1c Indigo, First Design
(55). Original gum, choice centering with wide margins at sides and
bottom, top perfs slightly into oval as are most, intense shade and
impressionVERY FINE AND FRESH. ONE OF EIGHT AVAILABLE SOUND EXAMPLES WITH ORIGINAL GUM. A CHOICE EXAMPLE OF THIS RARE 1861 FIRST DESIGN.
Our census of 1861 First Designs and Colors published in the Zoellner catalogue (and available at our website at: http://www.siegelauctions.com/enc/census/55/55.htm) contains a total of 24 copies of the 1c First Design, including two cancelled stamps and one sound example with original gum in the New York Public Library collection. Of the 21 remaining unused copies, only ten are completely sound and of these only eight have original gum. There is just one centered stamp among these eight (Census No. 55-OG-03)--five others are Very Fine and two are just Fine.
Census No. 55-OG-01. Ex Caspary and Cole. With 1988 and 2002 P.F. certificates. (Image)
3c Brown Rose, First Design
(56). Original gum, rich color, extra wide margins, Extremely Fine Gem,
with 1988 P.F. certificate (Image) 
10c Dark Green, First Design
(58/62B). Original gum, lightly hinged, almost perfectly centered with
unusually wide margins well clear of perforations on all sides, deep rich
color and proof-like impressionEXTREMELY FINE GEM. EASILY ONE OF THE FINEST ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLES OF THE 1861 10-CENT FIRST DESIGN IN EXISTENCE. A REMARKABLE STAMP FOR ITS GUM, CENTERING, SIZE OF MARGINS, COLOR AND IMPRESSION.
This stamp is extremely difficult to find in well-centered, sound, original-gum condition. This is partly due to the narrow spacing on Plate 4, which produced the First Design (Type I, Scott 58 and 62B).
With 2002 P.F. certificate (Image)
24c Violet, Plate Proof on
India (60P3). Huge margins all around, crisp impression, Extremely
Fine, with 1979 P.F. certificate (Image) 
24c Violet (70c). Original
gum, lightly hinged, distinctive regular-issue Violet shadeEXTREMELY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1861 24-CENT VIOLET.
This stamp has 1960 and 2002 P.F. certificates as Scott 60, the Dark Violet "First Color", however, we are positive that the shade is the regularly-issued Violet, Scott 70c. The Scott values are $9,500 for No. 70c versus $6,500 for No. 60. We advise bidders to judge the stamp by its color and bid accordingly.
Ex Engel. With 1960 and 2002 P.F. certificates as No. 60. Scott Retail as No. 60. (Image)
90c Blue, First Design
(62). Unused (no gum), perfectly centered with wide even margins, deep
shade and proof-like impression on bright white paperEXTREMELY FINE GEM. THE SECOND RAREST STAMP OF THE 1861 FIRST DESIGNS AND COLORS. ONLY NINE SOUND WELL-CENTERED EXAMPLES OF THE 90-CENT FIRST DESIGN ARE RECORDED. A BEAUTIFUL AND EXTREMELY RARE CLASSIC STAMP.
Our census of the 1861 First Designs and Colors published in the Zoellner catalogue (and updated at our website at: http://www.siegelauctions.com/enc/census/62/62.htm) contains 21 examples of the 90c First Design, including one copy in the New York Public Library collection and another copy certified as a privately-perforated No. 62a, which comes from a set in the Col. Green sale that was signed by John Luff (we believe this stamp to be genuine). Excluding the NYPL copy and the ex-Green stamp just noted, only nine examples of the 90c First Design are sound (generally Extremely Fine centering) and six of the nine are unused without gum, as is this example.
Census No. 62-UNC-01. Ex Cole. With 1958, 1988 and 2002 P.F. certificates. (Image)