Sale 962 — United States Stamps
Sale Date — Wednesday-Friday, 24-26 September, 2008
Category — 1861-66 Issue (Scott 62B-78)













EXTREMELY FINE. A PARTICULARLY CHOICE USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1861-66 5-CENT BROWN YELLOW SHADE.
With 1990 P.F. (as No. 67) and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (XF 90; SMQ 90; $2,800.00)


EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A MAGNIFICENT EXAMPLE OF THE 24-CENT 1861 ISSUE IN THE DISTINCTIVE DEEP RED LILAC SHADE AND COMPLEMENTED BY A BLUE CHICAGO DATESTAMP CANCEL. THIS STAMP IS THE QUINTESSENTIAL COMBINATION OF CENTERING, COLOR AND CANCELLATION.
We are occasionally presented with a classic stamp which creates an opportunity to talk about Ashbrook's six essentials of quality: Color, Impression, Margins, Color of Cancel, Placement of Cancel and Paper. This is certainly one of those occasions.
The myriad 24c 1861-63 shades are divided into Scott number classifications. Scott 70, the Red Lilac, encompasses a spectrum of shades. Within the Red Lilac family is a distinctive deep purplish shade, which was probably an early printing (late 1861 or early 1862). The stamp offered here is a wonderful example of this deep purplish Red Lilac. It does not have its own Scott number, but it is certainly much scarcer and more desirable than the average Red Lilac, Scott 70.
In addition to its color attributes, this stamp is beautifully cancelled in blue by the double-circle datestamp used in Chicago. The perforations create a balanced frame around the printed design, and the paper is naturally fresh and bright (in other words, it is untainted by bleaching agents). It would be difficult to imagine a finer example of the 24c Red Lilac, and, in fact, a Power Search on our website will prove the rarity of this little bird.
With 2008 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $4,000.00)







EXTREMELY FINE. AN OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 30-CENT ORANGE 1861 ISSUE, WHICH HAS BEEN GRADED XF 90 JUMBO BY P.S.E. -- THIS IS THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED TO DATE AND THE ONLY EXAMPLE TO ACHIEVE THIS GRADE. AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT STAMP TO FIND IN THE HIGHER GRADES.
The narrowly-spaced 30c 1861 plate left very little room for the 12-gauge perforations between stamps. Consequently, examples with wide margins at sides are extremely rare -- this fact is acknowledged in the Scott Catalogue footnote to No. 71.
With 2008 P.S.E. certificate (XF 90 Jumbo; SMQ $6,900.00 for 90, $15,600.00 for 95). This is the highest grade awarded to date for an original-gum stamp and the only example to achieve this grade.








EXTREMELY FINE. THE 24-CENT 1861-63 ISSUE IS VERY RARE IN SOUND AND WELL-CENTERED ORIGINAL-GUM CONDITION. A FAR GREATER CHALLENGE TO ACQUIRE IN THIS GRADE THAN MANY COLLECTORS REALIZE.
With 1987 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (VF-XF 85; SMQ $4,500.00)

