24c Dark Violet, First Color (60). Original gum, deep rich color and proof-like impression, single short perf at left

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE THE 1861 24-CENT DARK VIOLET EARLY TRIAL PRINTING. ONE OF THE RAREST OF THE 24-CENT 1861-63 ISSUE SHADES.

The Dark Violet trial printing and Violet regular issue shades are often confused, and the Scott Catalogue adds to the confusion by putting the Dark Violet (the old Scott 60) in the Trial Color Proofs section as 70TCe, while the Violet gets a front seat as Scott 70c. In our opinion, there is no good reason to relegate the Dark Violet to the Trial Color Proof section. As a result, the stamp offered here is undercatalogued in relation to other 24c stamps of equal rarity.

Ex Hansen. With 1991 and 2008 P.F. certificates

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30c Red Orange, First Color (61). Original gum, beautiful shade and impression, choice centering for this difficult issue, full perforations all around

EXTREMELY FINE. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION ONE OF THE FINEST ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLES OF THE RARE 30-CENT 1861 FIRST COLOR. AN EXTREMELY RARE STAMP IN COMPLETELY SOUND CONDITION.

Our census of the 30c 1861 First Color (available at http://siegelauctions.com/enc/census/61.pdf ) contains a total of 30 examples, including one in the Miller collection at The New York Public Library. A characteristic common to most examples of the 30c 1861 First Color is faint creasing, which in some cases is very severe and in others barely visible. Six stamps with original gum are free of faults, although a few have a trivial nibbed perf or two. All of the sound stamps are centered to one side (as are most of the others). Our October 28, 2008 auction of the Perry Hansen Collection contained one of the others (Siegel Sale 963, lot 487), which realized $62,500 hammer.

Census No. 61-OG-02. Ex Lessmann, McNall, Weisman and Whitman. With 1971, 1992 and 2009 P.F. and 1993 P.S.E. certificates.

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