Sale 1024 — The Natalee Grace Collection of Used Stamps of the United States, Part One: 1847-1868 Issues
Sale Date — Thursday, 7 June, 2012
Category — 1c 1851-56 Issue (Scott 5-9)
1c Blue, Ty. II (7). Position 60R2, large to huge margins all around including huge right sheet margin with "nter, Casilear & Co. BANK NOTE E" imprint and plate no. 2, neat strike of 1857 year-dated town datestamp, deep rich colorEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A STUNNING 1851 IMPERFORATE ONE-CENT TYPE II WITH THE PLATE NUMBER FROM PLATE 2.
Collectors who want the finest or most unusual examples of the classic imperforate issues are often stymied by common stamps, such as Scott No. 7, because it is difficult to find one example that stands apart from the rest. One way is to find a copy showing parts of all surrounding stamps, which is usually "made" by cutting out a single from a large multiple. Another approach, which is more difficult, is to find the stamp from either a corner-margin position or with part of the imprint or plate number.
The rarity of sound, four-margin copies increases exponentially when restricted to corner-margin or imprint examples. Imprints are found along eight positions on the 1c 1851-57 plates (four at left and four at right), and there are four corners of the full plate of 200 (plus the interior gutter positions). Many stamps from those positions were trimmed close to the design. The plate number is found on only two positions, and the number is almost never encountered on surviving stamps.
Ex Col. Edward H. R. Green. With 2009 P.S.E. certificate
