Sale 1255 — The David W. Gorham Collection of Outstanding Used U.S. Stamps
Sale Date — Tuesday-Friday, 17-20 May, 2022
Category — Officials
Lot
Symbol
Photo/Description
Cat./Est. Value
Realized
1047
1c Yellow, Agriculture (O1). Vibrant color, well-balanced margins, target cancel, Extremely Fine, with 1999 P.F. certificate
200
250
1048
12c Yellow, Agriculture (O6). Vivid color on bright paper, wide margins, neat strike of Star in Circle fancy cancel, Extremely Fine, with 1998 P.F. and 2011 P.S.E. certificates
260
700
Back to Top1049
15c Yellow, Agriculture (O7). Well-centered with attractive margins, vibrant color, light strike of violet Star cancel, Very Fine and choice, ex Kirke, with 2011 P.F. and 2010 P.S.E. certificates (VF 80; SMQ $230.00 for normal cancel)
230
550
Back to Top1050
24c Yellow, Agriculture (O8). Vibrant color, well-balanced margins, cork cancel, Extremely Fine, with 2003 P.F. certificate
250
1,200
Back to Top1051
30c Yellow, Agriculture (O9). Brilliant color, choice centering, cork cancel, Extremely Fine, with 2003 P.F. certificate
280
2,100
Back to Top1052
1c Carmine, Executive (O10). Rich color, beautiful centering, light cancel at top right leaves entire design clearly visible, Extremely Fine, with 2000 P.F. certificate
550
850
Back to Top1053
2c Carmine, Executive (O11). Bright shade and crisp impression, nicely complemented by red segmented cork cancel, Extremely Fine, scarce with a colored cancel, with 1996 P.F. certificate
260
1,400
Back to Top1054
3c Carmine, Executive (O12). Bright shade, light strike of cork cancel, Very Fine and choice, with 1998 and 2009 P.F. certificates
225
500
Back to Top1055
6c Carmine, Executive (O13). Rich color, unusually wide and balanced margins, double-circle datestamp, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2005 P.S.E. certificate
600
1,200
Back to Top1056
10c Carmine, Executive (O14). Unusually light bars cancel, deep shade, fresh and Very Fine, ex Curtis, with 2005 P.F. certificate which harshly mentions "with perforations scissors separated at right" -- the perf teeth are complete -- and 2014 P.F. certificate not mentioning them at all
1,000
750
Back to Top1057
6c Vermilion, Interior (O18). Brilliant color, choice centering with Jumbo margins, grid cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2008 P.S.E. certificate (XF 90 Jumbo; SMQ $40.00), we are surprised this has such a low SMQ value, considering it brought $650 hammer in our Sale 953 and only one grades higher
10
350
Back to Top1058
10c Interior (O19). Magnificent color on bright white paper, Jumbo margins which are balanced all around, bold cross cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, a striking stamp, ex Kirke and Curtis, with 2011 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95 Jumbo; SMQ $175.00), this is the highest grade awarded and no other examples have achieved this grade, SMQ value seems low to us considering it realized $250 in our 2012 Kirke sale and $650 in our 2016 Curtis sale
20
700
Back to Top1059
10c Vermilion, Interior (O19). Bright color, three wide margins, bold strike of "Dancing Baby" in Circle fancy cancel, Extremely Fine strike, fancy cancels are rarely seen on Officials and when they are found they are usually something like a star, this human figure has been variously named, but we like "Dancing Baby" best of all, with 2012 P.F. certificate
20
450
Back to Top1060
90c Vermilion, Interior, Double Transfer (O24 var). Position 17, vibrant color, unusually choice centering, small circle of wedges cancel, Extremely Fine example of this variety, with 2014 P.F. certificate (XF 90)
250
475
Back to Top1061
12c Purple, Justice (O30). Well-centered with wide margins, fresh color and paper, cork cancel, Extremely Fine, a very scarce used stamp in the higher grades, ex Kirke, with 2008 P.F. certificate (XF 90), as a point of comparison, the highest grade contained in the P.S.E. Population Report is an 80
75
1,100
Back to Top1062
15c Purple, Justice (O31). Bright shade and paper, cork cancel, well-proportioned margins, Very Fine, with 2004 P.F. certificate
200
850
Back to Top1063
24c Purple, Justice (O32). Rich color and detailed impression, neat strike of target cancel, Very Fine and choice, with 2004 P.F. certificate
425
650
Back to Top1064
30c Purple, Justice (O33). Intense shade and impression, blue grid cancel, wide margins, Very Fine and choice, with 2005 P.F. certificate
360
1,000
Back to Top1065
90c Purple, Justice (O34). Deep shade, blue cork cancel, Very Fine, with 2012 P.F. certificate
925
700
Back to Top1066
2c Ultramarine, Navy (O36). Almost mathematically precise centering, Jumbo margins, brilliant color on fresh paper, wide 6-bar grid cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, a superb stamp and rare in this outstanding condition, ex Kirke, with 2011 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (Superb 98 Jumbo; SMQ $500.00), this is the highest grade awarded and no others have achieved this grade, SMQ seems low considering this brought $750 in the 2012 Kirke sale
25
650
Back to Top1067
6c Ultramarine, Navy (O38). Rich color on bright paper, beautiful centering with unusually wide and balanced margins, target cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, rare in such superb condition, with 2008 P.F. certificate
25
150
Back to Top1068
7c Ultramarine, Navy (O39). Balanced wide margins, rich color, light strike of purple cancel leaves design completely visible, Extremely Fine, a lovely stamp, ex Kirke and Curtis, with 2009 P.S.E. certificate (XF 90; SMQ $475.00), this is the highest grade awarded and no other examples have achieved this grade
230
850
Back to Top1069
7c Ultramarine, Navy (O39). Rich color on bright paper, well-proportioned margins, cork cancel, nibbed perf at top left not noted on certificate, still Extremely Fine, with 2002 P.F. certificate
230
170
Back to Top1070
10c Ultramarine, Navy (O40). Rich color on bright paper, cork cancel, well-balanced margins, Extremely Fine, with 2007 P.F. certificate (XF 90)
45
190
Back to Top1071
30c Ultramarine, Navy (O44). Gorgeous centering with absolutely massive margins, rich color and proof-like impression, bold strike of duplex cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, this is without question the widest-margined copy of this issue we have ever encountered, with 2011 P.F. certificate
50
650
Back to Top1072
90c Ultramarine, Navy (O45). Pretty shade, light strike of cork cancel at center, Very Fine and choice, with 2003 P.F. certificate
375
350
Back to Top1073
7c Dark Green, State (O61). Deep rich color and proof-like impression, beautiful centering, bold strike of "5" duplex cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2006 P.F. certificate (XF-Superb 95)
65
750
Back to Top1074
24c Dark Green, State (O65). Intense shade and impression on bright paper, wide margins, cork cancel, Very Fine and choice, with 2005 P.F. certificate
230
350
Back to Top1075
30c Dark Green, State (O66). Rich color, well-proportioned margins, blue "Received" 1877 double-oval favor cancel, Extremely Fine, with 2002 P.F. certificate
180
325
Back to Top1076
90c Dark Green, State (O67). Deep rich color, nice margins and centering, barely cancelled at bottom right corner, fresh and Very Fine, ex Kirke, with 2000 P.F. and 2011 P.S.E. certificates (VF 80; SMQ $300.00), as an indication of the difficulty in finding this stamp in choice used condition, only one grades higher (at 90) and none share this grade
325
1,400
Back to Top1077
$2.00 Green & Black, State (O68). Crisp impression, wide margins, blue "Received" double-oval favor cancel, tiny tear at lower right in first perf hole up from bottom, really very minor, Very Fine appearance, a difficult issue to obtain with decent centering, most have faults and this minor tear is barely noticeable, with 2006 P.F. and 2006 P.S.E. certificates, the latter as sound
3,000
700
Back to Top1078
$10.00 Green & Black, State (O70). Bright shade and crisp impression, better centering than most, "Augusta Ga. Oct. ??" circular datestamp, completely soundVERY FINE AND CHOICE. THE $10.00 STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO OBTAIN IN SOUND USED CONDITION. THIS IS EASILY ONE OF THE FINEST IN EXISTENCE.
Our review of the records of The Philatelic Foundation and Power Search found only three that are definitely postally used. One has a heavy cancel and has pieces added. One other has a handstamp cancel and is sound, but the perfs are in at right. That leaves just this example, with a postal cancel, decent centering and in sound condition. Perhaps nine others are also known used, with either a favor cancel or manuscript red cancels which may not have gone thru the mails.
Ex Markovits and Collier. With 2004 P.F. certificate
7,500
11,500
Back to Top1079
3c Brown, Treasury (O74). Bright color nicely complemented by blue Three-Leaf Clover fancy cancel of Chicago, Extremely Fine strike, with 2010 P.F. certificate
E. 200-300
275
Back to Top1080
1c Rose, War (O83). Incredibly strong strike of Honeycomb fancy cancel of Fort Leavenworth Kan., remarkably well-centered amid Jumbo margins, Extremely Fine stamp and beautiful strike of this desirable cancel, ex Curtis, with 2014 P.F. certificate
E. 750-1,000
850
Back to Top1081
12c Vermilion, Interior, Soft Paper (O101). Bright color, unusually wide margins at sides, Wheel of Fortune fancy cancel, Extremely Fine, rare with a fancy cancel, with 2015 P.F. certificate
E. 200-300
700
Back to Top1082
15c Vermilion, Interior, Soft Paper (O102). Rich color, light strike of purple circular datestamp at right, Very Fine and choice, with 2002 P.F. certificate
500
1,800
Back to Top1083
6c Bluish Purple, Justice, Soft Paper (O107). Rich color, unusually wide and balanced margins, duplex oval grid cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, a beautiful stamp, with 1992 and 2003 P.F. certificates
300
1,700
Back to Top1084
3c Black, Post Office, Soft Paper (O108). Gorgeous centering with Jumbo margins, detailed impression, green target cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, a phenomenal stamp and especially desirable with the green cancel, with 2014 P.F. certificate (XF 90 XQ), the "XQ" stands for "Extraordinary Quality"
50
850
Back to Top1085
30c Brown, Treasury, Soft Paper (O112). Rich color, beautiful centering with wide and balanced margins, face-free strike of cork cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2000 P.F. certificate
550
2,100
Back to Top1086
90c Brown, Treasury, Soft Paper (O113). Pretty shade, brown brush stroke cancel, Very Fine, a very unusual cancel, with 2010 P.F. certificate
750
650
Back to Top1087
90c Brown, Treasury, Soft Paper (O113). Attractive color, light cancel leaves design clearly visible, Very Fine and choice, with 2014 P.F. certificate
750
1,900
Back to Top1088
1873-79 Officials, Balance (O3/O120). Extensive used collection balance, full range of issues from all departments and including hard and soft paper printings, a number with better or fancy cancels and also a great many high grade stamps, including some graded 90 or 95 among the 41 P.F. or P.S.E. certificates which accompany, a beautifully fresh and Very Fine-Extremely Fine collection balance, worth careful review of the linked PDF scan of the entire group and certificates
View PDF of contents of this lot
E. 5,000-7,500
8,500
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