Sale 1093 — The Curtis Collection: U.S. 20th Century and Air Post
Sale Date — Monday-Tuesday, 23-24 February, 2015
Category — 1908-10 Washington-Franklin Coils (Scott 348-356)
10c Yellow, Coil (356). Pair, vivid color, two neat strikes of Washington D.C. double oval cancelFINE. ONLY FIFTEEN GENUINE USED MULTIPLES OF THE 10-CENT HORIZONTAL COIL, SCOTT 356, ARE RECORDED.
According to Johl (Volume 1, page 181), only 10,000 of the 10c Washington coil stamp were issued. They were made especially for a New York firm to send out advertising samples, similar to the 3c Orangeburg coil. Only a few rolls were sold to the firm, and the remaining rolls were distributed to some of the large post offices across the country. Dealers acquired several rolls, but because most contemporary collectors did not collect coils, many were used and destroyed.
Our census of Scott No. 356 in used multiples, available at http://siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/356/356.pdf , contains twelve pairs, one strip of four and two strips of three. Four of the pairs originated on the same cover, which was prepared by Henry Hammelman and mailed in August 1911 from Washington D.C. (this pair was not on that cover). It also contained other denominations. A guide line pair has been certified as genuine, but the cancel needs to be reexamined to see if it is one of the fakes produced during the last 20 years.
Census No. 356-CAN-PR-14. 1960 P.F. certificate no longer accompanies. With 2000 P.F. certificate.
