Sale 978 — The Beverly Hills Collection of Outstanding United States Stamps
Sale Date — Friday, 4 December, 2009
Category — 1870-88 Bank Note Issues
7c Vermilion, Grill (138). I. Grill, brilliant color as fresh as the day it was printed, cancelled by bold strike of New York Foreign Mail Geometric, perfectly centered with wide marginsEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A STUNNING USED EXAMPLE OF THE 7-CENT NATIONAL BANK NOTE COMPANY GRILLED ISSUE WITH THE DESIRABLE I GRILL. THIS STAMP HAS BEEN GRADED SUPERB 98 BY P.S.E., WHICH IS THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED TO DATE.
The I Grill is slightly smaller in size than the H Grill and is more difficult to find, especially on the higher denominations. We started keeping track of the different grill types approximately seven years ago, and this is only the fifth we have offered for the 7c in any condition. If Scott Catalogue were consistent, they would list the I Grill separately, as they do for the 1867-68 Grilled Issues.
P.S.E. encapsulated (Superb 98; SMQ $7,850.00). This is the highest grade awarded to date and only one other shares this grade. SMQ and the Population Report do not differentiate between the two grill types, but the other example to achieve this grade is an H Grill, and it realized $9,500 hammer in our recent Sale 976.
