Sale 972 — The Laila Collection of United States Stamps
Sale Date — Monday-Tuesday, 27-28 April, 2009
Category — 1851-56 Issue (Scott 5-17)
1c Blue, Ty. Ib, I (5A-5). Position 6R1E (one of the two best examples of Type Ib on the plate) and 7R1E (the only Type I position on any of the imperforate plates), a horizontal combination pair with full to large margins incl. part of adjoining stamp at right, bottom of Type I just touched, beautiful bright Plate 1 Early shade and fine impression, each stamp cancelled by two criss-crossing strikes of vivid red "PAID", a few tiny faint surface scrapes in edge of top margin well clear of designEXTREMELY FINE. THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE RARE ONE-CENT 1851 TYPE I CANCELLED BY A RED "PAID". WIDELY REGARDED AS THE FINEST OFF-COVER MULTIPLE CONTAINING TYPE I. ONE OF THE MOST VISUALLY STUNNING ITEMS IN CLASSIC UNITED STATES PHILATELY.
This pair was originally part of a strip of three comprising Positions 6-7-8R1E, used on a cover postmarked at Alexandria, Louisiana, and addressed to Buchannon Carroll & Co. (later known as Carroll, Hoy & Co.) in New Orleans. A photograph and listing of the original cover is found in the catalogue for the May 26-28, 1943, auction held by Harmer, Rooke & Co., which comprised Part VIII of the Col. Edward H. R. Green collection. This eighth sale of the Green estate actually comprised the Storrow collection of United States, which Green acquired intact, providing him with a large number of important classic stamps and covers. The strip was subsequently soaked from the cover and the righthand stamp was removed.
The published census compiled by Jerome S. Wagshal contains 90 unduplicated records of Scott 5. There are probably no more than ten examples existing outside of the Wagshal census population. Therefore, the 1c 1851 Type I is the rarest of all United States stamps regularly issued prior to the 1868 Grills.
Because of the significance attached to the outer portions of the 1c 1851 design, examples that have been carefully cut apart, so as not to impinge on any part of the design, are extremely desirable. The narrow spacing between stamps in the sheet and the users' indifference to the outlying ornamentation during separation are factors that contribute to the great rarity of four-margin examples.
The general consensus of classic U.S. specialists is that the six most desirable used examples of this rare type are: 1) the strip of three on cover of Positions 7-9R1E from the Ishikawa sale, which was also owned by Newbury (and realized $150,000 hammer in 1993); 2) the single on folded printed notice, ex Caspary; 3) the pair with red criss-crossed "Paid" cancels offered here; 4) the four-margin sound single offered in the Scarsdale sale, which realized $375,000 hammer in 2007, and 5-6) the two stamps recently graded 90J by P.S.E.
Ex Storrow, Col. Green, Newbury, Ishikawa, Morris and "J & J". With 2006 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. Ia (6). Position 92R4, unused (traces of original gum), large margin at right, other sides in, deep rich Plate 4 color, completely soundFINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE UNUSED EXAMPLE OF THE ONE-CENT TYPE IA IMPERFORATE STAMP -- ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT STAMPS TO OBTAIN IN UNUSED CONDITION.
Stamps printed from Plate 4 were issued in April, May and briefly in June 1857 before perforations were introduced. The relatively small number of imperforate Plate 4 stamps issued during this period explains the rarity and desirability of any of the imperforate stamp types produced from this plate (Ia, Ic, II, III and IIIa). The extremely rare Type Ia, showing the full design at bottom, was furnished only by 18 of the 200 subjects on Plate 4 (the remaining two bottom-row positions were sub-type Ic).
As an indication of rarity, the last unused example of Scott 6 we offered (prior to selling this stamp in our Hoffman sale and the Whitman) was in our 2001 Rarities sale. Prior to that, our 1999 auction of the Golin Collection contained an example which was creased and thinned -- a stamp with faults in a collection whose owner focused on condition.
Ex Hoffman. With 1997 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail with original gum is $45,000.00. Scott Retail as no gum
1c Blue, Ty. Ia (6). Position 97R4, curl in "C" variety, huge margin at top incl. part of adjacent stamp and large sheet margin at bottom, ample to touching at right and just barely in at left, deep shade, light strike of blue cancelVERY FINE AND CHOICE. A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF TYPE IA FROM THE ONLY BOTTOM-ROW POSITION SHOWING THE CURL IN "C" VARIETY.
Ex Geisler. With 1983 and 2007 P.F. certificates.
1c Blue, Ty. II (7). Plate 2, original gum, lightly hinged, large margins to barely touched, deep rich color and proof-like impression, Very Fine, with 2000 P.S.E. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. III (8). Position 69L4, unused (no gum), large to huge margins incl. part of adjoining stamp at bottom and showing clear characteristics of the type, deep rich colorEXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL UNUSED EXAMPLE OF THE IMPERFORATE 1851 ONE-CENT TYPE III. A SCARCE ISSUE IN UNUSED CONDITION WITH SUCH WIDE MARGINS.
Type III is defined by breaks in the outer lines at both top and bottom. Many Type III stamps have breaks that were created or enlarged by plate wear. Since the wear occurred over a period of time, a majority of stamps of this type (both unused and used) have small breaks in at least one line. The example offered here, with wide breaks in both lines, is a great rarity.
Ex Geisler. With 1981, 1992 and 2007 P.F. certificates
1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (8A). Plate 1E, original gum, lightly hinged, large margins to just barely in, pretty shade, light vertical creases at top, Fine appearance, with 1999 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. IV (9). Position 96L1L, recut once at top, original gum -- so pristine, it would be considered never hinged if it were seen on a much later issue -- enormous margins all around including sheet margin at bottom and trace of adjacent stamps at top and leftEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A MAGNIFICENT ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE IMPERFORATE TYPE IV ONE-CENT 1851 ISSUE. A SUPERB STAMP IN EVERY RESPECT.
To describe this extraordinary stamp merely as a Scott 9 with original gum does not do justice to its condition. There is no doubt that it comes from an original-gum multiple cut apart in recent years, because any single 1c 1851 stamp of this quality would have been mounted with hinges in collections going back to the early 20th century. It is also quite possible that the stamp comes from a position in the block that was never hinged, for there is only a small area of unevenness in the gummed selvage, and we see no trace of hinging. For the collector who demands original gum on classic stamps, this is the ultimate example of the 1c Type IV imperforate.
With 1992 P.F. certificate
3c Orange Brown (10). Original gum, lightly hinged, huge margins to clear incl. significant portion of adjoining stamp at left, rich color and proof-like impressionVERY FINE AND CHOICE. A STUNNING ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 3-CENT IMPERFORATE ORANGE BROWN ISSUE.
Due to the narrow spacing on the plate, this issue rarely comes with margins as large as the stamp offered here. This should be considered a true condition rarity.
Ex Scarsdale. With 1979 and 2003 P.F. certificates.
3c Dull Red, Ty. II (11A). Original gum, large margins to full incl. part of adjoining stamps at top and right, brilliant color, Very Fine and choice, with 1988 P.F. certificate as Scott No. 11
5c Red Brown (12). Original gum, lightly hinged, three large margins, clear at bottom, deep rich color and proof-like impression on bright paperFRESH AND VERY FINE. AN ATTRACTIVE AND RARE SOUND ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT 1856 ISSUE.
With 1980 and 1997 P.F. certificates
10c Green, Ty. I (13). Original gum, large margins to clear which shows the entire design, deep rich color, small sealed tear at top left described on accompanying certificate as a creaseVERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1855 10-CENT TYPE I, WITH THE TYPE CHARACTERISTICS CLEARLY VISIBLE.
The Type I stamps are defined as having complete scrolls at bottom. They are only found on the bottom row of the plate (20 positions). Unfortunately, many were trimmed at bottom when they were separated, leaving a dearth of quality copies. The Type IV stamps come from only eight positions, but we would rank the two types equally in terms of the rarity of sound four-margined original-gum copies.
A review using Power Search demonstrates exactly how rare this type is in sound, four-margin, original-gum condition. Prior to the Extremely Fine single we sold in the Whitman sale in January 2009 for $40,000 hammer, the last soun original-gum example we offered was in our 1999 Golin sale.
With 1989 P.S.E. certificate
10c Green, Ty. I (13). Position 91R, unused (no gum), dark color with immense margins almost all around clearly displaying the characteristics of the type and with part of the adjoining stamp at top, proof-like impressionEXTREMELY FINE AND RARE UNUSED EXAMPLE OF THE 1855 10-CENT IMPERFORATE TYPE I. ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE FROM THE CORNER SHEET-MARGIN POSITION.
Small purple backstamp. With 1986 P.F. and 1991 P.S.E. certificates
10c Green, Ty. II (14). Original gum, lightly hinged, huge margins to clear incl. part of adjoining stamp at top, rich color on crisp paperVERY FINE AND CHOICE. AN ATTRACTIVE SOUND ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1855 10-CENT TYPE II.
With 2003 P.F. certificate
10c Green, Ty. III (15). Original gum, lightly hinged, huge margins all around, radiant color and crisp impressionEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1855 10-CENT TYPE III. THIS IS A MARVELOUS STAMP IN EVERY RESPECT -- GUM, MARGINS, COLOR AND OVERALL EYE APPEAL.
The 1855 10c stamps that have survived with original gum generally come from blocks and strips broken in recent years. Only a few exist without faults, and even fewer make the grade of Extremely Fine. The stamp offered here, which was cut from a strip of three, is one of the finest original-gum examples of Type III we have ever encountered.
With 2001 P.F. certificate
10c Green, Ty. IV (16). Unused (no gum), Position 86L1, recut at top, large margins all around, rich color, tiny surface scrape expertly retouched is barely noticeable even with magnificationEXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE UNUSED EXAMPLE OF THE 1855 10-CENT IMPERFORATE TYPE IV.
As an indication of rarity, we have offered only seven unduplicated unused copies (three without gum, four with gum) in all of our Rarities sales and in the last 14 years of auctions. Of the seven, only one was described as completely sound (in 1981). Alan B. Whitman, whose collection is now being offered for sale through our firm, never found a suitable copy.
Ex Geisler. With 1991 and 2007 P.F. certificates.
12c Black (17). Disturbed original gum, large margins to clear, pretty shadeVERY FINE. AN ATTRACTIVE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 12-CENT 1851 ISSUE.
With 2000 P.F. certificate