Sale 1040 — Outstanding United States Stamps
Sale Date — Tuesday-Thursday, 26-28 March, 2013
Category — 1923-33 Issues (Scott 577-734a)
1c Green, 2c Carmine, Rotary (578-579). Blocks of four, two 1c stamps Mint N.H., 2c lightly hinged, rich colors, fresh and Fine-Very Fine
1c Green, Rotary (578). Top star and plate no. 14588 block of four, small h.r., rich color, fresh and Fine
2c Carmine, Rotary (579). Mint N.H., bright color, well-balanced margins, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2012 P.S.A.G. certificate (XF-Superb 95)
2c Carmine, Rotary (579). Mint N.H. top star and plate no. 15847 block of four, rich color, right stamps light natural gum bend, Fine-Very Fine
1c-9c 1923-26 Issue, Perf. 10 (581-590). Plate no. blocks of four, 4c-9c Mint N.H., few others h.r., rich colors, Fine-Very Fine, the 7c is especially nice
6c Red Orange, Perf 10 (587). Mint N.H. pane of 100, vivid color, pencil Scott No. notation in left selvage, Very Fine, Scott Retail as plate block and singles
10c Orange, Perf 10 (591). Mint N.H. bottom left plate no. 17615 block of four, vibrant color, well-balanced margins, Very Fine and choice
1c Green, Rotary, Perf 11 (594). Unused (no gum), bright color, margins to touched at right, surface scrapes at left and bottom left, small corner crease at bottom rightFINE APPEARANCE. AN ATTRACTIVE AND EXTREMELY RARE UNUSED EXAMPLE OF THE ONE-CENT ROTARY PERF 11 ISSUE, SCOTT 594. WE RECORD ONLY 18 EXAMPLES IN UNUSED 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 census of unused examples of Scott 594, based on the Levi and P.F. records and available at our website at http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/594/594.pdf ), contains only 18 stamps. Of these only 11 have any gum, and three of those have perforated initials of Crowell Publishing Co. of Springfield, Ohio, which some collectors regard as equivalent to a cancel.
Census No. 594-UNC-12. With 2013 P.F. certificate. Scott Catalogue notes "both unused and used are valued with perforations just touching frameline on one side"
2c Carmine, Rotary, Perf 11 (595). Mint N.H., rich color, detailed impression, Extremely Fine, with 2006 P.S.E. certificate (XF 90; SMQ $960.00)
2c Carmine, Rotary, Perf 11 (595). Block of four, bottom stamps Mint N.H., intense shade and impression, Fine, Scott Retail as singles
2c Carmine, Rotary, Perf 11 (595). Top star and plate no. 14249 block of four, natural s.e. at left, centered to right as are most, top left stamp h.r., others Mint N.H., Very Good, scarce plate block
2c Carmine, Joint Line Pair, Ty. I, II (599-599A). Mint N.H. joint line pair, right stamp Ty. II, intense shade and impression, Very Fine
2c Carmine, Ty. II, Coil (599A). Mint N.H., bright shade, wide margins, Extremely Fine, with 2002 P.F. certificate
2c Harding, Horizontal Pair, Imperforate Vertically (610a). Centered strongly to bottom as are all known examples, intense shade and impression, natural gum bends (one a little heavy), Fine and scarce, only one pane of 100 was discovered, this is the first we have offered since 1995, Ward backstamp
13c Green (622). Mint N.H. pane of 100 with top and left plate no. blocks of six, natural s.e. bottom and right, bright color, small central toned spot, small edge flaw at right of pos. 10 -- neither problem affects the plate blocks which are Very Fine, Scott Retail as plate blocks and singles
2c White Plains Souvenir Sheet (630). Mint N.H., rich color, choice centering, fresh and Very Fine
2c White Plains Souvenir Sheet (630). Mint N.H., lower left pane of plate 18773 with dot over first "S", Very Fine
1c Green, Perf 11 x 10-1/2, Vertical Pair, Imperforate Between (632b). Top stamp single hinge mark, bottom stamp Mint N.H., pretty shadeFRESH AND FINE EXAMPLE OF THE ONE-CENT COMPOUND PERF IMPERFORATE BETWEEN. VERY FEW ARE KNOWN.
According to Gary Griffith, this error was discovered in 1939 in Bergen N.Y. The find was reported as thirteen blocks of four and three pairs, but some were subsequently determined to have blind perfs and were disqualified.
2c Carmine, Ty. II (634A). With top left corner plate no. selvage, intense shade and impression, Very Fine and choice
2c Carmine, Ty. II (634A). Mint N.H., small bit of selvage at bottom, well-centered, bright, crisp impression, Very Fine and choice,
2c Carmine, Ty. II (634A). Top left plate no. 19644 block of four, deep rich color, bottom right stamp thinned, Very Fine appearance
2c Carmine, Ty. I, Horizontal Pair, Imperforate Between (634c). Bright color, crisp impression, trivial natural inclusion between stamps, light vertical crease between stamps resulting in tiny break at bottom perf holeVERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE ORIGINAL-GUM PAIR OF THE 2-CENT CARMINE TYPE I WHICH IS IMPERFORATE BETWEEN. THIS IS THE FIRST WE HAVE OFFERED SINCE KEEPING COMPUTERIZED RECORDS.
Our computerized records, which include our Rarities sales from 1964 and all auctions after 1995, did not contain another example. A review of almost 800 PDF catalogues at our website found only one other. The Datz book states the quantity known as "very rare". A search of the P.F.'s online records located one other example (ex 1968 Lilly sale, described as unique).
With copy of 1977 P.F. certificate.
7c Black, Vertical Pair, Imperforate Between (639a). Mint N.H., intense shade and impression, fresh and Very Fine, scarce, according to Gary Griffith, this variety was first reported in 1939, the postmaster in a small town near Cleveland was annoyed that several panes had some rows of perforations missing, he cut some apart by hand and then gave up, throwing them in a box where it was later purchased by a stamp collector, rumored to be Karl Koslowski, it is believed that about 20 pairs and two blocks of four were purchased, it is also known with a Mobile Ala. precancel
5c Hawaii Ovpt. (648). Mint N.H. pane of 100, fresh and bright, Very Fine, Scott Retail as plate block and singles
2c Lake, Sullivan Expedition (657a). Rich color, faintly hinged, Very Fine and choice example of this scarce shade, with 2011 P.F. certificate
1c-10c Kans., Nebr. Overprints (658-679). Mint N.H. blocks of four, bright colors, 6c Kans. small paper rift at bottom, better centering than normally seen, negligible toning on gum, Very Fine-Extremely Fine
1c-10c Kans. Overprints (658-668). Mint N.H. blocks of four, bright colors, few light natural gum skips, fresh and Fine-Very Fine set, Scott Retail as singles
1c-10c Kans. Overprints (658-663, 665-668). Plate no. blocks of four, 5c h.r., others Mint N.H., rich colors, fresh and Fine-Very Fine
6c Kans. Ovpt. (664). Mint N.H. top left plate no. 18037 block of four, vibrant color, Fine-Extremely Fine, the bottom left stamp is a real Gem
1c-10c Nebr. Overprints (669-679). Blocks of four, bottom stamps Mint N.H., rich colors, fresh and Fine-Very Fine, Scott Retail as singles
1c-10c Nebr. Overprints (669-679). Plate no. blocks of four, the 1c, 4c, 7c, 8c and 10c lightly hinged, others Mint N.H., bright colors, fresh and Fine-Very Fine set of plate blocks
1c-2c Nebr. Ovpt. (669-671). Mint N.H. panes of 100, bright and fresh, 1c with small piece of selvage next to one stamp detached, Fine-Very Fine, Scott Retail as plate blocks of four and singles
9c Nebr. Ovpt. (678). Mint N.H., radiant color, mathematically perfect centering, long and full perforations all aroundEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A STUNNING MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 9-CENT NEBRASKA OVERPRINT, WHICH HAS BEEN GRADED GEM 100 BY P.S.E.
With 2012 P.S.E. certificate (Gem 100; unpriced in SMQ above the grade of 98, SMQ $1,200.00 as 98). Only one has graded higher and only two others share this desirable grade.
4c-17c 1930-31 Rotary Issues (685, 694, 697). Three Mint N.H. panes of 100, bright and fresh, 13c with tiny corner selvage flaw, Fine-Very Fine, Scott Retail as plate blocks and singles
2c Red Cross (702). Mint N.H. top double plate no. block of four, red cross shifted noticeably upwards on all four stamps, Very Fine, unusual item
3c Washington, Vertical Pair, Imperforate Between (720c). Lightly hinged, bright color, Fine
3c Nicolet's Landing, Imperforate Horizontally (734a). H.r., crisp impression, natural gum crease described on accompanying certificate as internal crease, small thin spot, Fine appearance, with copy of 1981 P.F. certificate for block