United States Stamps

EXTREMELY FINE. A RARE COMPLETE SET OF THE 1857 REPRINTS FROM A ROOSEVELT PRESENTATION ALBUM.

85 presentation albums were prepared in 1903. As our description in the Finkelburg catalogue (Sale 816) notes, some values were prepared from the original dies. The partial set offered in the Finkelburg sale (lacking the 3c) realized $2,500 hammer.

Ex Klein (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE AND CHOICE. THE ONE-CENT 1857 PERFORATED TYPE I IS A DIFFICULT STAMP TO FIND IN SUCH PRISTINE CONDITION AND IS ESPECIALLY SCARCE THIS WELL-CENTERED.

The 1c Type I perforated is a notoriously difficult stamp to find well-centered. The Type I shows the completed design at both top and bottom, and, as the spacing on the plate was narrow and perforating of stamps during this time period was generally poor, most examples do not show the defining characteristics of the type. The example offered here, showing the full ornamentation at top right and virtually full design at bottom, is a condition rarity.

With 1993 P.F. certificate (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A TRULY REMARKABLE EXAMPLE OF THE ONE-CENT PERFORATED TYPE Ia WITH FULL CORNER SHEET MARGIN. A UNIQUE PIECE.

Type Ia stamps were produced from eighteen of the twenty bottom-row positions on Plate 4 (the other two are Type Ic). After perforations were introduced in mid-1857, sheets on hand printed from Plates 1 Late and 2 were fed through the new perforating machine, but the narrow spaces between stamps made perforating difficult to accomplish without cutting into the designs. Plate 4 was produced in early 1857 when the introduction of perforations was anticipated, thus, it was entered from a new six-relief transfer roll, and the spaces between stamps were enlarged to allow for perforations. Some Plate 4 sheets were issued in imperforate form (April to June 1857), while the greater portion was issued perforated beginning in July 1857, along with perforated sheets from Plates 1L and 2.

On most examples of Type Ia, Scott 19, there is no sheet margin and the bottom perfs cut into the design, removing the type characteristics (showing full design at bottom). The example offered here, with full corner sheet margins, is probably a unique case where the stamp is typically centered for the issue and yet all of the design characteristics are still present. As an added note to the rarity of this item, while the imperforate 1c 1851 stamps are encountered with sheet margins, the perforated 1c stamps are extremely rare in that form. (Image)

A VERY FINE IMPRINT AND PLATE NUMBER BLOCK OF TWELVE IN UNUSUALLY FRESH WELL-CENTERED CONDITION.

Scott Retail as a plate block of eight and four singles (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. A SUPERB BLOCK OF THE 5-CENT ORANGE BROWN. REMARKABLE FOR ITS CENTERING AND OVERALL FRESHNESS.

With 1989 P.F. certificate (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. WITHOUT QUESTION ONE OF THE FINEST ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLES OF THE 5-CENT BROWN TYPE II STAMP IN EXISTENCE -- PROBABLY THE FINEST OF THE FEW "CAPTURED IMPRINT" STAMPS.

Unlike its Orange Brown counterpart, the 5c Type II in Brown was not on hand in post offices when the 1861 demonetization order took effect. Therefore, original-gum examples of Scott 30A are far scarcer than Scott 30. The narrow spacing between subjects on the plate, as well as Toppan Carpenter's imprecise perforating, leaves collectors with very few well-centered original-gum examples. This remarkable stamp, with the captured imprint at right, is among the finest we have located among auction sales of the past fifty years.

With 1996 P.F. certificate (Image)

FINE-VERY FINE BLOCK OF THE 5-CENT BROWN TYPE II. THE BOTTOM LEFT STAMP HAS UNUSUALLY WIDE MARGINS.

The 5c Brown Type II is much scarcer than the Orange Brown shade in original-gum condition, especially in blocks.

Ex Klein (Image)