5c Red Brown (1). Left
sheet margin and large even margins on other three sides, intense dark
shade and rich color, fine early impression, full clear strike of blue
"Paid" straightline cancelEXTREMELY FINE GEM. SUPERB IN EVERY RESPECT AND A BREATHTAKING EXAMPLE OF THE FIRST ISSUE.
With 1985 P.F. certificate (Image)
5c Red Brown (1). Large
even margins, beautiful bright shade, fine early impression, red grid
cancel, Extremely Fine and choice (Image)
5c Red Brown (1).
Incredibly huge margins all around, framelines of adjoining stamps at top
and bottom, bright shade, neat ms. "X" cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, a
beautiful representative example of the manuscript cancelling method on the
1847 Issue, with 1981 P.F. certificate (for original pair) (Image)
5c Dark Brown, Double Transfer
Ty. B (1a-B). Position 90R, large to huge margins, marvelous deep rich
color, very early impression in First Printing shade of Dark Brown, neat
ms. cancel, Extremely Fine, with 1979 P.F. certificate
(Image)
5c Red Brown (1). Block of
four, beautiful bright Red Brown shade, ample to large margins except close
to just touched at bottom right, small scissors-cut between left pair, tied
by red square grid cancels, matching "New-York Oct. 27" circular datestamp
on front panel (rebacked with letter) addressed to Montreal, Canada,
ms. "9" pence Canadian due rate, left pair has very faint filing
creaseVERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTRAORDINARY USE OF THE 5-CENT 1847 BLOCK FOR DOUBLE RATE TO CANADA.
We know of three blocks used on covers, including a block of five on transtlantic cover to England (ex Bechtel), a block of four used from Fredonia N.Y. (ex Knapp, Ishikawa) and this block to Canada. Off-cover blocks are also extremely rare.
This cover was the highlight of our 1977 sale of the Paul C. Rohloff collection, where it was described as "a phenomenal 1847 showpiece of the highest order of rarity." Also featured in Richard B. Graham's "Great Stamps Make Greater Covers" series in The American Philatelist (Oct. 1977) and illustrated in Bakers' U.S. Classics (p. 140).
Ex Waterhouse, Emerson, West, Dick, Rohloff and Kapiloff. Scott lists but does not price a block on cover (off-cover at $27,500.00) (Image)
10c Black (2). Block of
four, three of which have large to huge margins, including parts of
adjoining stamps at top, right margin cut just into frameline and tiny
portion of background of top right stamp, fresh and bright paper with the
exception of very faint toning caused by unevenly applied original gum
(characteristic of the issue and described in certificate as "tiny spots
and light stains"), short scissors-cut in margin between bottom stamps,
faint corner crease at bottom rightVERY FINE AND REMARKABLY CHOICE CONDITION FOR A FIRST ISSUE BLOCK WITH ORIGINAL GUM. ONE OF TWO UNUSED BLOCKS OF THE 10-CENT 1847 ISSUE AVAILABLE TO COLLECTORS. ONE OF THE RAREST AND MOST IMPORTANT MULTIPLES IN CLASSIC PHILATELY.
Only three unused blocks of the 10c 1847 stamp are recorded: 1) a block of six (largest known) with original gum (ex Gibson, Ward and Ishikawa), 2) this block of four with original gum, and 3) an uncancelled block without gum contained in the Hirzel Collection at the Swiss PTT Museum. The elusiveness of 10c 1847 unused blocks is substantiated by the fact that none was contained in the great classic collections formed by Slater, West, Caspary, Moody, Lilly or Grunin.
Ex Edward H. R. Green, Klein and Kapiloff. With 1970 P.F. certificate (Image)
10c Black (2). Full to huge
margins with framelines of two adjoining stamps showing at right and
bottom, fine impression, Wheeling Va. control grid in red struck
across lower right corner, lightly struck blue grid cancels, certificate
mentions "usage wrinkle" which is barely discernible in or out of
fluidEXTREMELY FINE. THE FINEST OFF-COVER EXAMPLE OF THE WHEELING CONTROL GRID ON THE 10-CENT 1847 ISSUE, OF WHICH A TOTAL OF NINE ARE RECORDED.
The Levi-Wall census contains four covers and five off-cover 10c 1847 stamps with the Wheeling Va. control grid. Most of the known copies have defects. In addition, there are two covers and three (possibly seven) off-cover 5c 1847 stamps with the same red control grid.
The red grid was applied once to every four stamps, precisely at the center of each block in the sheet. The 5c and 10c 1847 stamps from the first shipment were marked in this manner, but the purpose of the marking has never been established conclusively. Because used examples were cancelled by the customary "Paid" or grid in blue, the Wheeling red grid is not considered to be a true pre-cancellation, which would suffice for mailing without further cancelling. 1847 stamps with the red grid in one corner and an additional blue cancel of Wheeling are classified as control grid examples. One theory is that the marking served to provide security against post office theft.
With 1980 P.F. certificate (Image)
10c Black (2). Large
margins all around, intense shade and impression, neat blue grid cancel,
Extremely Fine Gem, a beautiful stamp, with 1982 P.F. certificate (Image)
5c Red Brown, 10c Black,
Reproductions (3-4). Without gum as issued, each has large to huge
margins, 5c bright and fresh color, 10c deep shade, Extremely Fine Gem set
of 1847 Reproductions, printed in 1875 from new plates created from new
dies engraved at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing
(Image)