Sale 1096 — The Robert R. Hall Collection of Outstanding United States Stamps
Sale Date — Tuesday-Thursday, 28-30 April, 2015
Category — Second & Third Issue Revenues with Inverts (Scott R119-R151a)
$1.30 Blue & Black, Second Issue (R119). Bright color, attractive margins and centering, light strike of blue handstamp cancel, Very Fine
$25.00 Blue & Black, Second Issue (R130). Attractively centered with extra rows of perfs on three sides, strong color, neat 1872 manuscript cancel, couple small thin spots, appears Very Fine
$200.00 Red, Blue & Black, Second Issue, "Small Persian Rug" (R132). Rich colors, manuscript and herringbone cancels which slightly cut the paper, pulled perf at top, otherwise Fine
$500.00 Red Orange, Green & Black, Large Die Proof on India (R133P1). Stamp size and affixed to card, large margins, beautiful colors, couple small flaws including small tear at upper right and scoring line at bottom center -- neither are obvious without magnificationVERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE DIE PROOF OF THE $500.00 LARGE PERSIAN RUG ISSUE.
Power Search contains a few trial color proofs of this issue but this is the only die proof we have offered since at least 1993
$500.00 Red Orange, Green & Black, Second Issue, "Large Persian Rug" (R133). Deep rich colors, neat July 2, 1872 manuscript cancel, pinholes and tiny scuff, vertical crease at top, thin layer of paper at bottom was split (probably when removed from document) and is re-adhered, not very noticeableVERY FINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE CELEBRATED $500.00 "LARGE PERSIAN RUG," WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST COLORFUL AND ELABORATELY ENGRAVED STAMPS IN ALL OF PHILATELY.
Only 210 were issued, and it is safe to say that most examples are faulty to some degree. A document exists from July 24, 1874, detailing the purchaser of each. The Kingsley census records 76 copies, and a handful are known outside of the census.
Kingsley Census No. 13-1.
1c Blue & Black, Second Issue, Center Inverted (R103a). Rich colors, attractive centering, light herringbone cancel, fresh and Very Fine, a scarce Second Issue Invert in sound condition
2c Blue & Black, Second Issue, Center Inverted (R104a). Margins to in as with virtually all examples, light herringbone and trace of handstamp cancels, leaving design fully visible, Fine example of this rare invert
5c Blue & Black, Second Issue, Center Inverted (R107a). Margins clear of design all around, well-centered for this rarity which is almost always found with perfs either touching or in on at least one side, manuscript and "checkerboard" cut cancels which perforate the paper, couple thin spots, otherwise Very Fine, a rare four-margin example of this Second Issue invert
10c Blue & Black, Second Issue, Center Inverted (R109a). Three margins to slightly in at right, strong herringbone cancel resulting in some hinge reinforcement at top, light gum staining at bottom, otherwise Fine
20c Blue & Black, Second Issue, Center Inverted (R111a). Rich colors, better centering than normally encountered with margins clear of design all around, strong herringbone cancel which has been treated with some white filler in places where it breaks the paper, thin spot at rightVERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 20-CENT SECOND ISSUE WITH INVERTED CENTER.
In his privately published census of Scott R111a, Larry Lyons notes thirteen singles and a pair. Of these, only one single and one stamp in the pair are sound. A footnote in the Scott Catalog states this issue is priced in the grade of Fine with small faults
25c Blue & Black, Second Issue, Center Inverted (R112a). Margins all around, lightly cancelled (appears unused), faults including couple thin spots, tiny edge tear at bottom and corner creasesVERY FINE APPEARING AND RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 25-CENT SECOND ISSUE WITH CENTER INVERTED. ONLY 16 ARE RECORDED.
In his privately published census, Larry Lyons records only sixteen examples of the 25c Second Issue Invert.
From our 1970 and 1991 Rarities sales. Pre-1970 P.F. certificate no longer accompanies
50c Blue & Black, Second Issue, Center Inverted (R115b). Unused (part original gum), fresh and bright colors, nicely centered, Very Fine, a beautiful stamp, Scott Retail as used
70c Blue & Black, Second Issue, Center Inverted (R117a). Bright colors, light handstamp cancel and strong herringbone which results in a small repair at right, otherwise Fine, only 27 examples of this rare invert are recorded
$1.00 Blue & Black, Second Issue, Center Inverted (R118a). Neat manuscript cancel, bright color, just a hint of a narrow thin spot near top, Fine appearing example of this scarce Second Issue invert, with clear 1991 P.F. certificate
$5.00 Blue & Black, Second Issue, Center Inverted (R127a). Fresh colors, neat 1872 manuscript cancel, Fine, a lovely example of the top value of the Second Issue inverts
2c Orange & Black, Third Issue, Center Inverted (R135b). Well-centered, fresh colors, neat 1872 manuscript cancel, Very Fine
2c Orange & Black on Green Paper, Third Issue, Center Inverted (R151a). Unused (traces of original gum), centered to right, couple tiny thin spots, Very Good and scarce unused example of this Third Issue invert, this is the only example to appear in Power Search since a block of 24 in our 1980 Rarities sale (this stamp is not from that block), Scott Retail as used
1871-72, Second and Third Issue Revenues, Collection Balance (R103/R151). Mounted on album pages, wide range of singles with only four Scott Nos. missing, also 20 pairs or strips of three, a number of better stamps incl. Nos. R121, 122, 125 (pair), 126, 128, 129, 131, 145 pair and strip of three, 150, cut cancels on the better stamps as well as some flaws to be expected, many appear Fine-Very Fine, Scott Retail on just the higher value stamps more than $5,000.00