Sale 972 — The Laila Collection of United States Stamps
Sale Date — Monday-Tuesday, 27-28 April, 2009
Category — 1861-66 Issue (Scott 56-78)
3c Brown Rose, First Design (56). Mint N.H., rich color on bright paper, Very Fine and choice, ex Hewitt, with 1984 P.F. certificate for block, Scott Retail as hinged
24c Dark Violet, First Color (60). Original gum, choice centering, distinctive dark First Color shade, proof-like impressionEXTREMELY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1861 24-CENT DARK VIOLET EARLY TRIAL PRINTING. ONE OF THE RAREST OF THE 24-CENT 1861-63 ISSUE SHADES.
The Dark Violet trial printing and Violet regular issue shades are often confused, and the Scott Catalogue adds to the confusion by putting the Dark Violet (the old Scott 60) in the Trial Color Proofs section as 70TCe, while the Violet gets a front seat as Scott 70c. In our opinion, there is no good reason to relegate the Dark Violet to the Trial Color Proof section. As a result, the stamp offered here is undercatalogued in relation to other 24c stamps of equal rarity. For example, Scott 70c has a value of $35,000.00 versus Scott 70TCe at $12,500.00.
With 2007 P.F. certificate
10c Dark Green, First Design (62B). Original gum, lightly hinged, rich color and sharp impression, choice centering for this extremely challenging issue, faint horizontal crease at top does not affect overall appearanceEXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE AND REMARKABLY CHOICE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT 1861 ISSUE FIRST DESIGN.
The 10c 1861 "First Design" (or Type I from Plate 4) is extremely difficult to find in well-centered, sound, original-gum condition, This is partly due to the narrow spacing on Plate 4, which was used for the earliest printing. Despite the nearly invisible crease, this stamp is one of the most beautiful original-gum examples of Scott 62B we have ever encountered.
With 1999 P.F. certificate
1c Blue (63). Original gum, lightly hinged, brilliant color, wide margins, Very Fine and choice
3c Pink (64). Original gum, lightly hinged, bright color in the true Pink shadeVERY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1861 3-CENT PINK. ONE OF THE RAREST 1861 ISSUE SHADES IN THIS CHOICE ORIGINAL-GUM CONDITION.
The 3c 1861 Pink (Scott 64) is one of the most difficult stamps of the 1861-66 Issue to find in sound, well-centered, original-gum condition with fresh color. The nature of the ink used to print the 3c Pink shade is such that over the course of time, with exposure to light and other adverse elements, the color tends to oxidize or lose its vibrancy.
Collectors who have searched in vain for a 3c Pink in such condition will appreciate the rarity of this stamp in such a remarkable state of preservation. Others who may be less familiar with the rarity of this early 1861 Issue -- and perhaps deceived by the abundance of common 3c 1861 shades (Scott 65) -- are urged to consider the extreme rarity of Scott 64 in sound original-gum condition.
With 1996 Richter and 2001 P.F. certificates
3c Rose (65). Original gum, barely hinged, brilliant color, Jumbo margins especially at top and bottom, Extremely Fine, a huge stamp, with 1992 P.F. certificate
3c Lake (66). Original gum, single hinge mark, rich color and proof-like impression on bright paperVERY FINE AND CHOICE. A BEAUTIFUL ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1861 LAKE TRIAL PRINTING.
With 2005 P.F. certificate
5c Brown Yellow (67a). Original gum, h.r., radiant color in the true Brown Yellow shadeFINE. AN EXCEDINGLY RARE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT 1861-66 ISSUE IN THE BROWN YELLOW SHADE. WE HAVE ONLY SOLD TEN OTHERS SINCE KEEPING COMPUTERIZED RECORDS.
The 5c Brown Yellow is recognized as being among the rarest of 1861-66 Issue stamps in sound original-gum condition. Perhaps the only shade varieties rarer than the 5c Brown Yellow are the 3c Pigeon Blood Pink and 24c Blackish Violet (Scott 64a and 78c). A review of Power Search found only ten other unduplicated examples offered in all of our Rarities sales and in the past 16 years of our auctions.
With 1972 A.P.S. and 2000 P.S.E. certificates
10c Dark Green (68a). Part original gum, deep rich color and proof-like impression, Very Fine example of this desirable shade, with 2001 P.F. certificate erroneously describing this as Yellow Green
12c Black (69). Original gum, bright shade and crisp impression, wide margins, Very Fine and choice, with 1999 P.F. certificate
24c Red Lilac (70). Original gum, lightly hinged, rich color and sharp proof-like impression, gorgeous centering with well-proportioned marginsEXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL STAMP IN TERMS OF COLOR, IMPRESSION, CENTERING, AND FRESHNESS OF PAPER AND GUM.
With a growing awareness by collectors that 1861 Issues (5c and up) are exceedingly scarce in well-centered, original-gum condition, we would expect this stamp to draw keen competition. Although one finds the 24c unused without gum in this grade, original-gum examples are often poorly centered or faulty. Only on rare occasions has our firm offered a 24c Red Lilac of this quality. The 1861-62 Red Lilac shade is actually one of the scarcest of the 24c color varieties to find in sound well-centered original-gum condition, despite its lower Scott catalogue value relative to the other shades.
With 2000 P.F. certificate.
24c Brown Lilac (70a). Original gum, bright shade and detailed impression, expertly reperfed at right (not mentioned on accompanying certificates), Very Fine appearance, with 1995 and 2003 P.F. certificates
30c Orange (71). Original gum, lightly hinged, vivid colorVERY FINE AND CHOICE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 30-CENT 1861 ISSUE.
The narrowly-spaced 30c 1861 plate left very little room for the 12-gauge perforations between stamps. Consequently, examples with wide margins at sides are extremely rare -- this fact is acknowledged in the Scott Catalogue footnote to No. 71.
With 2001 P.F. certificate
90c Dark Blue (72b). Original gum, lightly hinged, deep rich color on bright paperFRESH AND FINE EXAMPLE OF THE 90-CENT 1861 ISSUE IN THE DARK BLUE SHADE.
With 1998 P.S.E. certificate for block of four identifying this as the normal shade
2c Black (73). Original gum, lightly hinged, crisp impression, choice centering with well-proportioned margins, Extremely Fine, with 1996 and 2002 P.F. certificates
5c Red Brown (75). Original gum, warm color in the true Red Brown shade, exceptionally choice centeringVERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT 1862 ISSUE IN THE RED BROWN SHADE.
With 1998 P.F. certificate
5c Brown (76). Original gum, perfectly centered with well-balanced margins, fresh color and detailed impressionEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1863 5-CENT BROWN. A BEAUTIFUL STAMP.
With 2002 P.F. certificate
15c Black (77). Original gum in Mint Never-Hinged state, sharp proof-like impression on bright and fresh paper, wide marginsEXTREMELY FINE. AN UNBELIEVABLY RARE MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 15-CENT 1866 ISSUE IN THE FINEST CONDITION ATTAINABLE. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOME SHADE VARIETIES, THE 15-CENT LINCOLN IS PERHAPS THE RAREST OF THE 1861-66 SERIES STAMPS IN SUCH CHOICE ORIGINAL-GUM CONDITION.
Throughout recent Siegel sales that have contained a remarkable group of original-gum 1861-66 Issues, we have made frequent reference to the rarity of these stamps in choice condition. With the exception of the rare 5c and 24c shades, our experience shows that the 15c Lincoln is the most difficult stamp to obtain in sound, choice original-gum condition. It is most often found without gum or with disturbed gum. Examples with full original gum are frequently off-center. The block of six (straight edge at left), ex Caspary, Lilly and Ishikawa, is well-centered with original gum, but our search of numerous other major auction sales produced few other examples apart from the block. Therefore, this stamp could be the rarest face-different design of the 1861-66 series in choice original-gum condition. As a Mint Never-Hinged stamp, it should be considered an even greater rarity.
Ex Silver Lake and Cohen. With 1999 P.F. and 2005 P.S.E. certificates (F-VF 75; unpriced in SMQ in Mint N.H. condition). Scott Retail as hinged
24c Lilac (78). Original gum, bright color, detailed impression, trivial natural inclusion at left centerVERY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 24-CENT LILAC 1863 ISSUE.
With 2004 P.S.E. certificate
24c Grayish Lilac (78a). Original gum, small h.r., radiant color and detailed impressionVERY FINE. AN ATTRACTIVE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1862 24-CENT IN THE DISTINCTIVE GRAYISH LILAC SHADE.
With 2000 P.F. certificate
24c Dark Lilac (78). Original gum, extraordinary dark charcoal shade and fine detailed impression, beautifully centered with wide margins framing the design in white, tiny natural inclusionEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A CHOICE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 24-CENT 1861 IN A DISTINCTIVE DARK LILAC SHADE RARELY SEEN IN THIS CONDITION.
The Dark Lilac shade is listed in the Scott catalogue as a separate shade. It has a distinctly more intense color, but still retains the purplish cast that separates it from the Gray and Blackish Violet shades of the post-1863 printings.
Owner's small red backstamp. With 1997 P.F. certificate.