Sale 997 — United States Stamps
Sale Date — Tuesday-Friday, 26-29 October, 2010
Category — 1922-29 and Later Issues (Scott 574 onwards)
1c Green, 2c Carmine, Rotary (578-579). Top plate no. and star blocks of four, 1c Mint N.H., 2c three stamps Mint N.H., bright colors, Fine-Very Fine, 2c with 1980 P.F. certificate
1c Green, 2c Carmine, Rotary (578-579, 634A). First two Mint N.H., last barely hinged, all with choice centering, Very Fine-Extremely Fine
2c Carmine, Rotary, Perf 11 (595). Mint N.H., brilliant color, unusually choice centering for this difficult rotary press issue, Extremely Fine Gem, with 1988 and 2007 P.F. certificates (XF-Superb 95)
2c Carmine, Rotary, Perf 11 (595). Sensational Jumbo margins and virtually perfect centering, rich color with wavy-line machine cancelEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1923 2-CENT CARMINE PERF 11 ROTARY WASTE ISSUE.
With 1998 P.F. and 2010 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95 Jumbo; SMQ $1,500.00 as 95, $3,700.00 as 98). Collectors familiar with Rotary Press productions for regular issues, coils and coil waste of this era know how difficult it is to find these stamps centered and with wide margins. According to the P.S.E. Population Report this is the only one to have been awarded this grade with none higher; the next closest is a 90
2c Carmine, Ty. II, Coil (599A). Mint N.H., intense shade and impression, gorgeous centering, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2010 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $620.00), only two have graded higher to date
2c Carmine, Joint Line Pair, Ty. I, II (599-599A). Ty. II-I combination, double oval cancels, Fine, with 1983 P.F. certificate
2c Harding, Rotary, Perf 11 (613). Three wide margins, perfs in at right, sharp impression, neat machine cancelFINE. A RARE SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE 2-CENT HARDING ROTARY PERF 11, WHICH IS ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL 20TH CENTURY ISSUES.
Our census of the 2c Harding Rotary Perf 11 (as published in our Zoellner sale catalogue and updated at our website at http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/613/613.pdf) records 43 used singles (one faintly cancelled, if at all), one used pair and the recently-discovered used strip of three. Of the singles, approximately 30 are sound.
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 distinguishes sheet-waste stamps -- Scott 544, 596 and 613 -- from the coil-waste stamps and explains the existence of a straight-edge on Scott 613.
Census No. 613-CAN-38. Ex Hoffman. With 1978 and 2008 P.F. certificates
5c Norse-American (621). Mint N.H. top arrow and double plate no. block of ten, deep rich colors, fresh and Very Fine
5c Norse-American (621). Mint N.H. top arrow and double plate no. block of eight, wide selvage (about as wide as can be found) and without the folded crease in the arrow selvage as so often seen, Very Fine
2c Carmine, Ty. II (634A). Mint N.H., unusually well-centered, Very Fine and choice, with 2006 P.S.E. certificate (VF-XF 85; SMQ $680.00)
2c Carmine, Ty. II (634A). Mint N.H. with bottom selvage, attractive margins and centering, lovely color, Very Fine
2c Carmine, Ty. II (634A). Mint N.H. top left plate no. 19747 block of four, Fine-Very Fine
2c Carmine, Ty. II (634A). Mint N.H. bottom left plate no. 19744 block of four, top of left selvage just a bit short, Very Good
2c Carmine, Ty. II (634A). Mint N.H. block of four, wildly misperfed upward and dramatically to the right with selvage at left, traditionally these printing mistakes occur on the more common, less expensive stamps, it is most unusual to find them on such a scarce issue
-1/2c Olive Brown, Block of Four With Horizontal Gutter Between (653 var). About Fine, also incl. Mint N.H. block of six with vertical gutter between (the right pair of the variety block has its perforations cut off), also about Fine, former has a Scott Retail of $150.00 per pair, latter unlisted, in either case these are seldom-seen varieties
1c-10c Kans. Overprints (658-668). Plate no. blocks of four, 1c, 2c and 4c hinged, others Mint N.H., nearly all Fine-Very Fine
4c Kans. Ovpt. (662). Rich color on bright paper, gorgeous centering for this difficult issue with wide and balanced margins, face-free strike of cancel at bottom, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2010 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98; SMQ $470.00), this is the highest grade awarded to date and one of only two to achieve this grade, as collectors who have searched for quality examples of this issue can attest it is almost impossible to find this stamp in perfect used condition
7c Kans. Ovpt. (665). Deep shade on bright paper, perfectly centered with wide margins for this difficult issue, unobtrusive duplex cancel at top, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2010 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98; SMQ $700.00), this is the highest grade awarded to date and only one other shares this grade, this is a difficult issue to obtain in such choice used condition
10c Nebr. Ovpt. (679). Mint N.H. with top selvage, perfectly centered, glowing color, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2010 P.S.A.G. certificate (XF 95)
5c Kosciuszko, Horizontal Pair, Imperforate Vertically (734a). Small thin spot and minor gum toning spot, Fine appearance, only one pane of 100 discovered, therefore only 50 pairs known, four of which are in the unique plate block of eight
10c Contemplation of Justice, Imperforate Coil, Dull Gum, Untagged (1617c). Mint N.H. pair, large margins to clear, rich colors, Very Fine, with 2010 P.F. certificate, offered to the market for the first time, this variety was the subject of a front-page article in Linn's Stamp News and issue was recently listed in Scott Catalogue based on examples offered in our September 2008 auction