The Jonathan W. Rose Collection of 1847-60 Issues continued...

VERY FINE. ONLY POSITION 7R1E -- THE SEVENTH STAMP IN THE RIGHT PANE OF PLATE 1 EARLY -- FURNISHED IMPERFORATE 1851 ONE-CENT STAMPS SHOWING THE COMPLETE DESIGN (TYPE I). VERY FEW OF THE 80 CONFIRMED EXAMPLES OF THIS STAMP HAVE MARGINS CLEAR OF THE DESIGN ON ALL SIDES. A MAGNIFICENT EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE RAREST AND MOST DESIRABLE CLASSIC UNITED STATES STAMPS.

The census compiled by Mal Brown contains at least 80 unduplicated records of Scott 5. There are probably no more than ten examples existing outside of the Brown census population. Therefore, the 1c 1851 Type I is the rarest of all United States stamps issued regularly prior to the 1868 Grills.

Because of the significance attached to the outer portions of the 1c 1851 design, rare types that have been carefully cut apart, so as not to impinge on any part of the design, are extremely desirable. The narrow spacing between stamps in the sheet and the users' indifference to the outlying ornamentation during separation are factors that contributed to the great rarity of four-margin examples. Among the recorded imperforate Type I stamps (Scott 5), a small fraction of the copies on or off cover have four margins -- even fewer of these are sound.

Signed Ashbrook. With 1976 P.F. certificate (Image)

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. ONLY SIX POSITIONS FROM PLATE 1 EARLY FURNISHED TYPE Ib STAMPS.

Type Ib was produced only as an imperforate stamp. Six positions on Plate 1 Early furnished stamps qualifying as Type Ib -- Positions 3-6R and 8-9R -- distinguished by the complete design at top and nearly complete design at bottom. When first entered on the plate, these six positions (as well as 7R1E) had the complete design at top and bottom. However, unlike 7R, small portions of the bottoms were burnished away. These top-row positions usually have an ample top margin, but frequently the margins are close or cutting into the sides or bottom. (Image)

FINE-VERY FINE. A VERY RARE COMBINATION MULTIPLE CONTAINING TYPES Ib AND II.

With 1983 P.F. certificate. The Scott Catalogue does not list this type-combination multiple. Scott Retail as a single Type Ib and pair of Type II. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE AND CHOICE. AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE OF THE IMPERFORATE TYPE Ia STAMP.

Type Ia stamps were only furnished by 18 of the 20 positions on the bottom row of Plate 4. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE IMPERFORATE PAIR COMBINING TYPES III AND Ic, WHICH EXISTS ONLY IN TWO PLACES ON THE PLATE.

Type Ic occurs on only ten of the 200 positions from Plate 4 and does not occur on any other plate. Two of these ten are "swing positions" (41R4 and 49R4), which developed gaps at either top or bottom as the plate wore during use, becoming Type IIIa. Position 82L4 also transformed from a Type IIIa to Type III as the plate was used, when a break in the bottom line developed. In the pair offered here, we have the combination of Type III (breaks at top and bottom) and Type Ic. As is well known, most stamps printed from Plate 4 were issued with perforations. Imperforate stamps from Plate 4 are much rarer. The imperforate Type III-Ic combination pair offered here comes from the tiny fraction of production after Position 82L4 changed to Type III and before perforations were introduced in July 1857.

Ex Colonel E. H. R. Green. Signed Ashbrook. Listed but unpriced in Scott. (Image)

VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A RARE PAIR OF TYPE II STAMPS FROM THE TOP ROW OF THE RIGHT PANE OF PLATE 1 EARLY.

As Neinken states in his book (p. 61): "For both of these positions [1R1E and 2R1E], the Type I relief was first used, then both positions were erased. A poor job of burnishing was done, and strong traces of both original entries remained when the "T" relief (roll No. 1) was used to finally enter them." (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF TYPE III SHOWING WIDE BREAKS AT TOP AND BOTTOM.

Very few Type III positions on Plate 4 have wide breaks at both top and bottom. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. A WONDERFUL-LOOKING EXAMPLE OF THIS 1-CENT 1851 RARITY CLEARLY SHOWING THE WIDE BREAKS AT TOP AND BOTTOM.

We quote from the Neinken book: "This one Type III comes from 99R2 and it is unquestionably the finest example of this type produced from any of the one cent plates. As a type, its popularity ranks second only to the Type I, 7R1E..." (p. 172), "The 99R2 stamp is a fresh entry, that was short transferred both at top and bottom, over an original entry that had been erased... The reason that 99R2 is the finest example of Type III is because of its very short transfer at top and at bottom, giving us the wide breaks in these lines." (p. 184)

With 1973 P.F. certificate which states "few tiny defects" (Image)

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE COVER WITH A COMPLETE SET OF THE 1851 ISSUE USED TO FULLY PREPAY THE 29-CENT RATE FROM CALIFORNIA TO ENGLAND.

The rate paid was 10c transcontinental plus 16c packet plus 3c for British internal postage. (Image)