Sale 968B — The Alan B. Whitman Collection, Part Three: 1902-34 Issues, B-O-B
Sale Date — Tuesday-Friday, 22-25 September, 2009
Category — 1919-20 Issues (Scott 537-550)
Lot
Symbol
Photo/Description
Cat./Est. Value
Realized
721
1c Green, Rotary Perf 11 (544). Mint N.H., fresh and bright color, choice centering for this notoriously challenging issueFINE AND RARE. ONE OF THE FEW EXTANT MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLES OF THIS MAJOR 20TH CENTURY RARITY. PROBABLY NO MORE THAN 20 OF THE 1923 ONE-CENT ROTARY PERF 11, SCOTT 544, EXIST IN ANY UNUSED STATE -- FEWER THAN TEN ARE MINT NEVER-HINGED.
A small quantity of 1c Rotary Press stamps was perforated 11 at the end of 1922, using remainder sheets from the earlier printings that were normally perforated in 10 gauge or 10/11 compound gauge. Its existence as a Perf 11 variety was discovered in 1936, and the stamp received its Scott Catalogue listing in 1938.
Most of the recorded copies of Scott 544 are off-center or have been damaged -- the result of poor production standards and mis-handling.
With 1981 and 1992 P.F. certificates
37,500
24,000