Sale 1138 — The Hanover Collection of Superb-Quality U.S. Stamps, Part 2
Sale Date — Thursday, 6 October, 2016
Category — 1909-13 Issue (Scott 370-395)
3c Deep Violet, Orangeburg Coil (389). Choice centering with huge margins, deep rich color and proof-like impression showing every detail of the engraving, neat wavy-line machine cancel used at Orangeburg N.Y.EXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS MAY WELL BE THE FINEST SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE 3-CENT ORANGEBURG COIL IN EXISTENCE. ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE HANOVER COLLECTION.
The Orangeburg coil was made by the Post Office Department in 1911, specifically for use by the Bell Pharmaceutical Company. The 3c coil stamps were used to send samples of their products to physicians. Due to the quantity of mail, they were put through the first-class cancelling machine at Orangeburg, New York. The Orangeburg coil stamps' use on third-class mail, and the fact that philatelists were generally unaware of their production accounts for their rarity.
Due to the Orangeburg coil stamps' use on mass mailings, many of the surviving copies are faulty to some extent. The most common defects are corner creases or tears. Sound and well-centered copies have been recognized by collectors as truly rare, and bidding has been fierce for premium copies such as the stamp offered here.
Ex "Scarsdale". With 1989 and 2003 P.F. certificates
