9th Floor
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111 Selected Lots, Page 1 of 12
General/Issue
Date
1c Blue, Ty. II, Plate 3 (7). Position 100L3, original gum, single light hinge mark at top, huge margins including bottom sheet margin, interpane margin at right and portions of adjoining stamps at top and left, deep rich Plate 3 colorEXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION ONE OF THE FINEST ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLES OF THE 1851 ONE-CENT TYPE II, GRADED GEM 100 BY P.S.E. AND GEM 100 JUMBO BY THE PHILATELIC FOUNDATION. THIS IS VERY RARE AND ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE FROM PLATE 3.
With 2011 P.F. certificate (Gem 100 Jumbo). With 2016 P.S.E. certificate (OGph, Gem 100; SMQ $18,000.00 as most common plate). Among P.S.E. graded stamps from all plates, only one grades higher and two others share this grade. Scott assigns a 100% premium to No. 7 from Plate 3 versus Plates 1E and 2.
1c Blue, Ty. II (7). Position 4R1L, the only non-recut position on Plate One Late, original gum, h.r., large margins to just in, plate bruise at top (a characteristic of this position), faint vertical crease at left, Fine appearance, small blue backstamp
1c Blue, Ty. II (7). Positions 41-42L2, horizontal pair with left sheet margin showing "nter, Casilear & Co. BANK NOTE EN" portion of imprint and "No." portion of plate number, just a bit of the "2" is also present, original gum, h.r., rich color, left stamp small thin spot, Very Fine appearance, Scott Retail as pair without premium for the position
1c Blue, Ty. II, Cracked Plate (7 var). Positions 1-3L2, strip of three with full top left corner sheet margins, clearly showing the outline of the plate, Position 2L2 with huge "lightning bolt" crack along right side of design, original gum, middle stamp with light vertical crease, left stamp with light vertical crease in the margin clear of the ornamentsA SPECTACULAR ORIGINAL-GUM STRIP FROM THE TOP LEFT CORNER OF PLATE 2, SHOWING ONE OF THE "BIG FLAW" PLATE CRACK POSITONS.
Unlike plate cracks resulting from stress fractures during the course of printing, the Plate 2 crack is believed to have been caused by an integral flaw in the steel. 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."
With 2003 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. II (7). Plate 2, original gum, lightly hinged, large to full margins, deep rich color, Extremely Fine, with 2005 P.F. and 2006 P.S.E. certificates (OGph, XF 90; SMQ $2,250.00)
1c Blue, Ty. II, Plate 3 (7). Positions 84/94L3, vertical pair from the 9th and 10th rows, original gum, large even margins, marvelous intense Prussian Blue shade, early impression showing numerous fine cracks and other plate marks for these two positions, bright and fresh paperEXTREMELY FINE GEM PAIR. THIS MAGNIFICENT PAIR IS ONE OF THE FINEST PIECES EXTANT FROM THE SHORT-LIVED 1851 ONE-CENT PLATE 3. HOWEVER, FOR MANY YEARS THIS PAIR WAS MISATTRIBUTED TO PLATE 2. IN 1998 JEROME S. WAGSHAL CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED THE PLATE POSITIONS AS 84L AND 94L ON PLATE 3.
According to Ashbrook and Neinken, Plate 3 is believed to have been made in March or April 1856, possibly to replace the defective Plate 2 and/or to meet the increased demand for stamps concurrent with the April 1855 change in postal regulations requiring prepayment of postage. For an unknown reason--possibly a severe defect that arose in the plate--very few stamps were printed from the new Plate 3 before it was retired. All positions on Plate 3 are Type II and were entered from the same T-A-B Relief roller used for Plates 1 and 2. Plate 3 stamps bear a close resemblance to those from Plate 2. Surviving Plate 3 examples are rare, and unused examples or multiples of any kind are exceedingly rare.
This superb pair was described as a Plate 2 impression in auctions of the collections formed by Caspary, Hetherington and Klein, and it was certified as a Plate 2 pair by The Philatelic Foundation in 1957. It was offered in a 1998 Shreve sale, described again as a Plate 2 printing, and was acquired by Mr. Wagshal, who successfully plated the pair to Positions 84/94L3. Thus, after four decades of misidentification, the true identity of this pair was revealed.
Ex Caspary, Hetherington, Klein and Wagshal. With 1957 and 1988 P.F. certificates (as Plate 2). With 2010 P.F. certificate (as Plate 3). Listed but unpriced in Scott as a pair
1c Blue, Ty. II (7). Dark Plate 2 color, original gum, full margins at sides, just in to touched at top and bottom, Very Good, with copy of 1989 P.F. certificate for block of four
Magnificent corner-margin pair of 1¢ 1851 Imperforate with the striking Plate 2 "Big Flaw"DESCRIPTION
1¢ Blue, Type II (7), Positions 1-2L2, horizontal pair from the top left corner of left pane of Plate 2 with major plate crack appearing as a lightning bolt through right stamp, original gum, deep shade and fine impression, large to huge margins showing parts of adjoining stamps at bottom
PROVENANCE
Alfred H. Caspary, H. R. Harmer sale, 1/16-18/1956, lot 205
John C. Chapin (collection sold privately to Shreves and then to William H. Gross, 2002)
CERTIFICATION
The Philatelic Foundation (1957)
CONDITION NOTES
Extremely Fine appearance; slight vertical crease in left stamp, tiny thins in selvage
1c Blue, Ty. II (7). Position 91L1E, triple transfer, one inverted, disturbed original gum, large margins with huge bottom left corner sheet margins, diagonal crease that has little impact on the beautiful appearance of this stampEXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. AN OUTSTANDING AND RARE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 ONE-CENT FROM POSITION 91L ON PLATE ONE EARLY, WITH TRIPLE TRANSFER, ONE INVERTED.
The inverted transfers on Positions 71L, 81L and 91L1E (offered here) were made after the top row of the right pane of Plate 1 Early was entered from the Type I single-relief transfer roll. According to Richard Celler's theory (see Siegel Encyclopedia at http://siegelauctions.com/enc/pdf/1c1851.pdf), the three inverted transfers were made from a Type I design 3-relief transfer roll as a sort of trial after the top row entries had been made and the plate was turned around 180 degrees. When another plate ("Plate 0") had to be discarded, the siderographer returned to Plate 1 and erased the three inverted transfers before completing the plate with entries surrounding 3R to 10R. Positions 71L and 81L are double transfers. Position 91L was entered a total of three times, so it is a triple transfer, one inverted. When the plate was reworked in 1852, 71L and 81L were re-entered (but not 91L), making them all triple transfers, one inverted.
With 2001 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. II (7). Position 91L1E, triple transfer, one inverted, disturbed original gum, large margins with huge bottom left corner sheet margins, diagonal crease that has little impact on the beautiful appearance of this stampEXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. AN OUTSTANDING AND RARE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 ONE-CENT FROM POSITION 91L ON PLATE ONE EARLY, WITH TRIPLE TRANSFER, ONE INVERTED.
The inverted transfers on Positions 71L, 81L and 91L1E (offered here) were made after the top row of the right pane of Plate 1 Early was entered from the Type I single-relief transfer roll. According to Richard Celler's theory (see Siegel Encyclopedia at http://siegelauctions.com/enc/pdf/1c1851.pdf), the three inverted transfers were made from a Type I design 3-relief transfer roll as a sort of trial after the top row entries had been made and the plate was turned around 180 degrees. When another plate ("Plate 0") had to be discarded, the siderographer returned to Plate 1 and erased the three inverted transfers before completing the plate with entries surrounding 3R to 10R. Positions 71L and 81L are double transfers. Position 91L was entered a total of three times, so it is a triple transfer, one inverted. When the plate was reworked in 1852, 71L and 81L were re-entered (but not 91L), making them all triple transfers, one inverted.
With 2001 P.F. certificate
111 Selected Lots , Page 1 of 12
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