Sale 1159 — 2017 Rarities of the World
Sale Date — Tuesday, 27 June, 2017
Category — 1910-22 Washington-Franklin Issues (Scott 389-539)
Lot
Symbol
Photo/Description
Cat./Est. Value
Realized
234
3c Deep Violet, Orangeburg Coil (389). Centered to left, deep rich color, tied by "Orangeburg N.Y. May 27 5PM 1911" wavy-line machine cancel on light gray clasped envelope with "Bell & Company Incorporated Manufacturing Chemists" corner card to Dunmore Pa., without usual cover edge creasing, stamp with faint soiled spot at right harshly described on certificate as a "light stain"VERY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 3-CENT ORANGEBURG COIL ON COVER. ONLY 13 ORANGEBURG COIL COVERS HAVE BEEN CERTIFIED AS GENUINE BY THE PHILATELIC FOUNDATION.
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. This May 27, 1911, date is early for the Orangeburg coil.
With 1992 P.F. certificate
27,500
16,500
