Sale 1232 — United States Stamps and Postal History
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 30-31 March, 2021
Category — 1894-98 Bureau Issues (Scott 246-284)
2c Carmine, Ty. I (250). Top imprint and plate no. 113 block of six with wide selvage, top center and bottom right stamps Mint N.H., others with few areas of gum skips, brilliant color, choice centering throughout, Extremely Fine
10c Green, Imperforate (258a). Left imprint and plate no. 63 block of six, unused (no gum), large margins all around, few creasesVERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE IMPRINT AND PLATE NUMBER BLOCK OF SIX OF THE 1894 10-CENT IMPERFORATE UNWATERMARKED BUREAU ISSUE.
Full imperforate sheets of 400 of the 3c, 4c, 5c and 10c values were removed from the Bureau and became available to collectors. They were not gummed when they came from the Bureau, but were later unofficially gummed, which is not present on this block.
We have offered only one other plate block since keeping computerized records, from the bottom position, plus a block with plate no. and part imprint from the right position
50c Orange (260). Mint N.H. top imprint and plate no. 75 strip of three, perfectly centered with vivid colorEXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF THE FINEST 50-CENT 1894 BUREAU PLATE STRIPS OF THREE KNOWN. PARTICULARLY RARE IN MINT NEVER-HINGED CONDITION.
The 1894 Issue was the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's first effort at regular stamp production, and they experienced difficulty in applying perforations. This problem, coupled with the fact that only small quantities of high values were printed before watermarked paper was introduced (only 175,000 of the 50c), accounts for the rarity of 50c and dollar-value 1894 Unwatermarked Bureau stamps in choice condition. Plate number multiples are exponentially rarer, and this is perhaps the finest 50c 1894 we have handled. Using Power Search, we located two other Mint N.H. strips, both from the bottom position, including one with perfs touching the design.
50c Orange (260). Block of four, attractive margins and centering, bright color with just a hint of oxidation at top, light duplex cancel, Very Fine, used blocks of the 1894 Unwatermarked 30c are rare in any condition, Power Search contains only one other, which has a sealed tear, this sound block is very desirable, with 2000 P.F. certificate
$1.00 Black (261). Original gum, lightly hinged, wide margins and well-centered, intense shade on bright paper, Extremely Fine, with 1991 P.F. certificate
$1.00 Black, Ty. II (261A). Original gum, attractive centering, few pinpoint abrasion specks, appears Fine, with 1995 A.P.S. certificate
$1.00 Black, Ty. II (261A). Original gum, clear impression, Fine, with 1987 P.F. certificate
$2.00 Bright Blue (262). Block of four, bright color, oval registry cancels, small thin spots and minor edge perf separationsFINE-VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE USED BLOCK OF THE 1894 $2.00 UNWATERMARKED BUREAU ISSUE.
According to Linn's U.S. Stamp Facts, a block of four is the largest recorded used multiple of the $2.00 1894 Unwatermarked Bureau Issue.
With 2020 P.F. certificate
4c Dark Brown (269). Mint N.H. bottom imprint and plate no. 194 strip of three, rich color, Very Fine
6c Dull Brown (271). Mint N.H., wide margins and essentially perfect centering, proof-like impression on post-office fresh paperEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 1895 6-CENT WATERMARKED BUREAU ISSUE.
With 1996 P.F. and 2013 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $4,000.00). Only three Mint N.H. stamps grade higher (at 95J).
6c Dull Brown (271). Mint N.H. bottom imprint and plate no. 248 strip of three, choice centering, deep rich color on bright paper, Extremely Fine, very difficult to find in this exceptional quality, with 2020 P.F. certificate for a strip of six
15c Dark Blue (274). Phenomenal centering with Jumbo margins, deep rich color on bright paper, registry oval cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, a superb stamp, small backstamp, with 2001 and 2019 P.S.E. certificates (Superb 98 Jumbo; SMQ $2,000.00), this is the highest grade awarded to a used copy and it is shared by only one other
$1.00 Black, Ty. I (276). Original gum, lightly hinged, deep shade on bright paper, choice centering, Extremely Fine, with 1997 P.F. and 2019 P.S.E. certificates (OGph, XF 90; SMQ $1,100.00)
$1.00 Black, Ty. I (276). Original gum, lightly hinged, fresh and Very Fine, with 1983 P.F. certificate
$1.00 Black, Ty. II (276A). Original gum, deep shade and detailed impression, wide and balanced marginsEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A BEAUTIFUL ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1895 $1.00 TYPE II WATERMARKED BUREAU ISSUE, GRADED XF-SUPERB 95 BY THE P.F.
With 2020 P.F. certificate (XF-Superb 95). This is the highest grade awarded by the P.F. to Scott 276A, and 95 is also the highest grade awarded by P.S.E. (three examples). We have offered only two original-gum Scott 276A's with grades of 95 (one each from P.S.E. and P.F.) and both realized well over SMQ value.
$2.00 Bright Blue (277). Original gum, bright color, well-centered with wide margins,Very Fine and choice, with 1984 P.F. certificate
$5.00 Dark Green (278). Original gum, rich color, fresh and Very Fine, with copy of 1990 P.F. certificate for a block of four (this the top left stamp)
1c Deep Green (279). Mint N.H. with wide right part imprint selvage, brilliant color, near perfect centering, Extremely Fine Gem, a superb stamp, with 2006 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98; SMQ $1,100.00), only six grade higher (3 at 98J, 3 at at 100)
5c Dark Blue (281). Mint N.H., intense shade on fresh paper, outstanding centering and margins, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2006 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $1,300.00), only seven grade higher (6 at 98 and one at 98J)
10c Brown, Ty. I (282C). Mint N.H., deep rich color and proof-like impression, well-proportioned margins and choice centering, Extremely Fine, a scarce stamp Mint N.H. in the higher grades, with 2006 P.F. certificate (XF 90), with 2018 P.S.E. certificate (XF 90; SMQ $1,700.00)