24c Gray Lilac, 30c Orange,
90c Blue, Imperforate (37b, 38a, 39a). Horizontal pairs of each, 24c
ample margins to in at top with a faint crease, 30c mostly ample margins,
90c huge margins with tiny thin in right stampTHE FAMOUS COMPLETE SET OF 1860 IMPERFORATE PAIRS, WHICH IS UNIQUE BY VIRTUE OF THE 90-CENT PAIR.
Apart from singles, there is record of only two 24c pairs, three 30c pairs, and this one 90c pair. The 90c is ex Ferrary, and it is believed that Arthur Hind assembled this complete set, which was sold in our 1971 Rarities sale ($25,000), 1983 Rarities sale ($68,750), 1989 Rarities sale ($57,750) and our 1994 Concord sale ($55,000).
Ex Ferrary, Hind and Concord. Each with 1971 P.F. certificate. (Image)
90c Blue (39). Deep rich
color, cancelled by light strike of black grid and red London, England,
circular datestamp, well-centered with extra wide margins at sides,
bright and freshEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB USED EXAMPLE OF THE SHORT-LIVED 90-CENT 1860 WITH A FOREIGN TRANSIT DATESTAMP.
The basic 24c and 30c rates to England, France and Germany created a large volume of mail franked with those values of the 1857-61 series. However, the 90c saw much more limited use, partly due to the rates in effect, but more because of the American Civil War. When supplies of current postage stamps were declared invalid in the South and ultimately demonetized by the Federal government, the 90c had been in use for only one year. For this reason, genuinely cancelled copies and covers bearing the 90c are extremely rare. Approximately 180 used examples have been certified by The Philatelic Foundation, of which one-quarter are sound.
The cancel most often seen on genuine used examples of the 90c is the New York red grid. The stamp offered here, with a London transit datestamp and a lightly-struck black grid, is a remarkable rarity.
Ex Hind, Gore, Seymour and Ishikawa. With 1993 P.F. certificate. (Image)
90c Deep Blue, Reprint
(47). Without gum as issued, well-centered with wide margins all
around, intense shade, proof-like impression on bright paperEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A LOVELY EXAMPLE OF THE 90-CENT 1857 REPRINT.
With 1987 P.F. certificate (Image)