Sale 1057 — The Curtis Collection: 1847-1901 Issues
Sale Date — Thursday, 7 November, 2013
Category — 1857-60 Issue (Scott 18-39)
1c Blue, Type I (18). Plate 12, original gum, lightly hinged, attractive margins with design elements clearly visible, Very Fine, ex Sheriff and Concord, with 1993 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. Ia (19). Position 99R4, original gum, beautiful rich color in a distinctive intense Plate 4 shade, proof-like impression, perfs mostly clear of design showing a large part of the bottom plumes, faint corner creases at top right and bottom left (one ending in a minute tear), small faint toned spot in the "U" of "U.S." referred to on 1978 P.F. certificate as "slightly soiled"VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 PERFORATED ONE-CENT TYPE Ia.
Type Ia was produced by only 18 of the 20 bottom-row positions on Plate 4. Although Plate 4 was designed with sufficient space to accommodate perforations, the height of the top row and bottom row positions resulted in the perforations often cutting into the design at either top or bottom. For this reason, stamps from the bottom row of Plate 4 with perforations clear of the design are especially desirable, since the characteristics of the type is complete (Type Ia) or nearly complete (Type Ic) at bottom. The stamp offered here is one of the few well-centered examples with original gum, and its intense color and impression make it one of the most beautiful original-gum copies we have ever seen.
With copy of 1978 P.F. certificate. With 2007 P.S.E. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. II (20). Original gum, deep rich color, attractive centering on fresh paper, Very Fine, with 1984 P.F. and 1990 P.S.E. certificates
1c Blue, Ty. III (21). Large part original gum which covers nearly all the back, rich color, wide bottom margin to perfs touching at top but clearly showing the breaks in the top and bottom lines which define the type, tiny corner perf tip crease at top rightFINE AND SCARCE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE PERFORATED 1857 ONE-CENT TYPE III.
With 1976 P.F. certificate for combination pair of Ty. III/IIIa, this the top stamp
1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (22). Slightly disturbed original gum from hinge removal, beautiful wide margins framing complete design characteristics including wide break at top and complete line at bottom, Very Fine and choice, with 1992 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. IV (23). Recut once at top and bottom, unused (no gum), fresh color on bright paper, unusually well-centered with perfs clear of design all aroundVERY FINE AND CHOICE UNUSED EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 TYPE IV PERFORATED ISSUE.
Ex Beals. With 1977 and 1988 P.F. certificates
3c Rose, Ty. I (25). Original gum, lightly hinged, rich color and choice centering, perfs to touched as always but all four framelines clearly visibleVERY FINE AND CHOICE. THE 1857 PERFORATED 3-CENT TYPE I IS RARELY FOUND IN CENTERED ORIGINAL-GUM CONDITION.
This stamp is extremely difficult to obtain with superior margins and centering, due to the narrow spacing on the plate, which was laid out prior to the introduction of perforations in 1857. Finding such an example in unused condition with original gum adds considerably to the difficulty. Even superb copies will show perforations impinging on at least one frameline.
With 1989 P.F. certificate
5c Brick Red (27). Large part original gum which covers most of the back, brilliant color in the distinctive Brick Red shadeVERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE SOUND ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 5-CENT BRICK RED SHADE -- IN OUR OPINION, THE BRICK RED IS ONE OF THE RAREST STAMPS OF THE CLASSIC PERIOD IN SOUND CONDITION WITH ORIGINAL GUM.
Many collectors know this issue by type and shade, but fewer are aware of the order of production (or release). This state of confusion is partly due to the Scott Catalogue. The distinctive Brick Red shade of the 5c 1857 Issue comes first in the series of Scott-listed perforated 5c issues, but its true release date comes later in the sequence.
Based on dated covers, the 5c Type I shades were released in the following order: 1) Red Brown, Scott 28, EDU 8/23/1857; 2) Indian Red, Scott 28A, EDU 3/31/1858; 3) Brick Red, Scott 27, EDU 10/6/1858; 4) Brown, Scott 29, EDU 3/21/1859, almost certainly the last printing from the first 5c plate. The second 5c plate was made from a new six-relief transfer roll with the design projections cut away at top and bottom, to varying degrees. The Type II Brown was issued first (Scott 30A, EDU 5/4/1860), and the Orange Brown printing from the same plate followed about one year later (Scott 30, EDU 5/8/1861).
After surveying dozens of classic United States sale catalogues, we found approximately twenty stamps with original gum, allowing for duplicate offerings and excluding the one known original-gum block. Of the stamps we counted, about half had perfs touching on two sides or were deeply cut into on one side. Almost two-thirds had stains or small faults.
Ex Hoffman. With 1980 and 2006 P.F. certificates
5c Red Brown (28). Original gum which covers most of the back, beautiful warm 1858 shade approaching Indian Red (which is how this was originally submitted for certification), in our opinion 5c Type I stamps in this shade are either Indian Red (Scott 28A) or Bright Red Brown (Scott 28b), perfs just in at bottom, small corner crease at top leftFINE APPEARING AND RARE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 5-CENT RED BROWN.
The perforated 5c “1856” Red Brown (Scott 28) stamps were made from the stock of imperforate stamps on hand in 1857 when perforations were introduced. The 1858 printing, the first after perforations were introduced, was in the Bright Red Brown and Indian Red shades. The perforated 5c Type I stamps in any shade of Red Brown are very rare in unused or original-gum condition. In the past thirteen years we have offered over 200,000 auction lots of primarily U.S. stamps. During that time, we have sold only two other Scott 28 singles with original gum and the block of four in the Whitman sale. In our opinion, the Scott Catalogue value for Scott 28 with original gum is too low. The number of original-gum Scott 28 singles falls somewhere between the numbers for the Brick Red (Scott 27) and the Indian Red (Scott 28A), which catalogue $80,000.00 and $175,000.00, respectively.
Ex Geisler. With 1984 P.F. and 2007 P.S.E. certificates
5c Indian Red (28A). Unused (no gum), beautiful color in the true 1858 Indian Red shade, nicely centered with intact perfs at top, detailed impression clearly showing the lathework background, tiny filled thin spotVERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE UNUSED EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 5-CENT INDIAN RED.
Our search of old auction catalogues and the records of The Philatelic Foundation and P.S.E. yielded only eleven unused examples of Scott 28A. Of these, the majority are without gum (Scott Retail for original gum is $175,000.00)
With 2001 P.F. and P.S.E. certificates
5c Brown (29). Original gum, h.r., rich color and crisp impression, well-centered for this difficult issue, small hinge thinVERY FINE APPEARING ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1859 5-CENT TYPE I BROWN.
With 1997 P.F. certificate
5c Orange Brown, Ty. II (30). Original gum, beautiful deep shade, outstanding centering with Jumbo margins, bright and freshEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1861 5-CENT ORANGE BROWN WHICH HAS BEEN GRADED XF-SUPERB 95 JUMBO BY P.S.E. THIS IS THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED TO THIS ISSUE IN ANY CONDITION.
With 1992 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (OGph, XF-Superb 95 Jumbo; SMQ $8,500.00 as 95, unpriced in any higher grade). This is only Scott 30 awarded a 95J grade in any condition -- original gum, no gum or used
5c Deep Orange Brown, Ty. II (30). Original gum, wonderful rich Deep Orange Brown color, choice centering and margins, fresh and Extremely Fine, with 1996 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (OGph, VF-XF 85; SMQ $1,900.00)
5c Orange Brown, Ty. II (30). Glazed original gum, rich color, reperfed at left and bottom, appears Fine, with 2004 P.F. certificate
5c Brown, Ty. II (30A). Original gum, deep rich color, wide margins, small thin spot at top, Very Fine appearance, with 2004 P.F. certificate
10c Green, Ty. I (31). Original gum, choice centering for this difficult issue showing full plumes at bottom (the defining characteristic of the type), pretty pastel colorVERY FINE AND CHOICE. AN EXTREMELY RARE SOUND ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT PERFORATED TYPE I ISSUE.
Type I characteristics are only found on the 20 stamps that comprise the bottom row of the plate. Due to narrow spacing on the plate and difficulties in aligning the perforating machine, stamps at the bottom of the plate usually have perforations cutting into the bottom portion of the design. This is a negative, because Type I is defined as having the design complete at bottom. The population of stamps available to collectors showing the type characteristics is extremely limited, especially when other factors such as gum and soundness are taken into consideration. A review using Power Search shows exactly how rare this stamp is in such superior condition. The only other sound, original-gum and centered example we have offered in the past 15 years, from the Alan Whitman collection, realized $75,000 in one of our sales in 2009.
With 1992 and 2003 P.F. certificates.
10c Green, Type II (32). Slightly disturbed original gum, rich color, nice margins and centering, small thin spot, Very Fine appearance, ex Concord
10c Green, Ty. III (33). Unused (no gum), choice centering and wide margins for this difficult issue, fresh color, light corner crease at bottom right, Very Fine appearance, with 1994 P.S.E. certificate
10c Green, Ty. IV (34). Position 64L1, recut at top and bottom, the scarcest and most desirable of the recut positions, small part disturbed gum variously described as "original" on older P.F. certificate, as "traces" on newer P.F. certificate and as "of unknown origin" on P.S.E. certificate, rich color, unpunched perf at bottom and slightly short perf at left mentioned only on P.S.E. certificateFINE APPEARANCE. THE 1857 10-CENT TYPE IV IS ONE OF THE RAREST CLASSIC UNITED STATES ISSUES IN UNUSED CONDITION.
The 1857 10c Type IV stamps come from only eight positions scattered throughout Plate 1, that have the top, bottom, or in the case of Position 64L (the stamp offered here), both lines recut. 64L1 is the only position to show both lines recut and as such it is the best example of the type. Only 4% of all 10c Plate 1 stamps produced were Type IV's, and an even smaller percentage were issued with perforations. We have only offered three others with any gum whatsoever in the past 20 years, and none of these were Position 64L1.
With 1996 and 2011 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates. Scott Retail as no gum
12c Black, Plate 1 (36). Original gum, lightly hinged, crisp shade and detailed impression, Fine
12c Black, Plate 3 (36B). Original gum, precise centering, intense shade and impressionEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 12-CENT 1857 ISSUE FROM PLATE 3.
The most recent scholarship regarding the Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co. plates used to print the 12c 1851-57 Issue is clearly articulated by James A. Allen in "The 1851 Imperforate (Scott U.S. #17): Plating Updated and Additional New Findings" (The 1851 Issue of United States Stamps: a Sesquicentennial Retrospective, U.S. Philatelic Classics Society). Traditionally, the 12c plates are identified as Plate 1 (from which all imperforate and some perforated stamps were printed), Plate 2 (evidently never used) and Plate 3 (which produced stamps that were only regularly issued with perforations). It is highly probable that Plate 3 was the first one made in 1851, but it was put aside and not used until 1859.
Plate 3 stamps (Scott 36B) are characterized primarily by uneven or broken outer framelines of the design. The subjects on Plate 1, which produced Scott Nos. 17 and 36, have even framelines that were extensively recut. Original-gum Plate 3 stamps with the centering and wide margins evident in this example are very scarce.
With 2007 P.S.E. certificate (OGph, XF-Superb 95; SMQ $3,100.00). Only one has graded higher (at 98) and only four others share this grade
24c Gray Lilac (37). Original gum, beautifully balanced margins, bright shade, Very Fine and choice, a pretty stamp, with 1983 P.F. certificate
24c Gray Lilac, Imperforate (37c). Without gum as issued, ample to huge margins incl. bottom sheet margin, Very Fine and choice, with 1999 P.F. certificate
30c Orange (38). Large part original gum, well-centered with wide margins for this difficult issueEXTREMELY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE 30-CENT 1860 ISSUE. SCARCE WITH SUCH WIDE MARGINS.
With 1988 and 2002 P.F. certificates
30c Orange (38). Part original gum, choice centering for this difficult issue with wide margins, small tear at top, Very Fine appearance, with 2005 P.F. certificate
30c Orange, Imperforate (38a). Without gum as issued, unusually large margins, Extremely Fine, ex Hetherington, with 1970 and 1998 P.F. certificates
90c Blue (39). Original gum, lightly hinged, deep rich color, choice centering with unusually wide margins at top and bottomEXTREMELY FINE AND FRESH ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 90-CENT 1860 ISSUE.
With 1987, 2001 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (OGph, VF-XF 85; SMQ $4,100.00)