Sale 976 — United States Stamps
Sale Date — Tuesday-Friday, 29 September-2 October, 2009
Category — 5c 1857-60 Issue (Scott 27-30A)
5c Brick Red (27). Attractive margins and centering with design clear nearly all around, bold New Orleans yeardate circular datestamp, single short perf at left, otherwise Very Fine, with 2009 P.S.E. certificate
5c Brick Red (27). Incredibly well-centered with perfs well clear of design all around, unusually strong color for this scarce 5c 1857 shade, New Orleans circular datestamp, reperfed at top, Extremely Fine appearance
5c Brick Red (27). Vertical pair, unusually choice centering with perfs clear of projections on both stamps, gorgeous color, neat strike of "New Orleans La. Apr. 8, 1859" circular datestamp, single nibbed perf at bottomEXTREMELY FINE. A SCARCE CENTERED MULTIPLE OF THE 1857 5-CENT BRICK RED.
In our opinion, the 5c Brick Red is very much under-appreciated by most collectors. The poor centering and heavy cancels prevalent among Brick Reds reduce the supply of choice stamps to a small minority of the total population. Lightly-cancelled singles and multiples with centering any better than Fine are truly scarce.
5c Red Brown (28). Nicely centered with beautiful color, bold circular datestamp at bottom of stamp leaving virtually all of the design distraction free including the central vignette, Very Fine, with 2008 P.S.E. certificate
5c Red Brown (28). Deep rich color, light New Orleans datestamp, Fine, with 2005 P.F. certificate
5c Red Brown (28). Neat corner circular datestamp, intense shade close to Bright Red Brown, attractively centered, Very Fine, with 2007 P.S.E. certificate
5c Indian Red (28A). Large part original gum, beautiful color in the true Indian Red shade, exceptional centering for this difficult issue with perforations completely clear of outer projections of the design on all sides, detailed impression clearly showing the lathework background, small corner crease at bottom right and corner crease at top rightEXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 5-CENT INDIAN RED ISSUE, WHICH RECENTLY CAME TO LIGHT AND IS OFFERED TO THE MARKET FOR THE FIRST TIME. THIS IS ONE OF THE RAREST ORIGINAL-GUM STAMPS IN UNITED STATES PHILATELY -- ONLY FIVE INDIAN RED STAMPS WITH ANY AMOUNT OF GUM ARE CONTAINED IN OUR RECORDS.
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 including this recently certified stamp. Of these, only five have been described as having any gum whatsoever. These are: 1) the stamp offered in the Whitman sale (Siegel Sale 968, lot 37, realized $130,000 hammer), previously in the 1941 C. A. Brown sale by Harmer, Rooke & Co. where described as "full original gum", also ex 1968 Rarities sale and A. T. Seymour Collection (Siegel Sale 373, Apr. 23, 1970, lot 35) where described as "large part original gum" and 2005 Rarities sale (lot 102, realized $75,000 hammer); 2) the "Ambassador" copy (Siegel Sale 300, Apr. 27, 1966, lot 45A), described as part original gum, also ex Argentum (Siegel Sale 807, Feb. 23, 1999, lot 76) where described as "unused (traces of gum)"; 3) the Caspary/Lilly copy, described in both catalogues as full original gum and with light horizontal crease, offered in our auction of the Hoffman Collection (Siegel Sale 956, lot 35, realized $180,000 hammer); 4) part original gum, light diagonal crease and two small corner creases, ex Geisler and "Laila" (Siegel Sale 972, lot 3039, realized $110,000 hammer); and 5) the example offered here, newly discovered and certified, offered to the market for the first time.
Census No. 28A-OG-05. With 2009 P.S.E. certificate (POG Fine 70; unpriced in SMQ with original gum above the grade of 50, SMQ $200,000.00 as 50). The grade of Fine 70 indicates that this should grade 90 for centering, based on the P.S.E.'s prescribed deductions for faults. Only one other has been graded to date (at 30)
5c Indian Red (28A). Warm shade in the true Indian Red color, bold strike of circular datestamp, tiny corner crease at top left, Very Fine appearance, signed Ashbrook
5c Indian Red (28A). Excellent color, circular datestamp, reperfed at right, few blunted perfs top left, Very Good appearance, with 2007 P.F. certificate
5c Brown (29). Original gum, strong dark color, centered barely in at bottom, Fine for this issue, which is very difficult to find in sound original-gum condition, with 2009 P.S.E. certificate
5c Brown (29). Bright color on crisp paper, face-free strike of octagonal datestamp, Extremely Fine, a pretty stamp
5c Brown (29). Nicely centered for this difficult issue with perfs essentially clear of design all around, beautiful rich color, face-free trace of circular datestamp, Very Fine
5c Orange Brown, Ty. II (30). Original gum, lightly hinged, wonderful deep rich color,Very Fine and attractive, with 2008 P.S.E. certificate
5c Orange Brown, Ty. II (30). Unused (no gum), warm shade, fresh and Very Fine
5c Orange Brown, Ty. II (30). Well-centered with perfs clear of the design all around, neat blue circular datestamp, Very Fine and choice, with 2006 P.F. certificate (VF-XF 85)
5c Orange Brown, Ty. II (30). Rich color and attractive margins, neat red grid cancel, Fine, scarce in sound used condition, with 2008 P.S.E. certificate
5c Deep Orange Brown, Ty. II (30). Choice margins and rather well-centered, bold grid cancel, light crease at top, small corner crease bottom right, Very Fine appearance, with 2007 P.F. certificate
5c Brown, Ty. II (30A). With right part imprint selvage, original gum, lightly hinged, exceptionally well-centered and wonderful deep rich colorEXTREMELY FINE. A DESIRABLE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT TYPE II BROWN 1860 SHADE IN REMARKABLY FRESH CONDITION WITH A PART-IMPRINT SHEET MARGIN.
Unlike its Orange Brown counterpart, the 5c Type II in Brown was not on hand in post offices when the 1861 demonetization order took effect. Therefore, original-gum examples of Scott 30A are far scarcer than Scott 30. The narrow spacing between subjects on the plate, as well as Toppan Carpenter's imprecise perforating, leaves collectors with very few well-centered original-gum examples.
With photocopy of 1997 P.F. certificate for right imprint and plate no. strip of three (bottom stamp)
5c Brown, Ty. II (30A). Pretty color and detailed impression, gorgeous centering, neat strike of New Orleans circular datestampEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1860 5-CENT BROWN TYPE II.
Ex Gore. With 2009 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $2,950.00). Only two have graded higher to date: one at 98 and one at 100 that we recently submitted for a client.
5c Dark Brown, Ty. II (30A var). Intense shade in the Scott-listed Dark Brown sub-shade, wide and balanced margins, red cancel, fresh and Extremely Fine, a stunning stamp, ex Gore
5c Brown, Ty. II (30A). Horizontal pair, radiant color nicely complemented by red grid cancels, each stamp with superior centering, fresh and Extremely Fine, a gorgeous pair, ex Newbury
10c Green, Ty. I (31). Brilliant color and crisp impression on fresh paper, neat strike of blue circular datestamp, beautiful centering with wide and balanced marginsEXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS MAGNIFICENT USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 10-CENT PERFORATED TYPE I HAS BEEN GRADED XF-SUPERB 95 BY P.S.E. -- THIS IS THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED TO DATE.
Type I stamps 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 top or 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 showing the characteristic is extremely limited, especially when other factors such as soundness are taken into consideration.
With 2007 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $9,000.00). This is the highest grade awarded to date, and only four others share this grade. This statistic has not changed since we last offered one in this grade in December 2008.