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Bid on Lots in Sale 957
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The Colombia 1859 First Issue First Day Cover continued...

Colombia 1859 First Issue - 20-Centavos
Lot Sym. Lot Description  
189° ogbl 1859, 20c Blue (6).> Complete sheet from Stone B, original gum, sheet margins all around, bright Sky Blue shade, some typical creasing caused by gum and folds<><>^VERY FINE. ONE OF FOUR KNOWN COMPLETE SHEETS OF THE 20-CENTAVOS 1859 FIRST ISSUE FR1859, 20c Blue (6). Complete sheet from Stone B, original gum, sheet margins all around, bright "Sky Blue" shade, some typical creasing caused by gum and folds

VERY FINE. ONE OF FOUR KNOWN COMPLETE SHEETS OF THE 20-CENTAVOS 1859 FIRST ISSUE FROM STONE B. THESE ARE THE ONLY COMPLETE SHEETS OF THE ENTIRE FIRST ISSUE. A SPECTACULAR EXHIBITION ITEM.

Illustrated in Bortfeldt handbook (page 40). Ex Wickersham and Londono (Image Magnifier)

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 E. 10,000-15,000
190° ogbl 1859, 20c Blue (6).> Complete sheet from Stone B, original gum, sheet margins all around, intense shade, some typical creasing caused by gum and folds<><>^VERY FINE. THIS IS ANOTHER OF THE FOUR KNOWN COMPLETE SHEETS OF THE 20-CENTAVOS 1859 FIRST IS1859, 20c Blue (6). Complete sheet from Stone B, original gum, sheet margins all around, intense shade, some typical creasing caused by gum and folds

VERY FINE. THIS IS ANOTHER OF THE FOUR KNOWN COMPLETE SHEETS OF THE 20-CENTAVOS 1859 FIRST ISSUE FROM STONE B. THESE ARE THE ONLY COMPLETE SHEETS OF THE ENTIRE FIRST ISSUE. AN IMPORTANT CLASSIC COLOMBIAN RARITY.

Ex Newbury (Image Magnifier)

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 E. 10,000-15,000
191° ogbl 1859, 20c Gray Blue (6a).> Stone B, Positions 1-4 thru 45-48, left sheet margin block of 20, original gum, distinctive Gray Blue shade, some creases and thins around perimeter<><>^VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE UNUSED MULTIPLE OF THE 20-CENTAVOS IN T1859, 20c Gray Blue (6a). Stone B, Positions 1-4 thru 45-48, left sheet margin block of 20, original gum, distinctive Gray Blue shade, some creases and thins around perimeter

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE UNUSED MULTIPLE OF THE 20-CENTAVOS IN THE SCARCER GRAY BLUE SHADE.

Ex Wickersham and Londono (Image Magnifier)

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 E. 3,000-4,000
192° ogbl 1859, 20c Blue (6).> Stone B, Positions 1-412-15, top left corner sheet margin block, large margins all around, original gum, bright and fresh, Extremely Fine, this block comes from the same positions on Stone B as the tete-beche block of eight from1859, 20c Blue (6). Stone B, Positions 1-4/12-15, top left corner sheet margin block, large margins all around, original gum, bright and fresh, Extremely Fine, this block comes from the same positions on Stone B as the tete-beche block of eight from Stone A offered in lot 188, the two would make an ideal exhibition page, showing the inverted transfer on Stone A and the normal upright transfer on Stone B (Image Magnifier)

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 E. 1,500-2,000
193°   1859, 20c Violet (6 var).> A remarkable shade, which is unlike any other 20c shade seen by Islander, closely matching some of the early printings of the 5c in reddish or purplish Violet, large margins, numeral 4 cancel struck twice, Extremely Fine,1859, 20c Violet (6 var). A remarkable shade, which is unlike any other 20c shade seen by Islander, closely matching some of the early printings of the 5c in reddish or purplish Violet, large margins, numeral "4" cancel struck twice, Extremely Fine, an intriguing stamp, causing Islander to wonder if this is actually an as-yet unrecorded 20-centavos entry on the 5-centavos stone, in which case this would be a single example of a transfer error (or 20c "color error," printed in Violet) (Image Magnifier)

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 E. 750-1,000
194°   1859, 20c Blue (6).> Stone A, ample to large margins including bottom sheet margin, beautiful deep shade, tied by blue ^MEDELLINFRANCA^ oval handstamp on upper half of folded cover with addressees name, gum soaks at edge of sheet margin, Extremel1859, 20c Blue (6). Stone A, ample to large margins including bottom sheet margin, beautiful deep shade, tied by blue "MEDELLIN/FRANCA" oval handstamp on upper half of folded cover with addressee's name, gum soaks at edge of sheet margin, Extremely Fine, ex Newbury and Neuberger (Image Magnifier)

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 E. 1,000-1,500
195° c 1859, 20c Blue (6).> Four singles, mostly full to large margins except lefthand stamp touched, end stamp at right has slight vertical crease, varying impressions in a deep shade, tied by two perfect strikes of ^BOGOTA^ framed handstamp on blue lega1859, 20c Blue (6). Four singles, mostly full to large margins except lefthand stamp touched, end stamp at right has slight vertical crease, varying impressions in a deep shade, tied by two perfect strikes of "BOGOTA" framed handstamp on blue legal-size registered cover to Cartagena, red registration markings including "Certificacion a Bogota/Salio en 28 de Fbro. 1860" two-line script handstamp with date in manuscript, matching "Confederacion Granadina, Bogota, Admon. Geral de Correos Nacionales" oval handstamp with coat of arms, multiple strikes of "0" handstamp, manuscript "80cs" rate at upper right, red wax seals, neat receipt docketing at lower left, vertical fold at left

EXTREMELY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY REGISTERED COVER EXTANT BEARING THE COLOMBIAN FIRST ISSUE, AND, IN FACT, IT IS THE ONLY REGISTERED COVER BEFORE 1863. IT IS ALSO THE LARGEST NUMBER OF FIRST ISSUE 20-CENTAVOS STAMPS KNOWN ON COVER AND THE HIGHEST FRANKING OF THE FIRST ISSUE. TRULY ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR COLOMBIAN COVERS IN EXISTENCE, AND AN IMPORTANT ITEM FROM BOTH THE POSTAL HISTORY AND PHILATELIC PERSPECTIVES.

This remarkable artifact of Colombian postal history is illustrated on page 13 of Dieter Bortfeldt's Colombia Philatelic Handbook and Catalogue 1859-1860. It surfaced in the 1982 Corinphila sale of the Neuberger collection and has no prior recorded history. The only other cover known to us which bears more than one 20-centavos is the cover to Hamburg illustrated on page 5 of the Bortfeldt handbook. (Image Magnifier)

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 E. 75,000-100,000
196° c 1859, 5c Slate, 20c Blue (3e, 6).> 5c Stone A, large margins to touched at top, 20c large to huge margins, both stamps tied by ^CALI^ oval handstamp on blue quadrille-paper folded letter to Lanman & Kemp in <New York City,> datelined April 11, 18601859, 5c Slate, 20c Blue (3e, 6). 5c Stone A, large margins to touched at top, 20c large to huge margins, both stamps tied by "CALI" oval handstamp on blue quadrille-paper folded letter to Lanman & Kemp in New York City, datelined April 11, 1860, sender's routing "Via Cartagena", red "Forwarded by C. J. Fox, Aspinwall N.G." oval handstamp, evidently carried outside the mails into New York City, because there are no required ship-letter due markings, June 13 receipt docketing, two file folds, one passing thru left side of 5c stamp (pressed out and not very noticeable)

VERY FINE. COVERS WITH TWO DIFFERENT COLOMBIAN FIRST ISSUE STAMPS ARE EXCEEDINGLY RARE, AND CLASSIC COLOMBIAN COVERS TO FOREIGN DESTINATIONS ARE ALSO GREAT RARITIES. FEWER THAN A HALF-DOZEN FIRST ISSUE COVERS TO THE UNITED STATES ARE KNOWN.

Ex Gebauer. Signed Holcombe. (Image Magnifier)

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 E. 15,000-20,000
197° c 1859, 5c Violet, 20c Gray Blue (3, 6a).> 5c from Stone A in a deep reddish Violet shade, slightly cut in, 20c early shade and impression, large margins, each cancelled by matching 6 blue numeral handstamp (20c tied) on folded cover <to London, Engl1859, 5c Violet, 20c Gray Blue (3, 6a). 5c from Stone A in a deep reddish Violet shade, slightly cut in, 20c early shade and impression, large margins, each cancelled by matching "6" blue numeral handstamp (20c tied) on folded cover to London, England, sender's routing "p Vapor Via Cartagena", ms. "1/-" one-shilling due marking, "Carthagena Oc 26 1859" British P.O. transit backstamp, red London receiving datestamp (Nov. 24), the addressee's name has been cut out of the cover (patched with archival tape), could and should be restored

AN IMPORTANT COVER BEARING TWO DIFFERENT COLOMBIAN FIRST ISSUES FROM EARLY PRINTINGS AND ADDRESSED TO ENGLAND. CLASSIC COLOMBIAN COVERS TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES ARE EXTREMELY RARE. THIS IS THE ONLY KNOWN FIRST ISSUE COVER TO ENGLAND.

Ex Gebauer. Signed Holcombe (Image Magnifier)

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 E. 7,500-10,000
198° c 1859, 20c Blue (6).> Stone A, three large margins, barely in at right, cancelled by bold blue 0 numeral handstamp (tied by impression thru paper) on blue folded cover to Honda, receipt docketing <<Santamarta Mayo 26 de 1860,>> small gum soak in s1859, 20c Blue (6). Stone A, three large margins, barely in at right, cancelled by bold blue "0" numeral handstamp (tied by impression thru paper) on blue folded cover to Honda, receipt docketing "Santamarta Mayo 26 de 1860", small gum soak in stamp

VERY FINE. A CHOICE AND RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 20-CENTAVOS 1859 FIRST ISSUE USED ON COVER.

This and the following lot make an attractive pair of covers showing the 20-centavos from Stone A and Stone B. (Image Magnifier)

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 E. 3,000-4,000
199° c 1859, 20c Gray Blue (6a).> Stone B, large margins including huge bottom sheet margin, cancelled by blue 0 numeral handstamp on blue folded letter to Barranquilla, datelined <<Honda 14 de Oct. de 1859,>> file fold thru stamp has been pressed out,1859, 20c Gray Blue (6a). Stone B, large margins including huge bottom sheet margin, cancelled by blue "0" numeral handstamp on blue folded letter to Barranquilla, datelined "Honda 14 de Oct. de 1859", file fold thru stamp has been pressed out, leaving only a slight trace

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A HANDSOME AND RARE COVER BEARING THE 20-CENTAVOS FIRST ISSUE.

This and the previous lot make an attractive pair of covers showing the 20-centavos from Stone A and Stone B. (Image Magnifier)

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 E. 2,000-3,000

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