1c Buff (112). Top right
corner sheet margin block of 21 with full NATIONAL BANK NOTE CO. NEW
YORK" imprint, full original gum, some perf reinforcements, a few
scattered toned spots, crease thru top left stamp, minor tear in right
sheet marginVERY FINE TO EXTREMELY FINE. PROBABLY THE FINEST OF THE FEW KNOWN 1-CENT 1869 BLOCKS WITH IMPRINT. A SPECTACULAR EXHIBITION ITEM.
Scott Retail $15,275.00 as blocks, pairs and single (Image)
1c Buff (112). Perfectly
centered, wide margins, rich color, cork cancel, Extremely Fine (Image)
2c Brown (113). Horizontal
block of six, full original gum, tiny hinge reinforcements, well-centered,
beautiful rich color, tiny corner perf crease at bottom right (truly
negligible)VERY FINE. ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT OF THE 1869 PICTORIALS TO OBTAIN AS A CENTERED BLOCK.
Ex Wunderlich and Ishikawa (Image)
2c Brown (113). Perfectly
centered with extra wide margins, intense shade and proof-like impression,
lightly cancelled, Extremely Fine Gem
(Image)
3c Ultramarine (114).
Horizontal block of 18, most are Mint N.H. (two lightly hinged), bright and
fresh color, overall well-centered, slight corner crease in top left
stampVERY FINE. AN EXCEPTIONALLY FRESH AND ATTRACTIVE BLOCK.
Scott Retail for blocks and pairs (Image)
3c Ultramarine (114).
Gigantic margins all around, virtually perfect centering, target cancel,
Extremely Fine Gem, an outstanding example of the 3c 1869 (Image)
6c Ultramarine (115).
Square-shaped block of sixteen, full original gum, some slight disturbance
from hinge removal and offset from another 6c sheet on gum of right
vertical column, extraordinarily well-centered, sensibly reinforced perf
separations, four stamps slightly creased, a corner crease and tiny pinhole
affecting two stamps noted on certificate but truly negligible in a
multiple of this importanceVERY FINE TO EXTREMELY FINE. BY FAR THE FINER OF THE TWO RECORDED BLOCKS OF SIXTEEN OF THE 6-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL -- THE LARGEST-SIZE UNUSED MULTIPLE. A MAGNIFICENT EXHIBITION PIECE.
Described in Brookman Vol. II: "The finest block of which we have any record was a very fine O.G. block of 16 offered by Elliott Perry in 1936 that reappeared in the Caspary Sale of 1956." Illustrated and described in Chronicle (Vol 26, No. 3) and Rose book (p. 63). Ex Caspary, Grunin, Wunderlich and Ishikawa (where it realized $39,100). With 1993 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail for one block of four is $7,500.00--footnote states "No. 115 is the most difficult value in this issue to find well-centered unused. Such examples sell for much more." (Image)
6c Ultramarine (115).
Perfectly centered, unusually clear and complete strike of
HIOGO/JAPAN" double-circle U.S. Postal Agency handstamp, Extremely
Fine Gem, with 1991 P.F. certificate
(Image)
10c Yellow (116). Block of
four, full original gum, vivid color, bright and fresh, bottom perfs
touchA FRESH AND ATTRACTIVE ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCK OF THE 10-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL.
Ex Hind, Rust, Burrus (as a block of six) and Bechtel (in its present form) (Image)
10c Yellow (116).
Well-centered, bright shade, neat target cancel, Extremely Fine, with 1991
P.F. certificate (Image)
12c Green (117). Block of
four, original gum, some slight disturbance from hinge removal, rich color
and very freshFINE-VERY FINE. ONE OF THE BEST-ENTERED 12-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL BLOCKS KNOWN.
The Rose book notes eight unused blocks, including off-center blocks of twelve and nine, three blocks of six and two blocks of four. All of the blocks of six or larger are off center. This block and one block in the Caspary sale are the best-centered of the group, but we cannot be certain that the Caspary block is still intact.
Ex Burrus and Bechtel. (Image)
12c Green (117). Extra
wide margins all around, beautiful deep rich color and proof-like
impression, neat target cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, with 1985 P.F.
certificate (Image)
15c Brown & Blue, Ty. I
(118). Horizontal block of six, full original gum, each stamp superbly
centered, bright colors and fresh paper, top left stamp has a few tiny thin
specks in grill (one has pinpoint break)EXTREMELY FINE. THE FAMOUS ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCK FROM THE HIND AND CASPARY COLLECTIONS--THE FINEST KNOWN MULTIPLE OF THE 15-CENT TYPE I 1869 PICTORIAL STAMP.
One larger block (of nine) exists, but it is far off center. There are three recorded unused blocks of four, including one in the Brown University collection, but these, too, are off center. The block of six offered in this sale is unquestionably the finest multiple, unused or used, of the scarce 15c Type I 1869 Pictorial.
Illustrated in Brookman Vol. II (p. 174) and Rose book (p. 108). Ex Hind, Caspary (where featured as "A magnificent block and a great showpiece. One of the most outstanding 1869 items known") and Bechtel. Scott Retail for a block of four is $35,000.00. (Image)
15c Brown & Blue, Ty. I
(118). Phenomenally wide margins all around, deep rich colors, fancy
rosette cancel and part of red New York credit datestampEXTREMELY FINE GEM. AN EXTRAORDINARY STAMP WITH DIMENSIONS AND CENTERING RARELY ENCOUNTERED IN THE 15-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL.
With 1984 P.F. certificate (Image)
15c Brown & Blue, Ty. II
(119). Horizontal block of six, full original gum, intense colors and
impressions, tiny sealed tear in bottom left stampFINE AND WONDERFULLY FRESH BLOCK OF SIX WITH ORIGINAL GUM.
Ex Caspary and Bechtel. Scott Retail for block and pair (Image)
15c Brown & Blue, Ty. II
(119). Well-centered, incredibly rich colors, red cork and blue
French transit cancels, accompanying certificate notes a "tiny corner
crease" at top right, which is invisible out of fluid and shows only as a
very faint line in fluid--an absolutely insignificant flaw in this
Extremely Fine stamp--one of the most colorful and beautiful 15c 1869's
extant, ex Caspary, with 1987 P.F. certificate
(Image)
24c Green & Violet (120).
Block of four, original gum with slight disturbance from hinge removal,
extraordinarily well-centered, top pair faintly creased, a few small toned
spots along center vertical perfs caused by perf reinforcementVERY FINE. ONE OF TWO WELL-CENTERED ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCKS OF THE 24-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL. ONLY FIVE EXTANT UNUSED BLOCKS IN TOTAL.
Our records of 24c 1869 unused multiples include three off-center blocks (of nine, six and four) and two well-centered blocks of four (this example and the ex-Moody, Rust and Burrus block). It is doubtful that any other blocks exist.
Illustrated in the Rose book (p. 137). Ex Grunin, Wunderlich and Ishikawa. With 1993 P.F. certificate (Image)
24c Green & Violet (120).
Gigantic margins on all four sides, perfectly centered, rich colors, the
vignette is an especially dark and fine impression, neatly cancelled by
leaf-shaped cork cancel, long and full perforationsEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A MAGNIFICENT USED EXAMPLE OF THE 24-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL--DUE TO THE NARROW SPACING BETWEEN STAMPS AND DIFFICULTY REGISTERING TWO COLORS, THIS STAMP RARELY COMES CENTERED WITHIN WIDE MARGINS. THIS SPECTACULAR STAMP IS A TRUE CONDITION RARITY.
With 1985 P.F. certificate (Image)
30c Ultramarine & Carmine
(121). Well-centered, rich colors, neat segmented cork cancel,
Extremely Fine, dealer's small backstamp
(Image)
90c Carmine & Black (122).
Well-centered, wide margins, wide-bar cork grid cancel, Extremely Fine,
with 1984 P.F. certificate (Image)
30c Ultramarine & Carmine,
Without Grill (121a). Bottom sheet margin block of six with
"(NATIO)NAL BANK NOTE CO. NEW YORK" imprint and "No. 21" vignette plate
number in red, also showing part of bicolor registration marks at lower
right corner, full original gum, deep rich colors characteristic of this
printing without grill, neat hinge reinforcements, natural pre-printing
paper creases visible when held to light, centered to rightONE OF TWO RECORDED BLOCKS OF THE 30-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL CONTAINING THE IMPRINT AND PLATE NUMBER. BOTH EXTANT PLATE NUMBER BLOCKS COME FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SAME SHEET, WITHOUT GRILL (SCOTT 121a), PRINTED FROM A FLAG PLATE (BLUE COLOR) THAT WAS MISSING THE PLATE NUMBER "21" AT TOP.
The 30c 1869 was printed from two plates, the red vignette plate with imprint at bottom, and the blue flag plate with imprint at top. This block was originally joined with the block of fifteen from the adjacent right pane, which was sold in the Ryohei Ishikawa auction (Christie's, Sept. 29, 1993, realized $96,000). These two multiples are the only extant 30c 1869 Pictorial blocks, other than proof impressions, that show the imprint and plate number 21. They are both the Without Grill variety (Scott 121a), not the regularly-issued grilled 30c 1869. Two top sheet-margin multiples from the same Without Grill sheet (left and right panes) are recorded. The top-margin pieces show that the flag plate, printed in blue, was missing the plate number that later appears on proof impressions. There is no record of a second flag plate being made, so the use of an unnumbered plate almost certainly indicates a printing that pre-dates the regular issue.
Ex Worthington and Caspary (Image)
90c Carmine & Black (122).
Vertical block of six, unused with traces of original gum, well-centered,
intense vignette impression, frame varies from bright Carmine at left to a
pinkish slightly dry print at right, which suggests this is a right margin
block, faint thinning in three stamps confined mainly to grills, perfs
strengthened and rejoined in placesVERY FINE TO EXTREMELY APPEARANCE. ONE OF TWO KNOWN UNUSED BLOCKS OF SIX, THE LARGEST-SIZE INTACT UNUSED MULTIPLE RECORDED FOR THE 90-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL. AN OUTSTANDING CLASSIC UNITED STATES BLOCK.
The other known unused block of six was in the Caspary sale. The similarity in centering between these two blocks suggests that they might originate from the same piece.
Illustrated in Rose book (p. 164). Ex Hind and Bechtel. This block is believed to be the one described in Brookman Vol. II (p. 188) as ex Ackerman, Sinkler and Ward. Scott Retail as a block and pair (Image)