Sale 1188 — United States Stamp Treasures: The William H. Gross Collection
Sale Date — Wednesday, 3 October, 2018
Category — 1902-1908 Issue Coil Rarities, 6c 1918 Air Post First Day Cover
The finest known used single of the 4¢ 1908 Imperforate Issue, used on a pristine cover addressed to Karl Koslowski, the discoverer of the entire supply of this 20th century rarityDESCRIPTION
4¢ Brown, Imperforate, Schermack Type III (314A), huge margins with left sheet margin, superbly centered, rich color, neatly tied by “Sicklerville N.J. Apr. 8 1909” circular datestamp and duplex grid cancel on self-addressed cover to “Mr. K. Koslowski, 329 Cass Ave., Detroit, Mich.”, Philadelphia transit backstamp (Apr. 8, 7:30 p.m.)
PROVENANCE
* The stamp comes from the supply discovered and acquired by Karl Koslowski, May 1908; affixed by Koslowski to self-addressed envelope and sent inside parcel to his brother in Sicklerville, N.J., bearing a strip of three of 314A, with instructions to return the cancelled strip in envelope bearing single--postmarked at Sicklerville April 8, 1909
* Sold to or through William C. Rhodes, Hugh M. Clark sale, June 9, 1911, to Worthington
* George H. Worthington, J. C. Morgenthau sale, 8/21-23/1917, lot 1050, to Cameron Sperling (Lawrence citation from marked catalogue)
* Siegel Auction Galleries, 1965 Rarities of the World, 2/24/1965, Sale 283, lot 115
* Siegel Auction Galleries, 11/25-26/1969, Sale 362, lot 949--this sale included part of the A. T. Seymour collection
* Siegel Auction Galleries, 1985 Rarities of the World, 4/20/1985, Sale 645, lot 265, to Dr. Agris
* Dr. Joseph Agris, Shreves Philatelic Galleries, 9/5/1997, lot 254, to William H. Gross
CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES
* Siegel census no. 314A-COV-03
* https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/314A
* Ken Lawrence, “The Scarce Imperforate 4¢ Ulysses S. Grant Stamp of 1908,” Linn’s Stamp News, August 3, 2017 (online)
* World Stamp Show 2016 Court of Honor (Gross)
CONDITION NOTES
* Extremely Fine stamp and cover
Separate pencil notations in different hands:
* “6/9/11 W C Rhodes” (Worthington’s source notation)
* “Worthington Sale 8/22 1917” and “Rarity, only 31 copies known of which 15 are unused” in same hand
* “RSS 28 Kelleher” on hinge
* “R.H.W. Co.” backstamp (Weill)
VIEW PDF OF HISTORY AND COMMENTARY at https://siegelauctions.com/2018/1188/103.pdf
