Sale 968 — The Alan B. Whitman Collection of Outstanding United States Stamps
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 27-28 January, 2009
Category — 1868 Regular-Production Grilled Issue (E Grill, Scott 86-91)
12c Black, E. Grill (90). Original gum, intense shade and impression, clearly-defined grill, beautiful centering with well-proportioned marginsEXTREMELY FINE. THE 1868 12-CENT E GRILL IS AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT STAMP TO FIND WITH SUCH CHOICE CENTERING.
As collectors who have been searching for a superb original-gum copy of the 12c E Grill can attest, it is rarely seen in choice condition. One reason is that there have been far fewer multiples of the 12c E Grill than other grilled issues, and, therefore, fewer singles from broken blocks. No blocks were offered in sales of great classic collections, such as Crocker, Caspary, Eno, Lilly, Moody, West or Ishikawa. The Zoellner block was broken into Fine-Very Fine singles. The singles in most of the important U.S. collections offered during the past 20 years have been unsatisfactory in one way or another.
With 1990 P.S.E. and 1989 and 1995 P.F. certificates
