Sale 1227 — Outstanding United States Stamps and Gold Coins
Sale Date — Monday-Friday, 19-23 October, 2020
Category — The Dr. Bernard S. Yudowitz Collection of Plate Blocks (Scott 432-834)
9c Salmon Red (432). Bottom plate no. 6907 block of six, vibrant color, choice centering throughout, few gum skips, Extremely Fine, a beautiful plate block
10c Orange Yellow (433). Right imprint, plate no. 5770 and letter "A" block of six, brilliant color, barely hinged, well-balanced margins, Extremely Fine, a phenomenal plate block
20c Ultramarine (438). Wide top plate no. 6909 block of six, radiant color, four stamps with bit heavy gum skips, Very Fine-Extremely Fine, a scarce plate block with such choice centering and from the top position
50c Violet (440). Top plate no. 7057 block of six with wide selvage, barely hinged with few Mint N.H., intense shade and proof-like impressionFINE-VERY FINE. A RARE WIDE TOP PLATE BLOCK OF THE 1915 50-CENT PERF 10 WITH SINGLE-LINE WATERMARK.
We have offered only one other wide top plate block since 2007. Ex Hall. With 1983 P.F. certificate
$1.00 Violet Black (460). Top imprint, plate no. 5782 and letter "A" block of six, mount glazed original gum, deep rich color and intense impression, natural staple hole in selvage at top leftFINE. A RARE PLATE BLOCK OF THE PERF 10 DOUBLE-LINE WATERMARK $1.00 FRANKLIN, SCOTT 460.
Lewis Kaufman records only twelve top and six bottom plate blocks available to collectors (excluding the top position in the Miller collection owned by The New York Public Library)
2c Pale Carmine Red, Ty. I (461). Full top plate no. 7265 block of six, mount glazed original gum, beautifully centered, brilliant color and sharp impression, Extremely Fine, ex "Southern Cross"
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4c Orange Brown (465). Top plate no. 7372 block of six, small h.r. on top center stamp, others Mint N.H., rich color on bright paper, wide and balanced margins, Extremely Fine Gem, a beautiful plate block
7c Black (469). Right plate no. 7719 block of six, intense shade and impression, few sensibly reinforced perf separations, Extremely Fine appearance
8c Olive Green (470). Mint N.H. wide right imprint and plate no. 5724 and letter "A" block of six, vivid color, fresh and bright, natural diagonal flat plate bend, Very Fine and choice, a scarce Perf 10 Unwatermarked plate block, ex Curtis, with 2005 P.F. certificate
10c Orange Yellow (472). Bottom plate no. 7213 block of six, brilliant color, choice centering, three with bit heavy gum skips, still Extremely Fine
11c Dark Green (473). Left plate no. 7504 block of six, deep rich color, some gum skips, Very Fine
12c Claret Brown (474). Wide bottom plate no. 6902 block of six, fresh and intact, few small spots of mount disturbance, unusually precise centering, Very Fine and choice, a magnificent wide bottom plate block
15c Gray (475). Wide top plate no. 6809 block of six, part original gum with areas of gum loss on five stamps, rich color, Very Fine-Extremely Fine centering, this is the first wide top plate block we have offered since at least 1993
$1.00 Violet Black (478). Top imprint, plate no. 5782 and letter "A" block of six with full selvage, mount glazed original gum, deep dark color and sharp proof-like impressionVERY FINE. A RARE FULL TOP PLATE BLOCK OF THE $1.00 PERF 10 UNWATERMARKED FRANKLIN ISSUE, SCOTT 478.
Lewis Kaufman records 13 available top plate blocks of Scott 478 (plus four bottom plate blocks), but not all of these are full tops as several have reduced selvage. There is a top position in the Miller collection owned by The New York Public Library
$2.00 Dark Blue (479). Wide top plate no. 8015 block of six, mount glazed original gum, deep rich color, Very Fine centering, an attractive top position plate block
$5.00 Light Green (480). Wide top plate no. 8016 block of six, mount glazed original gum, beautifully centered throughout, fresh color on bright paperEXTREMELY FINE AND ATTRACTIVE WIDE TOP POSITION PLATE BLOCK OF THE $5.00 MARSHALL 1917 ISSUE.
A beautiful plate block featuring remarkable centering and color.
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2c Deep Rose, Ty. Ia (500). Top plate no. 10209 and letter "F" block of six, vibrant color, some adherences on gum, sensibly reinforced perf separations, Very Fine appearance
4c Brown (503). Mint N.H. top plate no. 13571 block of six, beautiful color on post-office fresh paper, Very Fine, ex Byers
50c Red Violet (517). Mint N.H. wide bottom plate no. 13653 block of six, superb centering throughout, brilliant color and remarkably freshEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A TRULY OUTSTANDING WIDE-MARGIN PLATE NUMBER BLOCK OF THE 50-CENT 1917 PERF 11 FRANKLIN ISSUE.
Ex Curtis. With 2005 P.F. certificate
$2.00 Orange Red & Black (523). Top plate nos. 8179/8177 and arrow block of eight, lightly hinged, rich colors, vignettes shifted noticeably to the left, two natural staple holes in selvage as usualFINE-VERY FINE. A RARE SOUND PLATE BLOCK OF THE 1918 $2.00 ORANGE RED & BLACK. ONLY A HANDFUL OF PLATE BLOCKS EXIST.
The $2.00 and $5.00 1918 Issue are the first bicolored dollar-denominated postage stamps issued by the United States. Both were released just three months after the famous 1918 24c Inverted Jenny, but the early printings were issued in small quantities, since stocks of the earlier $2.00 and $5.00 issues were still on hand.
According to Johl, the $2.00 Orange Red & Black was a color error on the part of the Bureau of Engraving & Printing. The official description and order for the bi-color stamps specified "Red and Black" for the $2.00. When subsequent printings appeared in 1920 and philatelists brought the matter to the attention of the Bureau, they were told "this stamp has always been this color" (Johl, p. 306). From studies of Bureau and Post Office records, it is clear that the originally-intended color was not issued until November 1920 (Scott 547), and that the earlier Orange Red stamps were mistakes. The quantity issued has been variously estimated at between 47,000 and 68,000.
$5.00 Deep Green & Black (524). Top plate nos. 8179/8178 and arrow block of eight with wide selvage, deep rich colors, gum skips are a little heavy on two or three stamps, still Fine-Very Fine, scarce with such wide selvage
2c Carmine, Ty. VI (528A). Mint N.H. wide top plate no. 11599 block of six, diagonal and horizontal printing creases, otherwise Fine-Very Fine, ex Curtis
2c Carmine, Ty. V, Imperforate (533). Mint N.H. left plate no. 11893 block of six, huge margins, intense shade, natural gripper marks visible on back, few black specks on back not mentioned on certificate, Extremely Fine, scarce plate block, with 2001 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Ty. V, Imperforate (533). Left plate no. 11893 block of six, large margins, brilliant color, some gum skips and adherences on back, Very Fine, with clear 1985 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Ty. VII, Imperforate (534B). Block of four with plate no. 12778 at bottom, huge margins, most recent certificate states "slightly disturbed original gum", which is unduly harsh, especially considering the prior certificate states the bottom stamps are Mint N.H., also nitpicks "faint toning"EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE BLOCK OF THE 2-CENT TYPE VII IMPERFORATE OFFSET ISSUE, SCOTT 534B.
According to Armstrong, the imperforates were issued to satisfy the needs of the last remaining private coil manufacturer. The Mail-O-Meter Company merged with the Schermack Company and so these issues are also known with the Schermack Type III perforations seen on Scott 314A and 482A. However, a small supply of the imperforate 2c Type VII stamps without Schermack perfs did reach the public.
Ex Hall. With clear 1996 P.F. certificate stating bottom stamps Mint N.H. With 2015 P.S.E. certificate mentioning the gum and light toning (DOG, XF-Superb 95; blocks unpriced in SMQ). Scott value as block of four with no premium for the plate number
3c Deep Red Violet (537a). Left plate no. 9413 block of six, intense color in the true Deep Red Violet shade, mount glazed original gumFINE-VERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND INCREDIBLY RARE PLATE BLOCK OF THE 3-CENT VICTORY ISSUE IN THE SCARCE DEEP RED VIOLET SHADE.
This is the only plate block of this shade we have offered since at least 1993. Ex Drucker. With 1961 P.F. certificate
1c Green, Rotary Perf 11 x 10 (538). Mint N.H. top plate no. 9451 and "S30" block of eight, rich color, unusually choice centering, Very Fine-Extremely Fine
1c Green, Rotary (545). Top plate no. 13931 and star block of four, natural s.e. at left, mount glazed original gum, deep rich color, unusually choice centering for this difficult issue, Very Fine and attractive
2c Carmine Rose, Ty. III, Rotary (546). Top plate no. 12466 and "S30" block of four, barely hinged, brilliant color, Very Fine
$2.00 Carmine & Black (547). Top plate nos. 8179/8177 and arrow block of eight, mount glazed original gum, intense colors, faint natural gum wrinkle on one stamp, Very Fine-Extremely Fine
50c Lilac (570). Bottom plate no. 14044 block of six, small h.r. at center, brilliant color, gorgeous centering, few small gum skips, Extremely Fine plate block
$1.00 Violet Black (571). Bottom plate no. 18681 block of six, lightly hinged, crisp impression, Very Fine and choice
$2.00 Deep Blue (572). Bottom plate no. 14306 block of six, lightly hinged, rich color on bright paper, Very Fine and choice
$5.00 Carmine & Blue (573). Top arrow, marker and double plate nos. F14326/F14327 block of eight, lightly hinged, deep rich colors, few natural gum creases, Very Fine
1c Green, Rotary (578). Top star and plate no. 14588 block of six, top left and top center stamps h.r., others Mint N.H., bright color, small tear in selvage at top left affects star, otherwise Very Fine-Extremely Fine, ex Hall
1c Green, Rotary (578). Top star and plate no. 14573 block of four, top left stamp Mint N.H., others lightly hinged, radiant color, fresh and Very Fine
2c Carmine, Rotary (579). Top star and plate no. 15601 block of four, bottom stamps Mint N.H., top stamps lightly hinged, rich color, fresh and Very Fine
2c Carmine, Rotary (579). Top star and plate no. 15500 block of four, three stamps Mint N.H., top right stamp single hinge mark, brilliant color, Very Fine and choice, ex Hall
1c-5c Huguenot-Walloon (614-616). Mint N.H. set of top plate no. blocks of six with letter "F", rich colors, unusually choice centering, Very Fine-Extremely Fine set
5c Norse-American (621). Mint N.H. top arrow and plate nos. 16957/16926 block of eight, deep rich colors, fresh and Very Fine
2c Carmine, Ty. II (634A). Bottom left corner plate no. 19745 block of four, lightly hinged, intense shade, few gum skips, Fine
2c Lake, Sullivan Expedition (657a). Right plate no. 19784 block of six, deep rich color, few with areas of gum loss and thins, Extremely Fine appearance, we have offered only two other plate blocks of this shade since 2003
$1.00 Bright Magenta & Black (832g). Mint N.H. top plate nos. 25025 and 25027 block of four, choice centering, Extremely Fine plate block of this scarcer shade variety, with 2015 P.S.A.G. certificate (VF-XF 85)
$2.00 Presidential (833). Ten Mint N.H. plate blocks of four, three with arrow, several different combinations of plate numbers, few usual light gum skips and bends, one with few perf separations, Very Fine group
$5.00 Presidential (834). Mint N.H. top double plate nos. 22167/22169 block of four, deep rich colors, choice centering, tiny natural gum skips at top as often found on this issue, Extremely Fine