9th Floor
New York, NY 10036
Sale 804 — The Robert Zoellner Collection of United States
Sale Date — Thursday-Saturday, 8-10 October, 1998
Category — 1902-08 Issue, Including the Rare Coils
1c Blue Green, 2c Carmine (300-301). Mint N.H., both have rich color and are Extremely Fine
3c Bright Violet (302). Mint N.H., intense color, very well-centered, Extremely Fine
5c Blue (304). Mint N.H., fresh and bright color, well-centered with wide margins, Extremely Fine Gem
8c Violet Black (306). Mint N.H., fresh shade and proof-like impression, perfectly centered, Extremely Fine Gem, a superb stamp
10c Pale Red Brown (307). Mint N.H., fresh and bright color, well-centered with wide margins, Extremely Fine and choice
13c Purple Black (308). Mint N.H., deep rich color, perfectly centered with wide margins all around, Extremely Fine Gem, a superb stamp, with 1985 P.F. certificate for block of four, this being the bottom left stamp
15c Olive Green (309). Mint N.H., intense shade, very well-centered with huge margins for this stamp, Extremely Fine Gem, with 1982 P.F. certificate
50c Orange (310). Mint N.H., beautiful bright color and sharp proof-like impression on bright white paper, very well-centered with jumbo margins all aroundEXTREMELY FINE GEM. AN OUTSTANDING STAMP IN EVERY RESPECT. ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF THE 50-CENT 1902 ISSUE.
With 1988 P.F. certificate
$1.00 Black (311). Barely hinged, intense shade and sharp proof-like impression, very well-centered with wide margins all aroundEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A WONDERFULLY CHOICE EXAMPLE OF THE $1.00 1902 ISSUE.
Uncommonly fresh
$2.00 Dark Blue (312). Mint N.H., deep rich color, perfectly centered with nicely proportioned margins all aroundEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB EXAMPLE OF THE $2.00 1902 ISSUE.
With 1986 P.F. certificate
$5.00 Dark Green (313). Barest faint trace of hinging, intensely deep color on bright white paper, perfectly centered with enormous margins all aroundEXTREMELY FINE GEM. AN EXTRAORDINARILY WIDE-MARGINED EXAMPLE OF THE $5.00 1902 ISSUE.
With 1986 P.F. certificate
1c Blue Green, Imperforate (314). Mint N.H. pair, large margins all around, Extremely Fine and choice
5c Blue, Imperforate (315). Mint N.H. pair, large margins and rich color, fresh and Extremely Fine
4c Brown, Schermack Ty. III (314A). Pair, left stamp Mint N.H., right stamp barely hinged, large margins all around, deep rich colorEXTREMELY FINE AND CHOICE. THIS IS THE FINEST OF THE FIVE PAIRS RECORDED IN OUR CENSUS. ONLY TWO MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLES OF THE 4-CENT 1908 IMPEROFRATE EXIST, AND ONLY ONE IS SOUND--THE LEFT STAMP IN THIS PAIR. ONE OF THE GREATEST ITEMS OF TWENTIETH CENTURY UNITED STATES PHILATELY.
Our census of unused Scott 314A (see Appendix, p. 383) records five pairs, two guide line pairs and seven singles, for a total of 21 unused stamps. Of these, one pair and one guide line pair are similarly centered. The pair offered here is superior to the others by virtue of its gum, which is Mint N.H. on the left stamp. Our unpublished census contains 44 used examples, including three strips of three (one on cover), three singles on separate covers, and 32 single used copies.
With the rising popularity of vending and affixing machines, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing received numerous requests from manufactures for supplies of imperforate stamps, which could then be privately perforated to conform to each firm's machine. In May 1908, a supply of 25 sheets (400 stamps per sheet) of the 4c 1902 Issue, without perforations, was delivered to the Schermack Mailing Machine Co. in Detroit. The entire supply was cut into coils with Schermack Type III perforations, designed for the firm's patented affixing machine and delivered to the Winfield Printing Co. for use on mass mailings of advertising material. Approximately 6,000 were used on a mailing for Hamilton Carhartt Manufacturer, and almost all of the 4,000 balance were used on a mailing for Burroughs Adding Machine Co.
All of the Scott 314A stamps that exist in unused condition originate from a local Detroit stamp collector, Karl Koslowski, who was the only one able to purchase some of the 4c Imperforates--either from the Winfield Printing Company or from the Schermack firm. His earliest account of the event appeared two years later in the Philadelphia Stamp News, and is considered to be the most reliable of several conflicting stories told by Koslowski (and interpreted by others) at later dates. In the 1910 article, Koslowski explains that he purchased 50 stamps and expected to be able to buy more, but the supply was deleted when he returned. We can account for 32 of the 50 stamps Koslowski claims he acquired. There are 21 unused stamps currently in our census, all of which must have come from him, and he used at least 11 stamps on mail to friends, including the strip of three on a Koslowski cover, two used strips of three off cover (the mass mailings were all singles) and two singles on separate Koslowski covers. The earliest known cover is dated at Detroit on May 27, 1908,rom Koslowski to a friend in Austria, and the latest is dated April 8, 1909, which was mailed to him using a sheet-margin single from Sicklerville, New Jersey. Apart from the stamps Koslowski used, there is one recorded commercial cover (June 2, 1908) and approximately 32 used single stamps, most of which were probably removed from the mass-mailing covers.
Census No. 314A-OG-PR-02. Ex Koslowski, Schmalzreidt, Col. Edward H. R. Green and Lilly as part of a strip of five. With 1985 P.F. certificate as a pair
1c Blue Green, Vertical Coil (316). Pair, full original gum, lightly hinged, rich color, well-centered for this difficult issue, few perf separations expertly reinforcedVERY FINE AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE. OUR CENSUS RECORDS ONLY TWELVE UNUSED PAIRS AND ONE UNUSED SINGLE. A REMARKABLY CHOICE PAIR OF ONE OF THE RAREST STAMPS OF TWENTIETH CENTURY PHILATELY.
Armstrong, in his book United States Coil Issues 1906-38, recorded 33 stamps in total certified by the Philatelic Foundation. Our census of Scott 316 (see Appendix, p. 384) records twelve unused pairs and an unused single, for a total of 25 stamps. Armstrong probably double-counted a few pairs that were certified more than once. In addition, the strip of four in his notes has since been broken into two pairs, and the strip of three has been broken into a pair and a single.
Of the other similarly well-centered pairs, only three others are sound (Census Nos. 316-OG-PR-03, 316-OG-PR-03 and 316-OG-LP-07).
Census No. 316-OG-PR-01. Ex Engel as part of a strip of three, ex McNall as a pair. With 1961 P.F. certificate as the strip and 1992 P.F. certificate as a pair
5c Blue, Vertical Coil (317). Pair, full original gum, lightly hinged, deep rich color, very well-centered with huge margins for this difficult issueEXTREMELY FINE. AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 5-CENT 1908 VERTICAL COIL IN THE FINEST QUALITY ATTAINABLE.
Armstrong notes that as of 1980 only 79 pairs had been certified by the Philatelic Foundation.
With 1961 P.F. certificate
1c Blue Green, Horizontal Coil (318). Original gum, small h.r., rich color, very well-centered side to side and with wide margins at top and bottomFRESH AND VERY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 1-CENT 1908 HORIZONTAL COIL.
Armstrong notes that, as of 1980, only 80 pairs had been certified by the Philatelic Foundation.
Ex Hindes. With 1952 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine (319). Mint N.H., deep rich color, perfectly centered with jumbo margins all around, Extremely Fine Gem, a superb stamp
2c Carmine, Ty. I, Imperforate (320). Mint N.H. pair, deep rich color and large margins, Extremely Fine and choice
2c Carmine, Ty. I, Booklet Pane of Six (319g). Mint N.H., beautiful rich color, very well-centered, Extremely Fine
2c Carmine, Ty. I, Vertical Pair, San Francisco Roulette (319e var). Top margin block of four showing part of imprint at top right, top stamps Mint N.H., bottom stamps h.r., rich colorVERY FINE AND EXTREMELY RARE POSITION PIECE. ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED MULTIPLES WITH THE RARE SAN FRANCISCO ROULETTE. AN OUTSTANDING EXHIBITION PIECE.
The so-called San Francisco roulette was applied to a number of sheets by the Postmaster in San Francisco, who had received a supply of the stamps with one vertical row imperforate between. These were then sold as normal postage.
This multiple, with its sheet margin and part imprint at top, clearly demonstrates that the imperforate error ocurred between the first and second rows.
Signed "SA" (Spencer Anderson) at top of selvage (shows thru). Ex West. With 1984 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail as two pairs
2c Carmine, Ty. I, Vertical Coil (321). Deep rich color, well-centered, tied across both sides by clear strike of "Indianapolis Ind. Oct. 2 3:30PM 1908" wavy-line machine cancel on light blue cover addressed to Mr. Randolph Prelate in Chicago, with original enclosure and also with sender's name "A. Griffith" printed on backflapVERY FINE AND EXTREMELY RARE. THIS IS THE ONLY SURVIVING INTACT COVER BEARING THE 2-CENT 1908 VERTICAL COIL. THE RAREST TWENTIETH CENTURY UNITED STATES STAMP AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS OF TWENTIETH CENTURY UNITED STATES PHILATELY.
Armstrong, in his book United States Coil Issues 1906-38, records five pairs and one cover (to A.M. Travers) that has stamps removed. The Scott Catalogue repeats this number. Our census of Scott 321 (see Appendix, p. 385) records only four unused pairs, the Zoellner cover offered here, and the Travers cover with stamps removed (Census 321-COV-02). The Philatelic Foundation had previously certified one additional pair (PFC 15017), but their own records indicate that they withdrew support for the opinion on April 2, 1962.
In February 1908 the Bureau of Engraving and Printing issued a limited amount of vertical-format coils for use in private vending machines. Four rolls of 1,000, or a total of 4,000 stamps, were produced. Scott 321 can only come from Die I, as Die II was not put into service until April 1908. A supply was sent to the Parkhurst Vending Machine Company in Indianapolis, and this is the only city where Scott 321 is known to have been used.
Census No. 321-COV-01. Accompanied by a notarized affadavit from the recipient, dated June 21, 1939, stating that the item had been in his possession since being received. The watermark direction has been checked to confirm that it comes from sheet stock, not from a booklet pane. With 1994 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Horizontal Coil (322). Full original gum, lightly hinged, deep rich color and almost perfect centeringEXTREMELY FINE GEM PAIR OF THE 2-CENT 1908 HORIZONTAL COIL IN THE FINEST ATTAINABLE QUALITY. A SUPERB PAIR.
Armstrong notes that only 167 examples had been certified by the Philatelic Foundation as of 1980. Issued on July 31, 1908, and intended only to be used by private vending machine companies, Scott 322 is only known with the Die II widened line at lower left.
With 1985 P.F. certificate
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