Sale 1075 &#8212; 2014 Rarities of the World

2,750

1120°

15c Orange, I. Grill (141A). Original gum, single hinge mark at top, well-defined I Grill points visible on both sides of the stamp, vivid color, completely sound

THIS IS THE FINEST AND ONLY SOUND ORIGINAL-GUM 15-CENT I GRILL AMONG ONLY THREE RECORDED COPIES. AMONG THE RAREST STAMPS IN UNITED STATES PHILATELY.

Starting with the 2013 Scott U.S. Specialized Catalogue, the I Grills have been elevated to major catalogue number status. We anticipate that collector demand will be difficult to satisfy based on populations we have seen, especially in the higher value issues in unused condition.

For the 15c I Grill, Ronald A. Burns records 14 used off-cover, two unused and two covers, for a total of 18 items. This original-gum example is not included in his census. With this stamp we have offered all three of the original-gum examples recorded. Among the three, this is the only sound example. Another is well-centered but with a small sealed tear. The third example has faults and Fine centering.

With 2014 P.S.E. certificate

17,500

1121°

1c Dull Dark Orange, Watercolor Frame on Card, Engraved Vignette Mounted in Place (145-E5). 44 x 51mm, card with pencil "U.S. POSTAGE" and "ONE CENT", printed "R. Vail" on back, small initials at bottom right, very slight soiling

VERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND UNIQUE WATERCOLOR ESSAY FOR THE ONE-CENT FRANKLIN NATIONAL BANK NOTE COMPANY ISSUE.

Ex Finkelburg and Lake Shore. Illustrated in Scott catalog

2,500

5,000

1122

7c Vermilion (149). Radiant color, tied by perfect strike of "PITTSBURGH, PA./AUG. 13 3 PM" in frame and Shield and Stars fancy machine cancellation on cover to Lenzburg, Aargau, Switzerland, "New York via England & Ostende Aug. 15" circular datestamp, neat "VIA OSTENDE" and "INSUFFICIENTLY PAID" straightline handstamps, blue crayon "15" centimes deficiency notation, red crayon due marking, receiving backstamp

EXTREMELY FINE. AN ABSOLUTELY STUNNING COVER WITH THE PITTSBURGH SHIELD FANCY MACHINE CANCEL ON AN INSUFFICIENTLY PAID COVER TO SWITZERLAND. CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BE ONE OF THE GREATEST BANK NOTE ISSUE COVERS EXTANT.

Ex Braus, Kaplan and Albert. With 1991 P.F. certificate

E. 5,000-7,500

6,500

1123°

24c Purple (153). Original gum, incredible Jumbo margins and precise centering, beautiful bright color

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1870 24-CENT NATIONAL BANK NOTE CO. UNGRILLED ISSUE WHICH HAS BEEN GRADED XF-SUPERB 95 JUMBO BY P.S.E. THIS IS THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED.

With 1986, 1999 P.F. and 2003 P.S.E. certificates (OG, XF-Superb 95 Jumbo; SMQ $9,250.00 as 95, unpriced in any higher grade). This is the highest grade awarded and it is shared by no others.

1,800

16,000

1124°

24c Purple (153). Wide margins and almost mathematically perfect centering, outstanding rich color on bright paper, red New York Foreign Mail cancel

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A PERFECTLY CENTERED EXAMPLE OF THE 1870 24-CENT UNGRILLED NATIONAL BANK NOTE COMPANY ISSUE WITH A RED NEW YORK FOREIGN MAIL CANCEL -- GRADED SUPERB 98 BY P.S.E. THIS IS THE ONLY EXAMPLE TO ACHIEVE THIS GRADE AND THE FINEST EXAMPLE WE RECORD.

The 24c Bank Note Issue has always been a difficult stamp to find in the highest grades. There often seems to be a tradeoff between centering and color, with many stamps fading over years of handling. There are no examples graded above 90 for the grilled issue, and this 98 stands as the highest grade for the ungrilled issue, with none equaling it. The next closest is a single stamp graded 95 Jumbo (ex Kirke) and 16 graded 95.

With 2013 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98; SMQ $3,500.00)

245

4,250

1125°

30c Black (154). Original gum, lightly hinged, wide margins and almost mathematically perfect centering, intense shade and proof-like impression

EXTREMELY FINE. GRADED XF-SUPERB 95, THIS IS THE FINEST ORIGINAL-GUM, LIGHTLY HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 1870 30-CENT NATIONAL UNGRILLED ISSUE WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED. ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT OF ALL BANK NOTE ISSUES TO FIND IN SOUND, WELL-CENTERED, ORIGINAL-GUM CONDITION.

During the past 15 years, we have offered a few superb original-gum examples of National and Continental 30c Bank Notes (Scott 143, 154 and 165). Included in this total is a handful of the Continental printing, Scott 165, which is distinguished from its National Ungrilled counterpart by shade and the shape of the perforations. For the Ungrilled National printing, Scott 154, we have offered only about five hinged stamps in sound, Extremely Fine condition, and none graded as high as the example offered here (the famous Mint N.H. stamp from the Whitman collection was graded 90). This is one of the most difficult of all the Bank Note issues to find in such superb condition.

With 1988, 1999 P.F. and 2007 P.S.E. certificates (OGph, XF-Superb 95; SMQ $25,500.00). This is the only unused example of this issue in any gum condition graded 95 in the P.S.E. Population Report, with none higher.

7,500

37,500

1126°

7c Orange Vermilion (160). Tied by perfect strike of New York Foreign Mail Circle of Hearts cancel (Weiss TR-W 5), red "New York Paid All Br. Transit Apr. 18" (1874) circular datestamp on 1c Brown Postal Card (UX3) to Brussels, Belgium, back with blue D. E. Rham & Co. oval and transit datestamp, fresh and crisp

EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE USE OF THE 7-CENT CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE ISSUE ON A ONE-CENT POSTAL CARD TO BELGIUM, PAYING THE 8-CENT CLOSED MAIL RATE, WITH A PERFECT STRIKE OF A NEW YORK FOREIGN MAIL CANCEL.

With 1990 P.F. certificate

E. 2,000-3,000

3,250

1127°

12c Blackish Violet (162). Original gum, wonderful depth of color in the distinctive shade of the Continental printing, wide margins

EXTREMELY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1873 12-CENT CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY ISSUE.

With 2014 P.F. certificate (VF-XF 85)

2,400

6,000

1128

7c Reddish Vermilion, Special Printing (171). Without gum as issued, vivid color, full perfs at bottom and left, scissors-separated at top and right

FINE EXAMPLE OF THE 7-CENT 1875 CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY SPECIAL PRINTING.

Our recently updated census records for Scott 171 contain 73 copies. Many examples were separated by scissors, and so are often found with perforations partly missing or entirely trimmed away.

Unpublished Census No. 171-UNC-73. With 2014 P.F. certificate.

5,250

2,500

1129°

30c Full Black (190). Mint N.H., intense shade, beautifully centered with wide margins

VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A RARE MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 30-CENT 1879 AMERICAN BANK NOTE ISSUE. THIS ISSUE IS RARELY OBTAINABLE IN CHOICE NEVER-HINGED CONDITION.

The 30c 1879 American Bank Note Company issue is surprisingly difficult to obtain in Mint N.H. condition. It is surprising because the 15c (Scott 189) is readily available. However, a survey of our photo records and auction library revealed the scarcity of well-centered 30c blocks from which singles could be removed. A review of Power Search found only nine other Mint N.H. singles.

With 2014 P.S.E. certificate (VF-XF 85; SMQ $4,650.00)

3,000

5,000

1130°

5c Indigo (216). Mint N.H., Jumbo margins and essentially perfect centering, intense shade and impression, small vertical plate scratch at bottom left

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS MAGNIFICENT MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 1888 5-CENT AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY ISSUE HAS BEEN AWARDED THE GRADE OF SUPERB 98 JUMBO BY P.S.E. NO OTHER EXAMPLE HAS BEEN GRADED ABOVE 95.

The 5c Garfield was first issued in 1882 in shades of Brown. When the colors were changed in 1888, the 5c was released in a beautiful Indigo shade. Although unused copies are by no means scarce, Mint N.H. examples are very scarce, and higher grades in Mint N.H. condition are exceedingly rare. For the collector assembling a Superb Mint N.H. set of the 1888 American Bank Note Issue, the stamp offered here is a key component.

With 2013 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98 Jumbo; SMQ $9,750.00 as 98, unpriced in any higher grade). This is the highest grade awarded by far. The next highest is a 95, which is shared by four stamps

700

12,000

1131

Clipperton Island-San Francisco, (unstated value) Green (Unlisted in Scott). Well-centered, used with 2c Carmine, Ty. III (252), tied by "San Francisco, Cal. Nov. 5, 5:30 PM 96" circular datestamp and duplex numeral oval grid on cover to San Francisco, W. Frese & Co. San Francisco corner card, receiving backstamp of the following day

A VERY FINE AND EXTREMELY RARE COVER FRANKED WITH THE CLIPPERTON ISLAND PRIVATE FRANKING STAMP.

Clipperton Island lies 670 miles southwest of Mexico in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It was an important source of guano fertilizer and home to 150-200 miners at the time the Clipperton Island stamp was issued for use on mail carried from the island to San Francisco. This cover entered the mails at San Francisco and is additionally franked with the proper 2c U.S. postage for a local drop rate. Very few Clipperton Island covers are known.

E. 2,000-3,000

2,500

1132

Clipperton Island-San Francisco, (unstated value) Violet Brown (Unlisted in Scott). Well-centered, used with 5c Chocolate (270) tied by segmented cork cancels, "San Francisco, Cal. Apr. 3, 12:30 PM 96" circular datestamp and duplex numeral oval grid on cover to Birmingham, England, W. Frese & Co. San Francisco corner card, receiving backstamp

A VERY FINE AND EXTREMELY RARE COVER FRANKED WITH THE CLIPPERTON ISLAND PRIVATE FRANKING STAMP.

Clipperton Island lies 670 miles southwest of Mexico in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It was an important source of guano fertilizer and home to 150-200 miners at the time the Clipperton Island stamp was issued for use on mail carried from the island to San Francisco. This cover to England entered the mails at San Francisco and is additionally franked with the proper 5c U.S. postage for the U.P.U. rate. Very few Clipperton Island covers are known.