Sale 1084 — The Curtis Collection: 1847-1901 Stamps and Covers
Sale Date — Wednesday-Thursday, 5-6 November, 2014
Category — 1861-66 Issue, cont. (Scott 70-78)
24c Red Lilac (70). Original gum, deep early shade, minute thin speck, Very Fine appearance, extremely scarce shade with original gum
24c Brown Lilac (70a). Radiant color and crisp impression on bright paper, bold strike of large grid, choice centeringEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1861 24-CENT BROWN LILAC, WHICH HAS BEEN GRADED SUPERB 95 BY P.S.E.
With 2008 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $3,100.00). Only two have graded higher (at 95J and 98) and five others share this grade.
24c Steel Blue (70b). Original gum, lightly hinged, rich color in the true Steel Blue color, unusually choice centering, small toned spots at center and at bottom leftEXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE WELL-CENTERED ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1861 24-CENT STEEL BLUE.
The Steel Blue shade was produced early in the series of 24c 1861 shades, and it is scarce in any condition. Examples with original gum are rare, and those with Very Fine or Extremely Fine centering are of tremendous rarity, probably numbering no more than ten. This stamp has incredibly fresh color.
With 2007 P.F. certificate
24c Steel Blue (70b). Rich color in the true Steel Blue shade, bright paper, neat strike of grid cancel, well-balanced margins, Very Fine, a pretty stamp
24c Steel Blue (70b). Intense shade and impression, cancelled by grid cancel and tied by "Oberlin O. Feb. 13" circular datestamp on cover to London, England, red New York 19c credit circular datestamp, receiving backstamp, fresh and Very Fine, an attractive cover
24c Violet, Thin Paper (70c). Unused (no gum), radiant color, central thin spot, faint vertical creases, small tears at top right and bottom left, Fine appearance, a rare unused example of the 24c Violet, with 1982 and 2007 P.F. certificates.
24c Violet, Thin Paper (70c). Rich color on bright paper, bold strike of blue grid cancel and part of matching circular datestamp at left, nibbed perf at bottom, otherwise Fine, with 1987 P.F. certificate
24c Violet, Thin Paper (70c). Rich color on bright paper, tied by red grid cancel, "New York 19 6 Nov." credit datestamp on buff cover to Dublin, Ireland, receiving backstamp, stamp with few faults, lifted and placed back, cover refolded at edges, some slight soiling, still Very Fine, with 2008 P.F. certificate
24c Pale Gray Violet, Thin Paper (70d). Remarkably choice centering for this difficult issue, intense shade and proof-like impression on crisp paper, neat strike of circle of wedges within circle cancel, Very Fine and choice, a stamp with great visual appeal, ex Zoellner and Natalee Grace, with 1994 P.F. and 2012 P.S.E. certificates (F-VF 75; SMQ $1,650.00), much better and more valuable than this P.S.E. grade and SMQ value would suggest
24c 1861-66 Issue Covers. Four, including 24c Red Lilac (70) tied by large handstamp and used from Boston to London, England, 24c Brown Lilac (70a) tied by grid and affixed over 3c entire with "Washington D.C. Free Apr. 11, 1864" double-circle datestamp to Birkenhead, England, some slight edgewear, 24c Grayish Lilac (78a) used from Bellows Falls Vt. to London, England, last is 24c Gray (78b) also used to England, Fine-Very Fine group of covers
30c Orange (71). Vibrant color as fresh as the day it was printed, neat strike of grid cancel, choice centering with well-proportioned margins, Extremely Fine, the tightly-spaced 30c 1861 Issue is rarely found with perfs clear of the design and choice centering (a fact specifically noted in the Scott Catalogue), with 1989 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (XF 90; SMQ $550.00)
30c Orange (71). Block of four, rich color, attractive segmented cork cancel, top left stamp faint crease, top right stamp short perf at top, Fine-Very Fine appearance, a scarce used block, the last we offered was in 2008 and the one prior to that was in 2001, Scott Retail $2,500.00
30c Orange (71). Radiant color, tied by target and "Bloomington Ill. Jun. 19" double-circle datestamp on tobacconist's buff handstamped corner card cover to Kurchessen, Germany, red "N. York Am. Pkt. 7 Paid Jun. 22" credit datestamp, blue boxed "Aachen Franco" datestamp, receiving backstamp, minor edgewear, Very Fine use overpaying by 2c the 28c rate via Prussian Closed Mail
90c Blue (72). Block of four, original gum, deep rich color and proof-like impression on bright paper, right stamps diagonal creaseFINE APPEARANCE. A RARE ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCK OF FOUR OF THE 90-CENT 1861 ISSUE.
Less than ten blocks of four are recorded. Most tend to be centered to left. A block of eight was offered in the Caspary sale, with similar centering, and this may have come from the same sheet.
Scott Retail $32,500.00
90c Blue (72). Wide margins and nicely centered, circle of V's cancel, Very Fine and choice, with 1987 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (VF-XF 85; SMQ $900.00)
90c Blue (72). Block of four, rich color, cork cancels, few flaws, still Fine appearing used block, Scott Retail $5,000.00
90c Blue (72). Block of nine, large circle of wedges cancellations, bright color, small corner creasing in two corners, few expertly rejoined perf separations.FINE AND RARE LARGE MULTIPLE OF THE 90-CENT 1861 ISSUE.
The $8.10 total postage represented by this block presumably paid a multiple foreign-mail rate on a heavy parcel.
One stamp with "W.H.C." (Colson) backstamp. With 1986 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail $8,000.00 as block of four and five singles
2c Black (73). Block of four, original gum, lightly hinged, deep shade and impression on bright paper, choice centering throughoutVERY FINE-EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL BLOCK OF FOUR OF THE 1863 2-CENT BLACK JACK.
With 2000 P.S.E. certificate. Scott Retail $2,750.00
2c Black (73). Bottom imprint and plate no. 29 block of twelve, Die T with evidence of re-entry in each stamp, original gum, few h.r. where some perf separations sensibly reinforced, one stamp in plate block slightly thinned, centered to rightFINE AND RARE FULL IMPRINT AND PLATE NUMBER BLOCK OF THE 1863 2-CENT BLACK JACK.
Only three plate blocks from Plate 29 are recorded in the Chapin census, including one which is listed as stolen.
Ex Rorke. Scott Retail $16,600.00 as plate block and two pairs.
2c Black (73). Intense shade, Jumbo margins and choice centering, bold grid cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, this issue is rarely encountered with such huge margins, ex Kirke, with 2010 P.F. and 2007 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95 Jumbo; SMQ $750.00 as 95, $2,750.00 as 98), only two have graded higher (both at 98)
2c Black (73). Block of twelve, bright shade, manuscript "Stamped in my presence 9th July 1866 J.G. McKessan, C.C. Pago" revenue cancel, few faults including center horizontal row crease and few perf flaws, Very Fine appearance, reputed to be the largest used multiple of the 2c Black Jack, Scott 73
2c Black (73). Tied by well-struck cogwheel, "San Francisco Cal. Nov. 7, 1864" double-circle datestamp on cover with fireproof safe illustrated advertising design used locally, few toned perfs, otherwise Fine
2c Black, Diagonal Half Used as 1c (73a). Used in pair with normal and tied across the cut by neat "Palmyra Pa. Apr. 26" circular datestamp with day in manuscript, on buff cover to Norristown Penn., stamp with internal tear not mentioned on accompanying certificate, Very Fine appearance, with 1960 P.F. and 2004 P.S.E. certificates, the latter noting "stamps with defects at center"
3c Scarlet (74). Bold strike of "D" oval grid duplex cancel of New York City, brilliant color, nibbed perf at top and slightly scissors-blunted perfs at bottom (not mentioned on certificate), also slightly soiled at top rightFINE APPEARANCE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 3-CENT SCARLET CANCELLED BY THE NEW YORK CITY OVAL DUPLEX CANCELLATION. ONLY A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF THIS ISSUE WERE ACTUALLY SENT THROUGH THE MAILS.
As documented by Jerome S. Wagshal in a series of Chronicle articles (Nos. 56, 60, 61 and 62), Carl F. Rothfuchs, a Washington D.C. stamp dealer, obtained a supply of the 3c Scarlet in 1893 -- probably from the Post Office Department in exchange for his assistance with the Columbian Exposition -- and sold them with pen marks and original gum. A small number were also used by J. W. Scott, who posted letters with some of his supply to validate his claim that these stamps were legitimate postage. Today, there are perhaps five copies cancelled in this manner.
With 1994 P.F. certificate
5c Red Brown (75). Fiery shade, incredibly intense color on bright white paper, well-centered with nicely proportioned margins leaving outer projections well clear of perforations on all four sides, segmented cork cancel struck at left, Extremely Fine Gem, a superb stamp in every respect, Brookman notes "I consider the used Red Brown to be more scarce than Buff but the Buff is more scarce unused", accompanied by cover bearing 1c Blue (63) from Boston to N.C., from which this stamp originates, ex Newbury and Natalee Grace, with 2009 P.S.E. certificate (XF 90; SMQ $1,250.00), only four have graded higher.
5c Red Brown (75). Rich color in the true Red Brown shade, tied by Boston large "Paid" grid on 1863 blue folded letter to Calcutta, India, "Boston Br. Pkt. Mar. 4", London, Bombay and receiving backstamps, fresh and Very Fine, scarce use from the Goddard correspondence
5c Brown (76). Block of four, original gum, rich color, light creases or bend, reperfed at left, Very Good-Fine appearance, very scarce block of the 5c 1863 Brown, Scott Retail $8,250.00
5c Brown (76). Bright shade on crisp paper, well-balanced margins, neat strikes of handstamp and trace of red cancel at lower right, Extremely Fine, with 2001 P.S.E. certificate
5c Brown (76). Horizontal block of six, bright color nicely complemented by red 3c credit datestamps, reperfed at right, bottom center stamp small crease, Fine appearance, signed Bartels, the largest recorded used block is a block of eight, Scott Retail $1,745.00
5c Brown (76). Attractive shade, cancelled by light strike of quartered cork on 1867 cover to Sydney Mines, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, unusual fancy "13-1/2c" in circle debit marking, Sydney Mines Feb. 19, 1867 receiving backstamp, missing top flap, some edgewear, still Fine and scarce use, ex Robertson
15c Black (77). Unusually wide margins for this difficult issue, intense shade on bright paper, well-struck quartered cork cancel, Extremely Fine, with 1989 and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (XF 90; SMQ $500.00)
24c Lilac (78). Balanced margins and near-perfect centering, light and essentially face-free circular datestamp, choice colorEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB LIGHTLY-CANCELLED EXAMPLE OF THE 1863 24-CENT LILAC.
With 2009 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $3,500.00)
24c Lilac (78). Block of four with interpane margin at left, radiant color, neat segmented grid cancels, top stamps faint diagonal crease, Very Fine appearance, with 2004 P.F. certificate, Scott Retail $2,750.00