The Robert Zoellner Collection of the United States continued...

EXTREMELY FINE. THE ONLY AVAILABLE EXAMPLE OF THE TWO RECORDED 1868 ONE-CENT Z GRILL STAMPS, ONE OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST PHILATELIC RARITIES AND THE KEY TO A COMPLETE COLLECTION OF UNITED STATES STAMPS.

The timeline on page 144 narrows production of the 1c, 10c and 15c Z Grill stamps to a period in 1868 between February 19, when the 10c and 12c E Grills went into production, and February 28, when the 1c and 2c E Grills were first produced. These dates are extrapolated from earliest known usages and official Stamp Agent records of grilled stamps delivered (see page 145).

The quantity of 1c grilled stamps issued during the first two quarters of 1868 (4.7 million, both E. and Z.) is much greater than the quantities of 10c (1.9 million) and 12c (1.4 million) grilled stamps issued during the same period (mostly E Grills). However, in used condition the 1c E (and Z) Grill is far scarcer than the 10c and 12c E Grills used. This relative scarcity is reflected in the Scott E Grill prices, which value the 10c and 12c unused higher than the 1c unused, but the 1c is valued higher used than either of the 10c and 12c used.

The conclusion we draw from the disparity between the relative quantities issued and relative values, used and unused, is that used 1c E (and Z) Grill stamps have a low survival rate. The reason for this low survival rate probably lies in the postal rates that could be paid by one or two 1c stamps. Looking at the rates then current, the largest demand would come from commercial firms mailing printed matter and tax assessors mailing income tax forms in March 1868. This class of mail has an extremely low survival rate for the obvious reason that printed circulars and wrappers are typically thrown out. Printed matter also placed an extra burden on the post office, and, from the covers that survive we have learned that old postmarking devices were sometimes retrieved and used to cancel circulars and wrappers. The Philadelphia 32-millimeter circular datestamp, which was used on first-class mail up through 1866, was evidently brought back into use in early 1868. Another example from the same time period--a genuine 1c E Grill--is recorded in the Philatelic Foundation records (PFC 133477 "Genuine").

The one other recorded example of the 1c Z Grill is photographed, front and back, in the Appendix on page 374. It is part of the New York Public Library collection, which was donated to the library by Benjamin K. Miller during the 1920's. The NYPL's 1c Z Grill and one of the six recorded 10c Z Grill stamps (Census No. 85D-CAN-6) were sold to Miller by Elliott Perry in 1919 from the collection of grilled issues formed by William L. Stevenson, who created the letter classification system used today to describe grills (A, B, C, etc.). In 1913 Stevenson published his observation that characteristics in several stamps did not fit with other grills (A through H), but at this time he had not created the Z Grill classification. A year later he added the Z Grill, giving it a letter designation to indicate he did not know exactly where this grill fit in the scheme of grill production. In the January 1915 Collectors' Journal, Stevenson describes the first 1c Z Grill seen, and, in May 1916 Mekeel's he lists two copies known of the 1c Z Grill--up to that time he had seen only one 10c Z Grill. It is likely that Stevenson's first discovery copy is the one sold to Benjamin K. Miller after Perry bought Stevenson's collection in 1918, and that the second recorded example--the stamp in the Zoellner collection--was discovered by Stevenson in 1915 or 1916 and remained with him until later in life or after he died. It surfaced in 1957 when Lester G. Brookman acquired the stamp from Henry Kuhlmann and Carl Subak, two Chicago stamp dealers who discovered it in a collection (possibly the balance of Stevenson's holding). Perry, the leading expert on grilled issues, authenticated the 1c Z grill, and Brookman, also a grill expert, sold the stamp with confidence to Wilbur Schilling. To ensure its authenticity, the stamp was submitted to the Philatelic Foundation and received certificate 8537.

When the Schilling collection was sold in 1975, the 1c Z Grill was offered in our firm's 1975 Rarities of the World sale and realized $42,500 (versus $25,000 current Scott value). In May 1975 it was again certified by the Philatelic Foundation as a genuine "double Z grill, cancelled Philadelphia". In 1977 the stamp was sold at Sotheby's for $90,000, doubling the current Scott value, to Superior Stamp & Coin Company, who in turn sold it to Dr. Jerry Buss of Beverly Hills. When the Buss collection was sold through Superior in 1986, the 1c Z Grill smashed all records, realizing $418,000 (with 10% commission premium) versus $110,000 Scott value. On January 22, 1987, the Philatelic Foundation issued its third "Genuine" certificate, signed by the preeminent philatelic expert, Herbert Bloch.

The 1c Z Grill is illustrated and described in Brookman book, Vol. II, p. 133. With accompanying 1975 and 1987 P.F. certificates. Last Scott value published in 1993 (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A COLORFUL AND SUPERB EXAMPLE OF THE SCARCE 1868 2-CENT Z GRILL.

With 1987 P.F. certificate (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE STRIP. MULTIPLES OF THE 1868 2-CENT Z GRILL ARE EXCEEDINGLY RARE AND IT DOUBTFUL THAT ANY FINER STRIP EXISTS.

Ex Wordin and Faiman. Scott Retail for pair and single (Image)

AS FINE AS THIS EXTREMELY RARE STAMP EXISTS IN BLOCK FORM. ONE OF SIX KNOWN 3-CENT Z GRILL UNUSED BLOCKS.

The deep shade and very thin paper of this block are atypical of many 3c Z Grill stamps (including essays), but match at least two other unused blocks (ex Caspary). According to our production timeline on page 144, 3c sheets were first put through the Z Grill device in January (eku 1/25/68), then migrated to the D Grill device about one week later (eku 2/2/68). The 3c Z and D Grill stamps from this period are printed in a pale Rose shade on medium-thick paper, which did not take the grill very well. If our timeline is correct, the Z Grill was still functioning as late as March 17, 1868, and it is possible that some 3c sheets printed in a different shade on thinner paper were run through the Z Grill just before its conversion to the F Grill. Based on quantities delivered to the Stamp Agent and the time period of E Grill production, 3c sheets must have dominated the grilling devices in the February and March 1868.

Ex Klein. With 1975 P.F. certificate (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. ONE OF THE FINEST KNOWN EXAMPLES OF THIS VERY RARE Z GRILL.

Ex Kantor. With 1965 and 1988 P.F. certificates (Image)

VERY FINE. THE EARLIEST RECORDED USE OF THE 1868 3-CENT Z GRILL.

Although there are no-year-dated markings, the postmark, cancel and C. C. Thurston (manufacturer) corner card can be used to prove 1868 usage. A similar advertising cover, postmarked at Brooklyn N.Y. on Feb. 26, 1868, bearing a pair of 3c D Grill stamps, was sold in the Ishikawa sale (Christies, 1993). (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. THE MOST OUTSTANDING 1868 3-CENT Z GRILL COVER EXTANT. A PHENOMENAL FRANKING AND USAGE.

The 3c Z Grill is extremely rare on cover, and the few known are typically an off-center stamp used on a simple domestic cover. This multiple franking in combination with the Black Jack stamp, used to Aspinwall, is truly extraordinary. (Image)

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THE 1868 10-CENT Z GRILL IS ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL UNITED STATES STAMPS WITH JUST FIVE EXAMPLES AVAILABLE TO COLLECTORS.

Our census of the 10c Z Grill (see Appendix, p. 375) records just six examples, including the copy contained in the New York Public Library collection. The Scott Catalogue incorrectly states that five copies are known. The Zoellner stamp was part of the collection formed by William K. Herzog, one of the leading experts on grilled issues.

The 10c Z Grill was probably produced on or about February 19, 1868, at the same time the first 10c stamps (along with more 12c) were run through the E Grill on the other device (10c and 12c E Grill eku 2/29/68--see timeline on page 144). 10c F Grill production, using new sheets printed on much thinner paper, occurred in May 1868 (eku 5/26/68).

Ex Herzog. With 1973 and 1986 P.F. certificates (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB EXAMPLE OF THE 12-CENT Z GRILL WITH UNUSUALLY CHOICE CENTERING.

With 1979 and 1993 P.F. certificates (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. BY FAR THE FINER OF THE TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE 15-CENT Z GRILL. THIS STAMP, THE FIRST 15-CENT Z GRILL DISCOVERED, WAS FOUND IN THE NEWBURY COLLECTION BY OUR FIRM IN 1961 AND HAS BEEN OFFERED AT AUCTION ONLY TWICE PRIOR THE ZOELLNER SALE. IT IS A KEY TO FORMING A COMPLETE UNITED STATES STAMP COLLECTION--EQUAL IN RARITY AND ONLY SECOND IN AVAILABILITY TO THE FAMOUS ONE-CENT Z GRILL.

This stamp was identified as a 15c E Grill in the Saul Newbury collection sold through this firm in the early 1960's. When the collection was broken down into lots, a member of staff spotted the grill as having Z characteristics. It was submitted to Elliott Perry, who determined it was genuine, and then to the Philatelic Foundation, where it received certificate 14038 on June 5, 1961. The publicity generated by this event resulted in the search and discovery of another 15c Z Grill by Eugene Costales. The second example (Census 85F-CAN-2 in Appendix, p. 375) is centered strongly to right and received a "Genuine" opinion from the Philatelic Foundation in 1962.

Records of grilled issues kept by the government's Stamp Agent indicate that 15c grilled stamps were not separately accounted for until the second quarter of 1868. The earliest known 15c 1868 grilled usages are May 2 for the E and May 4 for the F Grill, which point to 15c grilling between April 15 and 20 (see timeline on page 144). If our timeline is correct, the Z Grill was replaced with the F Grill on or about March 17. It is plausible that a small supply of 15c sheets was included with the 1c and 10c sheets run through the Z (and E) Grill sometime between February 19 and 28. These sheets may have been turned over to the Stamp Agent with an ungrilled supply or held until an order for 15c stamps was submitted.

Ex Newbury and Isleham. With 1961 and 1986 P.F. certificates. Scott Retail is based on the May 1986 auction realization prior to the $418,000 sale of the 1c Z Grill (Image)