect centering, bright color, neat wavy-line machine cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, a huge and superb stamp, with 2011 P.F. and 2009 P.S.E. certificates (Gem 100 Jumbo; unpriced in SMQ above the grade of 98, SMQ $335.00 as 98), this is the highest grade awarded and it is shared by no others, there is not even a regular Gem 100 in the P.S.E. Population Report
2c-5c Pilgrim Tercentenary (549-550). Both with Jumbo margins and outstanding centering, wavy-line machine cancel and oval registry respectively, fresh colors, Extremely Fine Gems, both with 2011 P.F. certificates, 2c with 2004 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95 Jumbo; SMQ $95.00 as 95, unpriced in higher grade), 5c with 2008 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95 Jumbo; SMQ $180.00 as 95, $540.00 as 98), these are the second highest grades recorded for both stamps (top is 98)