Sale 1150 — United States Stamps
Sale Date — Wednesday, 1 March, 2017
Category — 1c-5c 1857-60 Issue (Scott 18-30A)
1c Blue, Ty. I (18). Plate 12, C Relief, Mint N.H., radiant color and crisp impression, choice centering for this difficult issue with the type characteristics clearly visibleEXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS IS QUITE PROBABLY THE FINEST MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 PERFORATED ONE-CENT TYPE I, WHICH COMES ONLY FROM PLATE 12. THIS MAGNIFICENT STAMP IS GRADED XF-SUPERB 95 BY P.S.E. -- THIS IS THE ONLY GRADED MINT NEVER-HINGED STAMP IN THE P.S.E. POPULATION REPORT, AND THIS IS THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED IN ANY CATEGORY.
The defining characteristic of Type I is that the entire design is printed, including the scrolls and plumes at bottom. Among the plates used to print imperforate stamps, only one position out of 1,000 can claim that honor (Position 7R1E, Scott No. 5, offered as lot 4 in this sale). Type I perforated stamps are only known from certain positions on Plate 12. Due to the narrow spacing between perforations and difficulties of production, this issue is usually found with part of the design cut off by the perforations. The wide margins of this stamp leave the Type I characteristics around the perimeter almost completely intact.
With 2007 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95; unpriced in SMQ in Mint N.H. condition. The highest price in SMQ is for a hinged 90, which is not even remotely relevant.). The highest grade awarded in any category is 95 (eight used plus this N.H. example). We have offered only half a dozen other Mint N.H. examples since keeping computerized records, and probably none would grade higher than 75 or 80. Scott Retail as hinged
1c Blue, Ty. II (20). Top row of Plate 11, T Relief, original gum, lightly hinged, perfectly centered with wide margins all around, deep rich color and proof-like impressionEXTREMELY FINE GEM. AN EXTRAORDINARY 1857 PERFORATED ONE-CENT STAMP WITH IMMENSE MARGIN WIDTH. SUPERB IN EVERY RESPECT AND WITHOUT QUESTION ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF A TYPE II PLATE 11 STAMP IN EXISTENCE.
According to Neinken, Toppan, Carpenter produced Plates 11 and 12 in November 1860 to replace plates that had become too worn for use. In laying down the new plates, Toppan, Carpenter evidently abandoned the six-relief transfer roll and used two different three-relief rolls. With recent scholarship revising some of the old accepted concepts about 1851-57 plate production, we will go no further in explaining the mechanics of Plate 11, from which this stamp was printed.
Some of the unusual features of Type II stamps from the top row of Plate 11 are seen in this example. The strong horizontal and vertical guidelines and guide dots are visible at the upper right. The enormous margins show the complete T Relief (Type II) characteristics. This relief was used to enter only the top row (20 subjects), and the Neinken book (p. 467) notes, "The design of the T relief was a perfect example of Type II, and in this respect, none of the plates furnished finer examples of this type than those from the top row of Plate 11. They are quite scarce, as the plate was only in use slightly over six months. In addition, each sheet of 200 stamps only furnished 20 of these scarce top row Type II stamps."
Ex "Scarsdale". With 2002 P.F. certificate. The Scott Catalogue premium for an unused Type II stamp from Plate 11 is insufficient, in our opinion.
1c Blue, Ty. II (20). Plate 2, stitch watermark, choice centering, dark shade on bright white paper, grid cancel, Extremely Fine, signed Ashbrook, with 2003 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. II (20). Rich Plate 2 color, light strike of double-circle New York City carrier datestamp, well-balanced margins, Very Fine and choice, ex Hansen, with 2000 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (22). Plate 12, unused (regummed), rich color, light corner crease at bottom right, Fine appearance
1c Blue, Ty. III (21). Plate 4, well-centered, intense color and impression, lightly cancelled, small margin thin at right, Very Fine appearance
1c Blue, Ty. IV (23). Plate 1L, recut once at top and bottom, unused (regummed), rich color, few faults, appears Fine
3c Rose, Ty. I (25). Original gum, bright color, faint horizontal crease at top, tiny ink spot at right center, otherwise Fine, from our Sale 352 (April 1969)
3c Rose, Ty. I (25). Original gum, dark color on fresh paper, short perf at bottom, Very Fine, with clear 2003 P.F. certificate
3c Rose, Ty. I (25). Deep rich color, choice centering with wide balanced margins, sharp face-free circular datestamp, Extremely Fine, a gorgeous stamp, with 2003 P.F. certificate
3c Dull Red, Ty. IV (26A). Mint N.H., outstanding centering for this tightly spaced issue, rich color, post-office fresh in every respectEXTREMELY FINE. A RARE MINT NEVER-HINGED, CENTERED EXAMPLE OF THE 3-CENT 1857 TYPE IV.
A review using Power Search reveals how rare this better type is in Mint N.H. condition. We have not sold another example since keeping computerized records.
With 2017 P.S.E. certificate (VF-XF 85; unpriced in SMQ in Mint N.H. condition). This is one of only three examples to achieve this grade, with none higher. Scott Retail as hinged
5c Brick Red (27). Original gum which is very lightly hinged along the perfs at bottom left, radiant color in the true Brick Red shade, unusually choice centering with perfs clear of outer projections on all four sidesVERY FINE AND CHOICE. THIS IS EASILY ONE OF THE FINEST ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLES OF THE 1858 5-CENT BRICK RED IN EXISTENCE.
Many collectors know this issue by type and shade, but few 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; and 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 examples of Scott 27 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.
We are confident that this stamp is one of the two finest original-gum examples of the 5c Brick Red. Compared with every other we located using Power Search, it has superior centering, and of course it is sound and fresh.
With 2012 P.F. certificate (VF 80). By way of comparison, the highest grade awarded by P.S.E. to an original-gum copy is 70 (only two are graded, the other is graded below 50).
5c Brick Red (27). Unused (no gum), vivid Brick Red color, attractive margins and centering on bright paper, partly reperfed at upper rightFINE APPEARING AND RARE UNUSED EXAMPLE OF THE 1858 5-CENT BRICK RED.
When submitted to P.S.E. in 2001, this stamp had dark brown, amateurish fake gum. That gum has since been removed, which significantly enhanced this rare stamp's appearance. With 2001 P.S.E. certificate as regummed and without mention of the partial reperfing. With 2016 P.F. certificate as genuine unused (no gum) and "partly reperforated".
5c Brick Red (27). Original gum, h.r., rich color, repaired at top left with corner addedA RARE AND AFFORDABLE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1858 5-CENT BRICK RED.
After surveying dozens of classic United States sale catalogues, we found approximately 25 examples of Scott 27 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 faults. This is a presentable example of this rare stamp.
With 2017 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail $80,000.00
5c Brick Red (27). Brilliant color, excellent centering, bold strike of New York Ocean Mail circular datestamp with integral grid, Very Fine, this distinctive cancel is normally seen on 10c stamps used to pay the transcontinental rate and is rarely seen on the 5c Brick Red, with 2012 P.F. certificate
5c Red Brown (28). Unused (no gum), wonderful intense shade, perfs virtually clear of projections on all sides, small fault in bottom right marginVERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE UNUSED EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 5-CENT RED BROWN.
With 1973 P.F. certificate
5c Bright Red Brown (28b). Warm shade, light strike of circular datestamp, manuscript "26" at top of unknown origin, sealed tear at top, Very Good appearance
5c Brown (29). Unused (no gum), bright shade, crisp impression, fresh and Fine, with 1971 P.F. certificate
5c Orange Brown, Ty. II (30). Original gum, lovely warm shade, unusually wide and balanced marginsEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A STUNNING ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1861 5-CENT ORANGE BROWN, WHICH IS GRADED XF-SUPERB 95 BY P.S.E.
5c stamps in the Orange Brown shade (Scott 30) were printed from Plate 2 in 1861. They were the last stamps of the 1857 Issue distributed before the U.S. Post Office Department demonetized all circulating stamps in August 1861. Unused remainders were discovered in the South after the war, and so unused copies are readily available. However, it is difficult to find this issue in sound and centered original-gum condition.
With 1982 P.F. and 2011 P.S.E. certificates (OGph, XF-Superb 95; SMQ $9,000.00). Only one has graded higher (at 95J, offered in our Curtis sale) and only one other shares this grade.
5c Orange Brown, Ty. II (30). Original gum, lightly hinged, beautiful vibrant color, well-centered with wide margins, Very Fine and choice, small backstamp, scarce in this condition, with 1982 P.F. certificate
5c Brown, Ty. II (30A). Original gum, lightly hinged deep rich color, Fine, with 1988 P.F. certificate
5c Brown, Ty. II (30A). Choice centering, deep intense color and a sharp detailed impression, blue town datestamp, Extremely Fine