The Drucker Collection continued...

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 1873 2-CENT CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE PRINTING.

With 1982 and 2002 P.F. certificates. Scott Retail as hinged. (Image)

VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A DRAMATIC DOUBLE IMPRESSION OF THE 1873 2-CENT CONTINENTAL PRINTING. THIS IS THE ONLY EXAMPLE CERTIFIED AS GENUINE BY THE PHILATELIC FOUNDATION.

Ex Stephen Brown and noted in Brookman. With 1984 P.F. certificate. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 1873 6-CENT CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE ISSUE.

With 1985 and 2002 P.F. certificates. Scott Retail as hinged (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. A SUPERB ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1873 6-CENT CONTINENTAL GRILLED STAMP.

With 1984 P.F. certificate. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. A SUPERB LIGHTLY-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 7-CENT 1873 CONTINENTAL PRINTING.

With 1984 P.F. certificate for block of four (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 12-CENT 1873 CONTINENTAL PRINTING.

With 1988 P.F. certificate (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. EASILY ONE OF THE FINEST ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLES OF THE 30-CENT 1873 CONTINENTAL PRINTING IN EXISTENCE. A SUPERB STAMP IN EVERY RESPECT.

Lost among the 1870 National Grilled and Ungrilled Issues, 1875 Continental and 1880 American Bank Note Special Printings, and the 1879 and 1888 American Issues is the 30c 1873 Continental printing. Scott 165 is distinguished from its National counterpart by shade and the shape of the perforations, and from its 1879 American counterpart by paper. Many philatelists -- even intermediate and advanced collectors -- have difficulty classifying Scott 165. When it comes to naming the most elusive Bank Note stamps in choice original-gum condition, the 30c 1873 is often overlooked. However, go to any serious collection and look for this stamp, and most of the time it is missing or represented by something that compromises quality. The 30c 1870 is frequently found filling the space for Scott 165. The 30c Continental is extremely rare in any original-gum condition that approaches this example. Blocks have always been rare -- for example, Caspary did not have one, Lilly had one well-centered block of four and an off-center block of six -- which means that singles could not be harvested from multiples. Our analysis of the rarity of this stamp is confirmed by the $21,000 hammer realization for a superb example in our 2000 Rarities sale, $25,000 hammer for a similar copy in our Sale 826, and $20,000 hammer in our Sale 836. We hope that collectors who still have a tendency to overlook the 30c Continental will awake to its rarity in Extremely Fine original-gum condition by our comments and recent realizations.

With 1988 P.F. certificate (Image)

VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A BEAUTIFUL LIGHTLY-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 90-CENT 1873 CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE STAMP.

With copy of 1970 P.F. certificate for block of four. (Image)