Sale 1150 — United States Stamps
Sale Date — Wednesday, 1 March, 2017
Category — 1922 and Later Issues
3c Violet (555). Mint N.H. wide top plate no. F 14297 block of six, rich color, choice centering, Extremely Fine, a beautiful plate block, with 2017 P.S.E. certificate
30c Olive Brown (569). Mint N.H. with top plate no. 17448 selvage, intense color and proof-like impression, perfectly centered with Jumbo margins, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2008 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98 Jumbo; SMQ $1,150.00), only five have graded higher and only six others share this desirable grade
1c Green, Rotary, Perf 11 (594). New York double-oval cancel, rich colorFINE. A SCARCE SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE ONE-CENT ROTARY PERF 11 ISSUE, SCOTT 594. ONE OF THE RAREST 20TH CENTURY STAMPS.
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 Scott 594, available at our website at: http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/594/594.pdf, contains 92 used singles, four used pairs and five covers (including one with a pair) for a total of 106 used stamps. Many have perforations either in on one or more sides, or have faults.
Census No. 594-CAN-22. With 1981 P.F., 2008 P.S.E. and 2016 P.F. certificates.
2c Carmine, Rotary, Perf 11 (595). Mint N.H. with top star and plate no. 14124 selvage, Jumbo margins, fresh and Extremely Fine, a beautiful stamp, with 1988 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Ty. II, I, Coil (599A-599). Joint line pair, lightly hinged, left stamp No. 599A, rich color, Very Fine
2c Carmine, Ty. II, Coil (599A). Pair, single hinge mark, deep rich color, Very Fine and choice, with 2004 P.S.E. certificate (OGph, VF-XF 85; SMQ $225.00 as 80, $305.00 as 90)
2c Carmine, Ty. II, Coil (599A). Joint line pair, rich color, left stamp small thin spot, Fine appearance, a scarce used joint line pair
2c Carmine Lake, Ty. I (599b). Joint line strip of four, the center line pair Mint N.H., outer stamps small h.r., brilliant color, nice centering, Extremely Fine, with 2016 P.S.E. certificate, Scott Retail for Mint N.H. joint line pair, without premium for the outer two stamps which are not priced hinged
2c Harding, Rotary, Perf 11 (613). Intense shade and impression, neat machine slogan cancelFRESH AND FINE EXAMPLE OF THE 2-CENT HARDING ROTARY PERF 11, WHICH IS ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL 20TH CENTURY ISSUES.
Warren G. Harding, the 29th President, died in San Francisco on August 2, 1923, during a cross-country "Voyage of Understanding". Several people suggested a Harding memorial stamp, printed in black, and it was rushed into production. The first flat plate printing (Scott 610) was issued on September 1, 1923, in his home town of Marion, Ohio, followed less than two weeks later by the normal Perf 10 rotary press printing (Scott 612) on September 12.
The 2c Harding Rotary Perf 11 stamp was discovered in 1938 by Leslie Lewis of the New York firm, Stanley Gibbons Inc. Gary Griffith presents his hypothesis in United States Stamps 1922-26 that rotary-printed sheets of 400 were first reduced to panes of 100 and then fed through the 11-gauge perforating machine normally used for flat plate sheets. This method explains the existence of a straight-edge on Scott 613. Production quality and quantity was very low, due to the rotary press stamps' natural tendency to curl, and the use of the flat plate perforator for the slightly different-sized rotary printing.
Our census of the 2c Harding Rotary Perf 11, available at our website at http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/613/613.pdf , records 45 used singles (one faintly cancelled, if at all), one used pair and the used strip of three. Of the singles, just over half are sound.
Census No. 613-CAN-21. Ex Carl W. Schedler (Siegel Sale 476, Sep. 10, 1975 where acquired by the current owner). With 1961 P.F. certificate.
2c Carmine Lake, Ty. I (634b). Mint N.H., fiery color on fresh paper, choice centering, Extremely Fine, with 2017 P.S.E. certificate (XF 90; SMQ $600.00)
2c Valley Forge (645). Perfect centering within Jumbo margins, intense shade on fresh paper, light violet cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2016 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98 Jumbo; SMQ $225.00 as 98, $500.00 as 100), this is the only example to achieve this grade with one other graded higher
4c Kans. Ovpt. (662). Mint N.H. bottom left plate no. 18082 block of four, precisely centered, rich color, Extremely Fine, premium quality for this Kansas Ovpt. plate block, with 2017 P.S.E. certificate
$1.00 Presidential (832). Unused (no gum), selvage at top, dramatic vignette shift with Wilson's head well into the perfs at top, Very Fine, one of the most dramatic shifts we have seen on this issue
$1.00 Presidential, 1938 Printing, Vertical Pair, Imperforate Horizontally (832a). Top left corner pair with "$1.00" at top, lightly hinged, top stamp small scuff on back of Wilson's head, otherwise Very Fine, desirable with the denomination marker, pencil position notations on back
15c National Parks Centennial Mt. McKinley, Yellow Omitted (1454b). Mint N.H., brilliant colors without a trace of Yellow in the grass and valley, Black engraved titles and grass lines also shifted toward bottom, Very Fine and rare, this is the only recorded example by Datz
6c Disney, Blue Omitted (1355f). Slightly disturbed original gum, excellent centering on bright white paper, Extremely Fine, Datz reports only 35 known, 2003 P.F. certificate no longer accompanies
(15c) "A" Rate, Vertical Pairs, Imperforate Horizontally and Between (1735b, 1735b var). Two pairs, first Mint N.H. with most of a third stamp at bottom and diagonal perfs cutting thru the design of that stamp, this could be considered imperforate between, but since the horizontal perfs are well below the pair we are calling this imperforate horizontally (1735b, Scott Retail $500.00), second pair with sheet margin natural s.e. at top and slightly diagonal perfs cutting into stamp at bottom, small gum disturbance at bottom, this one is clearly an imperforate between variety, the sides are perf 11 so it is not the engraved booklet pane issue (1736c, perf 10.5 sides, 3-4 reported in Datz), an unlisted variety of the photogravure sheet stamp No. 1735, which should be added to the Scott Catalogue and which is undoubtedly extremely rare, with 1980 A.P.S. certificate stating "No. 1735 variety, Imperforate Between"
15c Owls, Se-Tenant Block of Four, Yellow and Magenta Omitted (1763c). Pane of 50, Mint N.H. except position 30 with adherence on gum, positions 9, 10 and 20 with a slight spot of gum disturbance VERY FINE. THE FIRST TIME ANY EXAMPLE OF THIS ERROR HAS BEEN OFFERED TO THE MARKET.
This is one of two panes of the 15-cent Owls missing the yellow and magenta that were recently discovered by a collector in a large hoard of discount postage. The second pane also has the black intaglio misregistered.
Because this error is so striking and obvious, it is amazing that no one noticed it until 38 years after it was issued. Nearly all color-omitted errors are found within a year or two of being issued. It is almost unheard of for a pane of a commemorative stamp clearly missing two colors to languish as discount postage for nearly four decades before discovery.
This is the first time this error has ever been offered. The collector is keeping the second pane with the misregistered black intaglio. If the pane is broken up properly, it would yield ten se-tenant blocks of four, plus five singles each of two stamps.
With 2016 A.P.S. certificate. Recently listed in Scott based on these two discovery panes.
18c Seacoast, Coil (1891). Mint N.H. plate no. 6 strip of five, Very Fine, the "key" plate number coil issue
1c Omnibus Coil, Imperforate Pair (2225c). Mint N.H., bright color, Fine, one of the rarest Transportation Issue coil errors, Datz states only 22-24 pairs reported
22c Pan American Games, Silver Omitted (2247a). Lightly hinged, centered to top right (all known examples are off-center), Fine and scarce with only 30 reported in Datz, accompanied by normal for comparison
25c Ernest Hemingway, Imperforate Horizontally (2418a). Lightly hinged, centered to right (all examples are centered to right or left), slight bends, Fine and scarce