Power Search™ Results
3 Selected Lots, Page 1 of 1
General/Issue
Date
This is the unique Bible Block of six--the largest of three recorded unused blocks of the 10¢ 1847 First General Issue--which has been acclaimed an icon of United States philately since its discovery in a bible more than a century agoDESCRIPTION
10¢ Black (2), Positions 71-73/81-83R--block of six (three by two) from the first three columns of the eighth and ninth rows of the right pane--original gum, mostly full to large margins except close or touching at left, deep shade on fresh bluish paper
PROVENANCE
* Discovered circa 1909-11 in a bible belonging to the Rives of Virginia; 5¢ 1847 block of six and adjoining 10¢ block of four found in the same bible; sold privately to Scott Stamp and Coin Co. before 1912
* Philadelphia Stamp Co., Sale 48, 6/28/1912, lot 3, sold to Henry C. Gibson, Sr. (bought from Gibson by Ward in 1942-47)
* Philip H. Ward, Jr. (bought from Gibson, estate sold to Weills in 1963)
* Benjamin D. Phillips (bought from Weills out of Ward estate, 1964; collection sold privately to Weills, 1968)
* Ryohei Ishikawa (bought privately from Weills, circa 1977), Christie’s Robson Lowe sale, 9/28-29/1993, lot 52, to William H. Gross
CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES
* Dr. Stanley M. Bierman, “Henry C. Gibson, Sr.: The Centennial Philatelist,” Chronicle 128, November 1985
* --“Philip H. Ward, Jr.: An Aristocrat of Philately,” Chronicle 124, November 1984
* Lester G. Brookman, United States Postage Stamps of the 19th Century, p. 60
* David Lidman, Treasury of Stamps, fig. 65, p. 52
* John N. Luff, The Postage Stamps of the United States, reprint, p. 49
* Jonathan W. Rose, Classic United States Imperforate Stamps, p. 19
* Philip H. Ward, Jr., Mekeel’s Weekly Stamp News, 1935, Vol. 69, p. 265
* --“United States Early Unused Blocks 1847-1869,” 1960 Congress Book, p. 51
* National Philatelic Museum, 1956, Vol. III, No. 1, pp. 106, 111
* New York International Philatelic Exhibition 1913 (Gibson)
* New York International Philatelic Exhibition 1926 (Gibson)
* Collectors Club of New York 2/24/1926 (Gibson; Elliott Perry talk)
* TIPEX 1936 (Ward)
* ANPHILEX 1971 “Aristocrats of Philately” (Weill)
* INTERPHIL 1976 “Aristocrats of Philately” (Weill)
* ANPHILEX 1996 Invited Exhibits (Gross)
* Collectors Club of New York “Aristocrats of United States Philately” exhibit, December 2000 (Gross)
* World Stamp Show 2016 Court of Honor (Gross)
CERTIFICATION
* The Philatelic Foundation (2018)
CONDITION NOTES
* Very Fine; light crease in left vertical pair
VIEW PDF OF HISTORY AND COMMENTARY at https://siegelauctions.com/2018/1188/14.pdf
10c Black (2). Block of four, Positions 74-75/84-85R1, original gum, three stamps 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 in bottom left margin caused by uneven application of gum (characteristic of the issue and described on most recent certificate as "faint toned spot in bottom left margin"), short scissors-cut in margin between bottom stamps, faint corner crease at bottom rightVERY FINE AND REMARKABLY CHOICE ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCK OF THE FIRST UNITED STATES GENERAL ISSUE. ONLY TWO UNUSED BLOCKS OF THE 10-CENT 1847 ISSUE ARE AVAILABLE TO COLLECTORS. ONE OF THE RAREST AND MOST IMPORTANT MULTIPLES IN CLASSIC PHILATELY.
The 1847 Issue is much scarcer in unused condition than other issues, because the stamps were demonetized in 1851. They could be exchanged for the new issue, but once the exchange period ended, the stamps would have no postage value. Considering the purchasing power of ten cents in 1851, it is not surprising that the stamps were either used or exchanged, rather than left for future generations of collectors.
Only three unused blocks of the 10c 1847 stamp are recorded:
1) Block of six (largest known), original gum, ex Gibson, Ward and Ishikawa, currently in the William H. Gross Collection
2) Block of four, original gum, ex Green, Klein, Kapiloff and Zoellner, the block offered here
3) Block of four, without gum, contained in the Hirzel Collection at the Swiss PTT Museum
The elusiveness of 10c 1847 unused blocks is shown in 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, Kapiloff and Zoellner. With 1970 and 1998 P.F. certificates
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