5c Red Brown (1). Position
10L with enormous top right corner sheet margins, 3-1/2 mm at top
and 5-1/2 mm at right, other two margins are large and even, deep rich
color and sharp impression, plating dots in sheet margin (characteristric
of the position,) light strike of red grid cancel and short faint pencil
line in right marginEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB CORNER SHEET-MARGIN EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT 1847 ISSUE.
This corner-margin stamp has consistently realized between 8 and 10 times Scott Catalogue value in its auction appearances during the last 50 years.
Ex Emerson, Lehman and Haas (our Sale 418, where it was illustrated on the front cover). With 2000 P.F. certificate. (Image)
10c Black (2). Position 91R
with huge bottom left corner sheet margins, approximately 3 mm at
bottom and 4 mm at left, other two margins are enormous, including
significant part of adjoining stamp at right, fine impression on nicely
blued paper, incredible detail of engraving, lightly struck blue
Philadelphia circular datestamp and tiny speck of redEXTREMELY FINE GEM. THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE WALL 1847 COLLECTION AND ARGUABLY THE FINEST USED 10-CENT 1847 STAMP KNOWN TO PHILATELY. ONLY FOURTEEN USED CORNER-MARGIN 10-CENT 1847 SINGLES ARE RECORDED, THIS BEING THE ONLY SOUND EXAMPLE WITH FOUR LARGE MARGINS.
In Philip Wall's census of 10c 1847's, which encompasses both the Levi records and decades of searching through auction catalogues, he records fourteen used stamps and one unused stamp with self-evident corner sheet margins. Others can be plated to the position but do not show significant sheet margins. Of the fourteen used stamps, four have larger corner margins than the stamp offered here, but all of these have faults (a total of nine are faulty). Of the four sound copies in addition to the stamp offered here, two have one margin touching or at least close (one of these has not been offered at auction since 1969 and is only assumed to be sound). One of the two with four (smaller) margins is offered as lot 4 in this sale, and the other is pen cancelled.
Ex Moody, Dick and Haas (our Sale 418, where it realized nearly ten times Scott Catalogue value -- $2,300 vs. $235). With 2000 P.F. certificate (Image)
5c Orange Brown (1b).
Position 91R with huge bottom right corner sheet margins, other
sides large to ample at lower right, fresh and bright color, light strike
of blue "5" numeral cancelEXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE CORNER-MARGIN 5-CENT 1847 IN THE ORANGE BROWN SHADE. A BEAUTIFUL STAMP.
Ex Haas and Rohloff. With 2000 P.F. certificate. (Image)
10c Black (2). Position 91R
with large bottom left corner sheet margins, other sides full to
large, intense shade, light strike of red town circular
datestampEXTREMELY FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE CORNER SHEET-MARGIN EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT 1847 ISSUE. ONE OF FOURTEEN USED 10-CENT 1847 SINGLES RECORDED WITH LARGE CORNER SHEET MARGINS. ONLY THIS STAMP AND ONE OTHER ARE SOUND FOUR-MARGIN SINGLES WITH A HANDSTAMPED CANCELLATION.
As noted in lot 2, Philip Wall records fourteen used 10c stamps (and one unused) with obvious corner sheet margins. Others can be plated to the position, but do not show significant sheet margins. Of the fourteen, nine are faulty. Two of the five sound stamps have one or two sides of the design cut into. Of the three sound four-margin stamps, one is pen cancelled, leaving only this stamp and the one in lot 2 available to collectors who want a sound, four-margin example with handstamped cancellation.
With 2000 P.F. certificate. (Image)