Sale 1230 — U.S. and Hawaii Stamps and Postal History
Sale Date — Tuesday-Friday, 15-18 December, 2020
Category — 1913-23 Issues (Scott 406-547)
2c Carmine (406). Mint N.H., brilliant color, detailed impression, outstanding centering with wide and balanced margins, Extremely Fine Gem, ex "Scarsdale", with 2007 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98; SMQ $425.00)
1c Green, 2c Carmine, Imperforate, Kansas City Roulette (408 var, 409 var). Blocks of four, h.r., rich colors, 2c diagonal crease at top, Very Fine appearance
15c Gray (418). Perfectly centered with Jumbo margins, rich color, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2014 P.S.E. certificate (OGph, Superb 98 Jumbo; SMQ $550.00), two have graded higher and only two others share this grade
50c Violet, $1.00 Violet Brown (421-423). Five total, including three of No. 421, few h.r., Fine-Very Fine group, three with certificates
4c Brown (427). Mint N.H. with top selvage, bright color, proof-like impression on crisp white paperEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A MOST IMPRESSIVE MINT NEVER-HINGED JUMBO OF THE 4-CENT WATERMARKED PERF 10 ISSUE -- GRADED SUPERB 98 JUMBO BY P.S.E.
Ex Whitman. With 1995 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (Superb 98 Jumbo; SMQ $2,750.00). This is the highest grade awarded and it is shared by only two others
20c Ultramarine, 30c Orange Red (438-439). Mint N.H., brilliant colors, Very Fine and choice, with 2014 P.S.E. and 1987 P.F. certificate respectively
50c Violet (440). Block of 45, s.e. at left, rich color, neat strikes of "Portland Oreg." registry ovals, couple light creases but really minor for a multiple of this size, Fine, Scott value as eight blocks of four and singles
2c Carmine, Coil (444). Guide line pair, lightly hinged, beautiful color on bright paper, fresh and Extremely Fine, with 1991 P.F. certificate
3c Violet, Coil (445). Mint N.H. pair, deep rich color, fresh and Fine, with 1993 P.S.E. certificate
2c Red, Ty. I, Coil (449). Choice centering, neat wavy-line machine cancel, Very Fine, ex Curtis, with 2000 and 2015 P.F. certificates
2c Red, Ty. I, Coil (449). Radiant color, well-balanced margins, wavy-line machine cancel, small corner creases, Very Fine appearance, with 2001 A.P.S. certificate
2c Red, Ty. I, Coil (449). Bright shade, bold cancel, Fine, with 1998 P.S.E. certificate
2c Carmine Rose, Ty. I, Coil (453). Mint N.H. pair, rich color, right stamp crease at top right, Very Fine appearance
3c Violet, Coil (456). Mint N.H. pair, rich color, centered to top right, Very Good, with 1998 P.F. certificate
3c Violet, Coil (456). Pair, single hinge mark at center, Very Fine, with 1993 P.F. certificate
4c Brown, Coil (457). Mint N.H. pair, intense shade and impression, beautiful centering, Extremely Fine Gem, ex Merlin, with 2008 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98; SMQ $925.00), this is the highest grade awarded and shared by seven others
2c Carmine, Ty. I, Imperforate Coil (459). Mint N.H. pair, large even margins, deep rich color, post-office fresh in every respect, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2007 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98; SMQ $850.00)
2c Carmine, Ty. I, Imperforate Coil (459). Mint N.H. pair, full margins to ample, Fine, with 1983 P.F. certificate
2c Pale Carmine Red, Ty. I (461). Mint N.H., vibrant color, fresh and Very Fine, with copy of 2009 P.F. certificate for a large plate block
5c Carmine, Error (467). Mint N.H. single error in block of six, bottom center stamp the error, brilliant color, fresh and Fine-Very Fine
$1.00 Violet Black (478). Small h.r., rich color, Fine, with 1990 P.F. certificate
5c Carmine, Imperforate, Error (485). Complete sheet of 400, containing Mint N.H. upper left pane of 100 with double error, lower right pane of 100 with Mint N.H. single error (bottom of pane with a single hinge, far from the error block) and normal Mint N.H. panes of 100 at upper right and lower left, rich color, few trivial imperfections in outer edge of selvage as is to be expectedEXTREMELY FINE. A VERY RARE INTACT SHEET OF 400 OF THE 1917 5-CENT IMPERFORATE ERROR. FEWER THAN 50 SHEETS WERE RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC AND NEARLY ALL HAVE BEEN BROKEN UP.
During the course of production of the normal 2c plate--Plate 7942--three subjects were noted to be weakly transferred: Positions 74 and 84 in the upper left quadrant, and Position 18 in the lower right. The plate was sent back to the siderographer, who burnished out the three entries and re-entered them. Instead of the 2c transfer roll, he mistakenly used the 5c transfer roll for the 2c plate. The sheets were printed in the normal 2 Red color, but three stamps in each sheet of 400 were 5c stamps, which were normally printed in blue--that is how the 5c Red errors came to be.
The misentered plate and the sheets produced from it passed unnoticed, and the 5c error stamps were issued to the public. The largest number of sheets to reach collectors were perforated 11 (Scott 505). A smaller number were perforated 10 (Scott 467). The rarest of the errors are the imperforate stamps (Scott 485). On May 2, 1917, the Third Assistant Postmaster General sent out a printed notice informing postmasters of the error and recalling the "mis-printed" sheets, but by then the red cats were out of the bag.
The largest group of sheets discovered at one time were all imperforate, but they never made it to collectors. 755 imperforate sheets of 400 stamps (2,265 errors) were on their way to a company for private perforating when they were found in the Chicago post office and returned to Washington, D.C., for destruction. Three of the Chicago sheets were kept for the National Philatelic Collection.
Philip H. Ward, Jr. later reported that he bought two sheets from John Klemann, a New York dealer, who said he acquired them from Joseph Leavy, curator of the national collection, but Klemann may have been lying about his source, since he was involved in the purchase and sale of the New York find of imperforate sheets--48 sheets of 400, also intended for private perforating. The hoard was found in a New York post office and bought in two stages (25 and 23) by Edgar Nelton, a stamp dealer. He and a partner named George Tuttle sought financing from Klemann and accepted becoming one-quarter partners (whether it was one-quarter each or together is unclear). Sometime later, Klemann reported to his partners that he sold most of the sheets to Col. Edward H. R. Green. Years later, Nelton's account reflected his bitterness over what he considered to be a poor financial outcome from the discovery and Klemann's role in the sale. It does not take much imagination to see that Klemann told his partners one thing and did another, taking more than his share by underreporting profits.
An excellent series of articles on the 5c error by Kevin Lowther was published in 2012 in the U.S. Specialist and is available online to members. We recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about this fascinating episode of philatelic history--and we recommend this sheet as an impressive example of the double and single errors in a large multiple.
Scott value $54,000.00 as a Mint N.H. double error in a block of 12 and a Mint N.H. single error in a block of nine, with no additional catalogue value for the 2c stamps or premium for the intact multiple
$5.00 Light Green (480). Bottom plate no. 8016 block of six, crisp impression, unobtrusive cancels, Fine-Very Fine, a rare used plate block, the last we offered was in our 2001 Twigg-Smith sale, listed but unpriced in Scott
1c Green, Coil (486). Mint N.H., rich color, perfectly centered, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2008 P.S.E. certificate (Gem 100; SMQ $200.00), only one grades higher and six others share this desirable grade
2c Carmine, Ty. II, Coil (487). Mint N.H. pair, deep rich color and detailed impression, gorgeous centering with wide and balanced margins, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2006 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98; SMQ $550.00), only three have graded higher (highest is 100)
2c Carmine, Ty. II, Coil (491). Pair, lightly hinged, rich color, well-centeredVERY FINE AND CHOICE PAIR OF THE RARE 2-CENT TYPE II PERF 10 HORIZONTAL COIL ON UNWATERMARKED PAPER.
Scott 491 was in production for only a short period of time before being replaced by the Ty. III, Scott 492. Unlike most other issues, the horizontal coil is actually scarcer than the vertical coil.
With copy of 1988 P.F. certificate for strip of four and 2004 P.F. certificate as pair
2c Carmine, Ty. II, Coil (491). Brilliant color, neat wavy-line machine cancel, Very Fine, with 2011 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Ty. II, Coil (491). Radiant color, neat wavy-line machine cancel, light creases, Very Fine appearance, with 2000 A.P.S. certificate
3c Violet, Ty. I, Coil (493). Mint N.H. pair, radiant color, essentially perfectly centered, Extremely Fine Gem, a gorgeous pair, with 2009 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98; SMQ $550.00), only one grades higher (at 100)
5c Blue, Coil (496). Mint N.H. joint line pair, unusually wide margins and choice centering, rich color on bright paper, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2015 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95 Jumbo; SMQ $450.00)
1c Green (498). Mint N.H., rich color and proof-like impression, perfectly centered with wide margins, Extremely Fine Gem, without question one of the finest in existence, with 2008 P.S.E. certificate (Gem 100; SMQ $550.00), only two grade higher at 100J and only one other shares the Gem 100 grade, undervalued in SMQ
1c Green, A.E.F. Booklet Pane (498f). Position W6 with tab at right, minor gum toning from hinge removal, Fine appearance, with 2004 P.S.E. certificate
2c Lake, Ty. I (499h). Lightly hinged, deep rich color in this distinct shade, Very Fine and choice, with 1995 P.F. certificate
2c Lake, Ty. I (499h). Rich color in the distinctive Lake shade, Fine, with 2020 P.F. certificate
3c Dark Violet, Ty. II, Vertical Pair, Imperforate Horizontally (502c). Mint N.H., rich color, top stamp small diagonal crease, appears Fine, with 2020 P.F. certificate
5c Rose, Error (505). Lightly hinged, brilliant color, wide and balanced margins, Extremely Fine
5c Rose, Error (505). Mint N.H. single error in block of 15 with selvage at right, brilliant color, Very Fine and choice
5c Rose, Error (505). Mint N.H. single error in a lower right pane of 100, natural straight edges at top and left, plate nos. at bottom and right, brilliant color, overall Fine-Very Fine and the error is Fine, Scott value as single error in a block of nine, plate blocks and singles
5c Rose, Error (505). Mint N.H. double error in a top left pane of 100, natural straight edges at bottom and right, plate nos. at top and left, bright color, Fine, Scott value as double error in a block of twelve, plate blocks and singles
$1.00 Deep Brown (518b). Intense shade and impression, registry oval cancel, Fine, with 1994 and 2010 P.F. certificates (F 70)
2c Carmine (519). Mint N.H. with wide left part imprint selvage with pressman's initials, radiant color, fresh and Fine, with copy of 1997 P.F. certificate for strip of three
$2.00, $5.00 1918-20 Issues (523, 524, 547). First lightly hinged, others Mint N.H., Very Fine and choice
$2.00 Orange Red & Black (523). Mint N.H., gorgeous centering with wide margins all around, fresh colors on bright paperEXTREMELY FINE GEM MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE $2.00 ORANGE RED & BLACK 1918 FRANKLIN ISSUE.
With 2013 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $3,300.00), Only three grade higher.
$2.00 Orange Red & Black (523). Mint N.H., radiant color, well-balanced margins, Extremely Fine, with 2008 P.S.E. certificate (XF 90; SMQ $1,750.00)
$2.00 Orange Red & Black (523). Single hinge mark, Jumbo margins and precise centering, fresh colors, Extremely Fine Gem, a superb stamp, with 2020 P.S.E. certificate (OGh, Superb 98 Jumbo; SMQ $1,500.00)
1c Gray Green (525). Mint N.H., fresh color, essentially perfect centering with Jumbo margins, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2016 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98 Jumbo; SMQ $525.00), only two grade higher (both 100J) and only four others share this grade
1c Gray Green, Horizontal Pair, Imperforate Between (525c). Barely hinged, centered to left with right stamp capturing centerline in the interpane margin, Fine, a rare error which occurred in the two right-hand rows from the left pane of the plate and so always found with straight edge at right, with 2020 P.F. certificate
3c Violet, Ty. IV (530). Mint N.H., light pastel color color on fresh paper, gorgeous centering with Jumbo margins, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2004 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98 Jumbo; SMQ $450.00), only one grades higher and three others share this grade
2c Carmine, Ty. VII, Imperforate (534B). Left sheet margin single with part arrow, large margins, deep rich colorVERY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE RARE TYPE VII IMPERFORATE.
Ex Dr. Puliafito. With 1994 P.F. and 2016 P.S.E. certificates
2c Carmine, Ty. VII, Imperforate (534B). Mint N.H. horizontal pair, large even margins all around, vivid color on fresh paperEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB MINT NEVER-HINGED PAIR OF THE 2-CENT TYPE VII IMPERFORATE, GRADED XF-SUPERB 95 BY P.S.E. -- THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED.
Most Type VII stamps were used by private vending and affixing-machine companies. However, unlike Scott 314A and 482A, a small supply of the imperforate 2c Type VII stamps did reach the public.
With 2014 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $9,250.00). This is the highest grade awarded to a pair and it is shared by only four others
2c Carmine, Ty. VII, Imperforate (534B). Large even margins, brilliant color, bold duplex cancel, fresh and Extremely Fine, with 1980 P.F. (as pair) and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (XF 90; SMQ $1,600.00), only five grade higher
1c Gray Green, Horizontal Pair, Imperforate Vertically (536a). Showing guideline at right, rich color, tiny ink spots in margin of left stamp, otherwise Very Fine, with 2004 P.F. certificate
3c Violet (537). Mint N.H., essentially perfectly centered with Jumbo margins, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2014 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98 Jumbo; SMQ $400.00)
3c Deep Violet (537a). Lightly hinged, intense color and impression, Very Fine and choice, with 1995 and 2017 P.F. certificates
3c Light Reddish Violet (537b). Mint N.H., bright pastel color, choice centering and margins, Extremely Fine, with 2013 P.F. certificate (XF 90 XQ)
3c Red Violet (537c). Mint N.H., Jumbo margins and well-centered, rich color on bright paper, Extremely Fine, with 2008 P.S.E. certificate (XF 90 Jumbo; SMQ $725.00)
2c Carmine Rose, Ty. III, Rotary Perf 11 x 10, Horizontal Pair, Imperforate Vertically (540b). Mint N.H. pair, typical centering with perfs in at top, deep rich color, left stamp with two tiny scuffs, Fine appearance, a rare Mint N.H. example, fewer than 25 pairs are believed to exist, this variety is vastly rarer than, and should not be confused with, the 2c Ty. III Rotary issue in a vertical pair imperforate horizontally, with 2020 P.F. certificate, Scott value as hinged
1c Green, Rotary Perf 11 (544). Bright color, neat wavy-line machine cancel, fresh and Fine used example of this scarce issue, with 1958 P.F. certificate
$2.00 Carmine & Black (547). Mint N.H. top arrow block of four, deep rich colors, Fine-Very Fine, Scott value as singles