Sale 929 — The Alan Geisler Collection of U.S. and Possessions Stamps
Sale Date — Monday, 26 February, 2007
Category — 1857-60 Issue
1c Blue, Ty. I (18). Original gum, lightly hinged, pretty shade, choice centering for this difficult issue, fresh and Very Fine, with 1996 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. II-I (20-18). Horizontal pair, left stamp Ty. II, original gum, h.r., bright color, centered slightly to top but clearly showing the Type I characteristics at bottom, fresh and Fine, attractive multiple, with 1983 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. I (18). Straddle margin with full guideline at right, radiant color, neat strike of blue grid cancel, Very Fine
1c Blue, Ty. Ia (19). Position 92L4, unused (no gum), rich color on bright paper, perfs just in at bottomFINE. A SCARCE SOUND UNUSED EXAMPLE OF THE PERFORATED 1857 ONE-CENT TYPE IA.
Type Ia was produced by only 18 of the 20 bottom-row positions on Plate 4. Although Plate 4 was designed with sufficient space to accommodate perforations, the height of the top row and bottom row positions resulted in the perforations often cutting into the design at either top or bottom.
With 1986 P.F. certificate for vertical pair of Nos. 19 and 21
1c Blue, Ty. II (20). Plate 2, original gum, lightly hinged, deep rich color and detailed impression, light natural vertical gum bend, insignificant toned speck on back not mentioned on accompanying certificate, appears Fine, with 1983 P.F. certificate for block of four
1c Blue, Ty. III (21). Position 11R4 with selvage at left, unused (no gum), intense color, tiny thin spot in selvage only at bottom not mentioned on accompanying certificatesFINE. A SCARCE UNUSED EXAMPLE OF THE PERFORATED 1857 ONE-CENT TYPE III. ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE WITH THE SELVAGE.
With 1966 and 2000 P.F. certificates
1c Blue, Ty. III (21). Position 80L4, straddle-pane margin with full centerline at right, blind perfs at right, deep rich color, pen cancel, Very Fine, with 1979 A.P.S. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. III-IIIa (21-22). Positions 61/71L4, vertical pair with part imprint at top left, top stamp Ty. III with clear breaks at top and bottom, disturbed original gum, deep rich color, top stamp small thin spot, few small toned spotsFINE APPEARANCE. A SCARCE UNUSED COMBINATION PAIR OF THE PERFORATED 1857 ONE-CENT TYPE III AND IIIA. ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE WITH THE SELVAGE AND PART IMPRINT.
The accompanying 1980 P.F. certificate states the plate positions, yet identifies both stamps as Type IIIa (Scott 22). The Neinken book states that the top position is Type III and is not a transitional position. It has a small but clear break at bottom, and a wide break at top. The top stamp in this pair should be classified as Ty. III.
With 1980 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (22). Position 50L4, original gum, lightly hinged, incl. selvage with guideline at right, radiant color, single perf added at bottom, otherwise Fine, a stamp of striking appearance, this is a transitional position which changed from Ty. IIIa to Ty. III, due to its centering we cannot identify the type and so offered as a Ty. IIIa, with 1984 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (22). Position 53R4, original gum, lightly hinged, rich color, showing clear break at top and full line at bottom (the characteristics of the type), short perf at left and tiny thin spot not mentioned on accompanying certificate, appears Very Fine, with 1985 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. IV (23). Unused (regummed), recut once at top and once at bottom, deep rich color on bright paper, sealed tear at top, otherwise Very Fine, scarce in unused condition
1c Blue, Ty. IV (23). Vertical pair, deep rich color on bright paper, neat strikes of circular datestamp, light pressed-out vertical crease, appears Fine, with 1984 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. V (24). Original gum, lightly hinged, pretty shade, wide margins, trivial toned specks on gum not mentioned on accompanying certificate, appears Very Fine, with 1984 P.F. certificate for block of four
3c Rose, Ty. I (25). Original gum, single hinge mark, radiant color, detailed impression, single short perf at right not mentioned on accompanying certificateVERY FINE APPEARING ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 3-CENT TYPE I.
With 2006 P.F. certificate
3c Dull Red, Ty. II (26). Original gum, lightly hinged, bright color, choice centering for this difficult issue, fresh and Extremely Fine
5c Brick Red (27). Original gum, brilliant color in the true Brick Red shade, single toned perf tip at bottom left and tiny picked-out inclusion at top not mentioned on accompanying certificateVERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 5-CENT BRICK RED SHADE -- IN OUR OPINION, THE BRICK RED IS ONE OF THE RAREST STAMPS OF THE CLASSIC PERIOD IN SOUND CONDITION WITH ORIGINAL GUM.
To verify our intuition about the rarity of original-gum Brick Red stamps, we surveyed dozens of classic United States sale catalogues. We found approximately twenty stamps with original gum, allowing for duplicate offerings and excluding the one known original-gum block. Of the stamps we counted, about half had perfs touching two sides or were deeply cut into on one side. Almost two-thirds had stains or small faults. The example offered here is in better condition than most.
With 1992 P.S.E. certificate
5c Red Brown (28). Original gum, beautiful warm shade approaching Indian Red (which is how this was originally submitted for certification), detailed impression, perfs just in at bottom, small corner crease at top left not mentioned on accompanying certificateFINE APPEARING ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 5-CENT RED BROWN.
With 1984 P.F. certificate
5c Indian Red (28A). Part original gum, beautiful color in the true Indian Red shade, detailed impression clearly showing the lathework background, light diagonal crease and two small corner creases at top rightFINE APPEARANCE. A RARE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 5-CENT INDIAN RED ISSUE. THIS IS ONE OF THE RAREST ORIGINAL-GUM STAMPS IN UNITED STATES PHILATELY -- ONLY FOUR INDIAN RED STAMPS WITH ANY AMOUNT OF GUM ARE CONTAINED IN OUR RECORDS.
Our search of old auction catalogues and the records of the Philatelic Foundation yielded only ten unused examples of Scott 28A. Of these, only four have been described as having any gum whatsoever. These are: 1) Offered in the C. A. Brown Collection by Harmer, Rooke & Co. in 1941 where described as "full original gum"; it was offered in the 1968 Rarities sale and again as part of the A. T. Seymour Collection (Siegel Sale 373, Apr. 23, 1970, lot 35) where described as "large part original gum" and in our Sale 895 (lot 102, realized $75,000 hammer); 2) the "Ambassador" copy (Siegel Sale 300, Apr. 27, 1966, lot 45A), described as part original gum, also ex Argentum (Siegel Sale 807, Feb. 23, 1999, lot 76) where described as "unused (traces of gum)"; 3) the Caspary/Lilly copy, described in both catalogues as full original gum but with light horizontal crease; and 4) the example offered here.
With 1996 P.F. certificate
5c Brown (29). Unused (no gum), bright color, fresh and Fine, with 1986 P.F. certificate
5c Orange Brown, Ty. II (30). Unused (no gum), wide margins at sides, pretty color, tiny thin speck at left not mentioned on accompanying certificate, appears Very Fine, with 1982 P.F. certificate
5c Brown, Ty. II (30A). Slightly disturbed original gum, described on accompanying certificate as "original gum", radiant color and crisp impression, wide and balanced margins, Very Fine and choice, with 1984 P.F. certificate
5c Brown, Ty. II (30A). Straddle-pane margin with full centerline at left, choice centering other sides, neat strike of large Boston "Paid" grid, tiny tear at top not mentioned on accompanying certificate, appears Extremely Fine, with 1987 P.F. certificate
10c Green, Ty. I (31). Horizontal pair with wide sheet selvage at bottom, unused (no gum), choice centering for this difficult issue, expertly rejoined with hinge sliversVERY FINE. A REMARKABLE REJOINED UNUSED PAIR OF THE PERFORATED 1857 10-CENT TYPE I . A BEAUTIFUL SHOWPIECE.
Ex Ishikawa. With 1978 P.F. certificate
10c Green, Ty. II (32). Unused (no gum), bright color on crisp paper, choice centering with well-balanced margins, small stain spot removed, Extremely Fine appearance, with 1987 P.F. certificate
10c Green, Ty. III (33). Position 89R1, unused (regummed), deep rich color, choice centering, Very Fine, with 1984 P.F. certificate
10c Green, Ty. IV (34). Position 54L1, recut at bottom, unused (no gum), deep rich color and proof-like impression on brilliant paper, almost perfectly centered with wide and balanced margins completely framing design all around, trivial nibbed perf at left not mentioned on any of the accompanying certificatesEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A RARE SOUND AND CENTERED UNUSED EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 10-CENT TYPE IV. A GREAT RARITY OF THE ISSUE.
The 1857 10c Type IV stamps come from eight positions scattered throughout Plate 1 that have the top, bottom or both lines recut. Only 4% of all 10c Plate 1 stamps produced were Type IV's, and an even smaller percentage was issued with perforations. A review of our computerized auction records for Scott 34 in unused condition found only four other sound unused examples with decent centering. Of these four, one was Mint N.H. and only one other had gum.
Ex Grunin and Weisman. With 1966 and 1992 P.F. and 1992 P.S.E. certificates.
10c Green, Ty. V (35). Block of six, cancelled by several strikes of Boston circular datestamp, deep rich color, choice centering, light horizontal crease at bottom, appears Very Fine
12c Black, Plate 3 (36b). Original gum, small h.r., intense shade and impression, choice centering, two short perfs at right not mentioned on accompanying certificate, Very Fine, with 1982 P.F. certificate
12c Black, Plate 3 (36b). With straddle-pane margin and centerline at left, deep shade nicely contrasted by dark red grid cancel, well-centered with unusually wide margins clear of framelines on all sides, small corner crease only visible in fluid, otherwise Extremely Fine, a beautiful stamp
24c Gray Lilac (37). Unused (regummed) which is described on accompanying certificate as original gum, deep rich color and proof-like impression, Very Fine, with 1982 P.F. certificate, Scott Retail as no gum
30c Orange (38). Unused (no gum), vibrant color, choice centering for this difficult issue, fresh and Very Fine, with 1983 P.F. certificate
30c Orange (38). Wide straddle-pane margin at right with full centerline and part of adjoining stamp, choice centering other sides, vibrant color, neat strike of San Francisco circular datestamp, Extremely Fine, a beautiful position copy, with 2004 P.F. certificate
90c Blue (39). Slightly disturbed original gum described on accompanying certificate as original gum, deep rich color, wide margins, Very Fine and choice, with 1984 P.F. certificate