Sale 1188 — United States Stamp Treasures: The William H. Gross Collection
Sale Date — Wednesday, 3 October, 2018
Category — Columbian Color Error Strip, Trans-Mississiippi Issue Rarities
One of two extant plate number blocks of the 8¢ Trans-Mississippi error from the only pane ever discovered without horizontal perforationsDESCRIPTION
8¢ Trans-Mississippi, Vertical Pair, Imperforate Horizontally (289a), bottom margin block of four with “BUREAU, ENGRAVING & PRINTING” imprint and plate number 609, block containing two error pairs, original gum, deep rich color, detailed impression, choice centering
PROVENANCE
Pane of 50 (as discovered):
* Robert Watts (discoverer), sold privately to Herman Lewis for $8
* Sold privately to William S. F. Pierce (Pierce divided the pane into three units--he kept block of 20 with top and bottom plate blocks)
Block of 20 with plate blocks: Sold by Pierce to New England Stamp Co.
Bottom plate number block (offered in this sale):
* Col. Edward H. R. Green, Part 26, Harmer, Rooke sale, 3/25-29/1946, lot 236, to Eno
* Amos Eno, Harmer, Rooke sale, 5/18/1954, lot 125
* H. R. Harmer 1000th Sale, 4/11/1956, lot 589, to Cole
* Arthur Hetherington, “Quality” collection, H. R. Harmer sale, 10/27/1983, lot 22, to Weills for Kobacker
* Arthur J. Kobacker, Christie’s Robson Lowe sale, 9/25/1991, lot 531, to Hagendorf/Columbian (sold privately to William H. Gross)
CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES
* Donna O’Keefe, Linn’s Philatelic Gems 4, p. 144
* World Stamp Show 2016 Court of Honor (Gross)
CERTIFICATION
* The Philatelic Foundation (1957 and 1983)
CONDITION NOTES
* Very Fine; a few natural gum wrinkles as usual
VIEW PDF OF HISTORY AND COMMENTARY at https://siegelauctions.com/2018/1188/95.pdf
