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

EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. ONLY POSITION 7R1E--THE SEVENTH STAMP IN THE RIGHT PANE OF PLATE 1 EARLY--FURNISHED IMPERFORATE 1851 ONE-CENT STAMPS SHOWING THE COMPLETE DESIGN (TYPE I). VERY FEW OF THE 80 CONFIRMED EXAMPLES OF THIS STAMP HAVE MARGINS CLEAR OF THE DESIGN ON ALL SIDES. A MAGNIFICENT EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE RAREST AND MOST DESIRABLE CLASSIC UNITED STATES STAMPS.

The census compiled by Mal Brown contains at least 80 unduplicated records of Scott 5. There are probably no more than ten examples existing outside of the Brown census population. Therefore, the 1c 1851 Type I is the rarest of all United States stamps issued regularly prior to the 1868 Grills.

Because of the significance attached to the outer portions of the 1c 1851 design, rare types that have been carefully cut apart, so as not to impinge on any part of the design, are extremely desirable. The narrow spacing between stamps in the sheet and the users' indifference to the outlying ornamentation during separation are factors that contributed to the great rarity of four-margin examples. Among the recorded imperforate Type I stamps (Scott 5), a small fraction of the copies on or off cover have four full margins. Considering the value premium assigned to complete ornaments at top and plumes at bottom--the distinguishing characteristics of Type I--the value of ample margins is paramount among all condition factors.

This stamp was the top position in a vertical strip of three contained in the Caspary collection. Sometime between the 1956 Caspary sale and the 1988 Clifford C. Cole sale held by this firm, the lower pair was removed. Based on appearance alone, this could well be the finest 1c 1851 Type I known.

Ex Caspary and Cole. With 1988 P.F. certificate (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SPECTACULAR COMBINATION OF CONDITION, COLOR AND RARITY. POSITION 6R (AND 8R) FURNISHED THE BEST TYPE IB EXAMPLES, SHOWING THE COMPLETE DESIGN AT TOP AND NEARLY COMPLETE DESIGN AT BOTTOM.

Type Ib was produced only as an imperforate stamp. Six positions on Plate 1 Early furnished stamps qualifying as Type Ib--Positions 3-6R and 8-9R--distinguished by the complete design at top and nearly complete design at bottom. When first entered on the plate, these six positions (as well as 7R1E) had the complete design at top and bottom. However, unlike 7R, small portions of the bottoms were burnished away. Positions 6R and 8R had less of the bottom erased than the other Type Ib positions, and for this reason they are more desirable examples of the type.

All Type Ib stamps are very scarce, and the two best examples (6R and 9R) are rare. These top-row positions usually have an ample top margin, but frequently the margins are close or cutting into the sides or bottom. A Type Ib with large margins all around is a great rarity, particularly in sound condition.

With 1987 P.F. certificate for pair from which this single originates (Image)

VERY FINE. THE ONLY RECORDED IMPERFORATE BLOCK CONTAINING THE RARE TYPE IA. A BRILLIANTLY CHOICE AND EXTREMELY IMPORTANT CLASSIC MULTIPLE.

Stamps printed from Plate 4 were issued in April, May and briefly in June 1857 before perforations were introduced. The relatively small number of imperforate Plate 4 stamps issued during this period explains the rarity and desirability of any of the imperforate stamp types produced from this plate (Ia, Ic, II, III and IIIa). The extremely rare Type Ia, showing the full design at bottom, was furnished only by 18 of the 200 subjects on Plate 4 (the remaining two bottom-row positions were sub-type Ic).

This block of four is the only recorded imperforate block, unused or used, containing Type Ia stamps (Scott 6). It was cut from a block of six, which confused Stanley B. Ashbrook into thinking that two blocks existed (one of four and another of six). Today, there is no question that this block is the only one so far discovered or likely to exist.

Noted in "United States Early Unused Blocks 1847-1869" by Philip H. Ward, 1960 Congress Book. Illustrated in 1951 National Philatelic Museum book (p. 358) and Rose's Classic United States Imperforate Stamps (p. 45). Ex Hind, Gibson, Ward, Grunin and Klein (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. ONE OF THE FINEST KNOWN EXAMPLES OF THE IMPERFORATE TYPE IA STAMP. EXTREMELY RARE WITH A RED CANCELLATION.

With 1987 P.F. certificate (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE STAMP AND ATTRACTIVE FRESH COVER. AN EXTREMELY RARE COVER BEARING A SUPERB TYPE IA IMPERFORATE STAMP.

Ex Caspary, Lehman and Grunin. Grossly undercatalogued on cover by Scott ($8,500.00 versus $8,000.00 off cover) (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE STRIP OF TYPE IA AND AN IMMACULATE COVER. ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING COVERS OF THE ENTIRE 1851 ISSUE, BEARING THE LARGEST AND FINEST KNOWN MULTIPLE OF THE IMPERFORATE TYPE IA STAMP.

The reasons for the rarity of imperforate Type Ia stamps are explained in the description for lot 21. Only one unused block is known, and Frank S. Levi Jr. recorded seven used strips of three of the imperforate Type Ia (see Bakers' U.S. Classics, p. 188). This strip on cover is widely acknowledged to be the finest and largest multiple of the imperforate Type Ia.

Illustrated in Brookman Vol. I (p. 114). Ex Newbury and Grunin (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE AND AN EXTRAORDINARILY RARE COMBINATION OF TYPES IN ONE STRIP.

This strip is believed to be the only such combination of types extant in a multiple of the imperforate 1c stamp. Ex Fleckenstein and Grunin. Unlisted in Scott (Image)

AN IMPORTANT CLASSIC MULTIPLE, BEING THE LARGEST KNOWN BLOCK FROM PLATE ONE EARLY.

This block was discovered within the past five years among a file of old records. It is the largest known block from Plate 1 Early, followed in size by the irregular unused block of eight containing Position 7R1E, an unused and defective block of six (Pos. 51-53/61-631E) and seven or eight unused blocks of four (one used block is also known).

From our 1996 Rarities of the World sale, where it realized $41,800 (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. THE LARGEST RECORDED BLOCK CONTAINING THE PLATE 2 CRACK AND, IN ASHBROOK'S OWN WORDS, "THIS MAGNIFICENT MINT PIECE IS ONE OF THE FINEST ONE-CENT IMPERFORATE ITEMS KNOWN."

Unlike plate cracks resulting from stress fractures during the course of printing, the Plate 2 crack is believed to have been caused by a integral flaw in the steel plate. As Plate 2 was used, the crack widened and extended downward into the fourth row. Due to the nature of this unusually large crack, Ashbrook preferred to call it the "Plate 2 Flaw."

This phenomenal block is described and illustrated (as a block of nine) in the Neinken book (pp. 176-181), Brookman Vol. I (p. 119-120) and Rose's Classic United States Imperforate Stamps (pp. 48-49). Ex Lozier, Edward H. R. Green, Moody, Wunderlich and Ishikawa. With 1993 P.F. certificate (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE AND RARE TRANSATLANTIC USE OF THE 1-CENT 1851 MAJOR PLATE 2 FLAW.

Ex Chase, Emerson and Grunin (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. A REMARKABLY CHOICE EXAMPLE OF THIS 1-CENT 1851 RARITY.

We quote from the Neinken book: "This one Type III comes from 99R2 and it is unquestionably the finest example of this type produced from any of the one cent plates. As a type, its popularity ranks second only to the Type I, 7R1E..." (p. 172), "The 99R2 stamp is a fresh entry, that was short transferred both at top and bottom, over an original entry that had been erased... The reason that 99R2 is the finest example of Type III is because of its very short transfer at top and at bottom, giving us the wide breaks in these lines." (p. 184)

Ex Caspary, Lehman and Grunin (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. A SPECTACULAR EXHIBITION ITEM, COMBINING A RARE AND DESIRABLE POSITION MULTIPLE OF THE 1-CENT 1851 ISSUE WITH AN UNUSUAL RED NEW ORLEANS DATESTAMP ON A CIRCULAR TO AUSTRIA.

Ex H. J. Baker and Grunin (Image)

FRESH AND VERY FINE. USE OF FIVE 1-CENT 1851 STAMPS FOR THE SHORE-TO-SHIP RATE ON TRANSATLANTIC MAIL IS EXTREMELY UNUSUAL. THE STRIP AND COMBINATION OF RED MARKINGS CREATE A COLORFUL AND RARE 1851 ISSUE COVER.

Ex Chambers, H. J. Baker and Grunin. Signed Ashbrook (Image)