Sale 967 — Important and Superb United States Stamps
Sale Date — Tuesday-Friday, 16-19 December, 2008
Category — 1918-20 Offset Printing Issues (Scott 525-536)
2c Carmine, Ty. Va (528). Brilliant color as fresh as the day it was printed, perfectly centered with wide margins, bright paper, neat machine cancel, long and full perfs all aroundEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB USED EXAMPLE OF THE 2-CENT TYPE Va OFFSET ISSUE, SCOTT 528, WHICH HAS BEEN GRADED GEM 100 BY P.S.E. -- IT STANDS ALONE AS THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED TO DATE.
With 2007 P.S.E. certificate (Gem 100; unpriced in SMQ above the grade of 98, SMQ $325.00 as 98)
2c Carmine, Ty. VII (528B). Mint N.H., dazzling color, Jumbo margins, Extremely Fine Gem, light pencil on gum, ex Scarsdale, with 1998 P.F. certificate
3c Violet, Ty. III, Printed on Both Sides (529b). Horizontal block of ten with bottom right corner selvage and plate no. 8629, some hinged reinforcement, the impressions of the reverse are inverted with respect to the normal side and are shifted to where one stamp receives a very off-center complete impression while the one above only perhaps one-quarter impression, the same is true on the back of the blank right selvage, we have cataloged this piece as two error stamps despite the second one only having a partial but is technically "printed on both sides", rare block
3c Purple, Ty. IV (530). Mint N.H., Jumbo margins and nearly perfect centering, strong color, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2008 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95 Jumbo; SMQ $95.00 as 95, $385.00 as 98)
3c Purple, Ty. IV, Printed on Both Sides (530b). Horizontal pair, small "blank" spot on left hand second impression (natural offset occurrence), Very Good, scarce
3c Purple, Ty. IV, Printed on Both Sides (530b). Mint N.H. block of four, the impression on back is on the right pair and is split, there are tiny parts of impression on back of left pair but we did not count them as the variety (this pair crease from foldover and natural wrinkle), right error pair Very Good as seems to always be the case
2c Carmine Rose, Ty. IV, Imperforate (532). Mint N.H. with guide line at right, enormous Jumbo margins incl. parts of all eight adjoining stamps, brilliant color, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2007 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95 Jumbo; SMQ $170.00 for 95, $310.00 for 98)
2c Carmine, Ty. V, Imperforate (533). Mint N.H. with bottom plate no. 11893, three large balanced margins and of course much wider at bottom to accommodate plate number, strong color, Extremely Fine, with 1996 P.S.E. certificate for plate block
2c Carmine, Ty. V, Imperforate (533). Mint N.H. horizontal pair, huge margins all around, rich color on bright white paper, Extremely Fine, with photocopy of 1984 P.F. certificate for block and 2004 P.S.E. certificate
2c Carmine, Ty. V, Imperforate (533). Mint N.H. bottom plate no. 11260 block of six, huge margins all around incl. parts of adjoining stamps at top and both sides, radiant color, wrinkle in selvage only at bottom right, Extremely Fine, a beautiful Mint N.H. example of this issue, with 2005 P.S.E. certificate
2c Carmine, Ty. VII, Imperforate (534B). Mint N.H., radiant color on bright paper, huge and even margins all aroundEXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF THE 2-CENT TYPE VII IMPERFORATE ISSUE. THIS STAMP HAS BEEN GRADED SUPERB 98 BY P.S.E., WHICH IS THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED TO DATE.
With 2008 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98; SMQ $6,200.00). This is the highest grade awarded to date and only two others have achieved this grade. An examination of multiples will show that it would be very difficult to get a stamp of this high grade unless the margins are cut significantly closer to the adjoining stamps.
2c Carmine, Ty. VII, Imperforate (534B). Mint N.H., huge margins all around incl. sheet margin at bottom, brilliant color, sharp impressionEXTREMELY FINE MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 2-CENT TYPE VII IMPERFORATE ISSUE.
With 1999 P.F. and 2007 P.S.E. certificates (XF 90; SMQ $4,200.00)
2c Carmine, Ty. VII, Imperforate (534B). Barest trace of hinging, brilliant color, unusually wide and balanced marginsEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 2-CENT TYPE VII IMPERFORATE ISSUE.
With 2008 P.S.E. certificate (OGph, Superb 98; SMQ $3,000.00)
3c Violet, Ty. IV, Imperforate (535). Mint N.H., enormous Jumbo margins showing bits and parts of the eight other surrounding stamps, rich color, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2008 P.S.E. certificate (Gem 100 Jumbo; SMQ $95.00 as 95, unpriced in higher grade)