9th Floor
New York, NY 10036
Sale 1048 — 2013 Rarities of the World
Sale Date — Tuesday, 25 June, 2013
Category — 1869 Issue incl. Inverts, 1875 Re-Issue
1c-24c 1869 Pictorial Issue, Specimens (112S-113S, 116S-117S, 119S, 120S). Each as issued stamp with small manuscript "X", unused (no gum), a couple items with perf flaws as to be expectedFINE-VERY FINE. A RARE GROUP OF SIX DENOMINATIONS OF THE 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE WITH SMALL MANUSCRIPT "X" MARKINGS USED TO DENOTE THAT THESE ARE SPECIMENS.
We have seen this marking used on other examples of the issue in combination with a "Specimen" overprint (see our 2012 Rarities sale, lot 138).
1c Buff, Without Grill (112b). Original gum, lightly hinged, bright colorVERY FINE AND EXTREMELY RARE. WE RECORD FOUR SINGLES AND A BLOCK OF FOUR OF THE ONE-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL WITHOUT GRILL.
A Power Search of Scott 112b and review of older sales produced four singles and a block of four. The stamp offered here is sound and better centered than most.
With 1964 and 2012 P.F. certificates.
2c Brown (113). Original gum, beautiful Jumbo margins and fabulous centering to match, sharp fresh color on bright paper, shows guide arrow at bottom left (this would have been the top right stamp in a right arrow margin block of four)EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A MASSIVE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 2-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE, WHICH HAS BEEN GRADED XF-SUPERB 95 JUMBO BY P.S.E. -- ONLY ONE OTHER SHARES THIS GRADE AND ONLY ONE HAS GRADED HIGHER.
With 2008 P.S.E. certificate (OGh, XF-Superb 95 Jumbo; SMQ $3,650.00 as 95, $6,450.00 as 98). This statistic has not changed since 2008.
3c Ultramarine (114). Mint N.H. top right corner selvage imprint and plate no. 26 block of 18, natural short gum at part of top, several bottom stamps with split grills and showing the uneven application of the grill, radiant color, pos. 3 small toned spotVERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND IMPRESSIVE MINT NEVER-HINGED PLATE BLOCK OF 18 OF THE 3-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE. ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE WITH THE SPLIT GRILL.
This is the first time this plate block has been offered at auction since it was broken out of a complete sheet.
Scott Retail as hinged plate block of ten and two blocks of four and with no premium for the split grills.
3c Ultramarine, Without Grill (114a). Disturbed original gum, with plate no. 26 selvage at top, bright color, detailed impressionTHIS EXAMPLE OF THE 3-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE WITHOUT GRILL IS UNIQUE WITH THE PLATE NUMBER.
We have offered only seventeen other unused examples in our computerized records, which includes all of our Rarities sales plus 20 years of auctions.
With 1995 A.P.S. and 1999 P.F. certificates.
3c Ultramarine (114). Rich color and detail impression, tied by well-struck "Shoo" Fly fancy cancel and by "Toledo O. Apr. 11" circular datestamp on orange cover to Pittsford N.Y., single short perf tip at top left not mentioned on accompanying certificate, top flap addedVERY FINE STRIKE OF THE DESIRABLE "SHOO FLY" FANCY CANCELLATION OF TOLEDO OHIO. THIS IS THE FIRST WE HAVE OFFERED SINCE KEEPING COMPUTERIZED RECORDS.
The popular children's song of the same name was written by Thomas Brigham Bishop (who also wrote "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" and other famous patriotic songs). The words were later changed to "I belong to somebody" from "I belong to Company G", a reference to a black detachment commanded by Bishop.
Ex Eubanks. With 1990 and 2011 P.F. certificates.
12c Green (117). Block of nine, original gum, most lightly hinged, few small h.r., left center stamp Mint N.H., rich color, perfs scissors-separated and intact all around, FRESH AND FINE. A RARE ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCK OF NINE OF THE 12-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE. THIS IS THE SECOND-LARGEST UNUSED MULTIPLE.
The Rose book notes eight unused blocks, including off-center blocks of twelve and nine (not this block). The block offered here has better centering than the other block of nine known to us, with part imprint.
Scott Retail as block of four, two pairs and a single
15c Brown & Blue, Ty. II (119). Block of nine, part disturbed original gum, rich colors, choice centering, few gum soaks, few flaws incl. bottom right stamp piece out and repairedVERY FINE APPEARANCE. A SCARCE IMPRESSIVE UNUSED BLOCK OF NINE OF THE 15-CENT TYPE II 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE.
Scott Retail as block of four, two pairs and a single $32,250.00
15c Brown & Blue, Ty. II, Center Inverted (119b). Rich colors and sharp impressions, small cork cancel leaves frame and inverted vignette clearly visible, centered to bottom left but perfs clear frameline, couple tiny corner margin or perf creasesFINE AND ESSENTIALLY SOUND. ONE OF THE HIGHEST-QUALITY USED EXAMPLES OF THE 15-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL INVERT. ONLY 97 USED COPIES ARE RECORDED IN OUR CENSUS.
Our census of 15c 1869 Inverts, available at http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/119b/119b.pdf , contains 100 examples of the 15c Invert, including three unused and 97 used. Two of the used copies are in institutions -- the Tapling Collection at the British Library and the Miller Collection at the New York Public Library. Many 15c 1869 Inverts have serious faults or heavy cancels. This lightly-cancelled stamp is certainly among the top 15 used copies.
Census No. 119b-CAN-72. Ex Coulter. With 1981 P.F. and 2006 P.S.E. certificates.
15c Brown & Blue, Ty. II, Center Inverted (119b). Rich colors and detailed impressions, three wide margins and attractive centering, cork cancel, small corner repair at top right, corner creases at bottom left and rightVERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN ATTRACTIVE EXAMPLE OF THE 15-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL INVERT. ONLY 97 USED COPIES ARE RECORDED IN OUR CENSUS, INCLUDING TWO IN INSTITUTIONS.
Our recently-updated census of Scott 119b, available at our website at http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/119b/119b.pdf , records three unused and 97 used copies of Scott 119b. Two of the used copies are in institutions -- the Tapling Collection at the British Library and the Miller Collection at the New York Public Library.
Census No. 119b-CAN-97. With 2013 P.F. certificate
15c Brown & Blue, Ty. II, Center Inverted (119b). Light cork cancel leaves frame and inverted vignette clearly visible, defective and reperforated at rightA FINE-APPEARING USED EXAMPLE OF THE 15-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL INVERT. ONLY 97 USED COPIES ARE RECORDED IN OUR CENSUS.
Our census of 15c 1869 Inverts, available at http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/119b/119b.pdf , contains 100 examples of the 15c Invert, including three unused and 97 used. Two of the used copies are in institutions -- the Tapling Collection at the British Library and the Miller Collection at the New York Public Library.
Census No. 119b-CAN-32. Ex Lake Shore. With 1974 P.F. certificate
24c Green & Violet, Center Inverted (120b). Bright colors, neat strike of rosette cancel, small sealed tear at left and expertly repairedVERY FINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE 24-CENT 1869 INVERT.
Our census of 24c 1869 Inverts, recently updated at our website at http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/120b/120b.pdf , contains four unused, 83 used singles, one used pair, one on cover and the unique block of four, for a total of 94 copies of the perforated 24c Invert. Very few are as well-centered as the stamp offered here.
Census No. 120b-CAN-46. PFC 23664 which states “Genuine cancel and part of design erased" no longer accompanies.
24c Green & Violet, Without Grill (120a). Large part original gum, deep rich colors and detailed impressions, centered to top left but perfs clear of frame, light vertical creaseFINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE 24-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE WITHOUT GRILL.
Our survey of auction catalogs and Philatelic Foundation records produced 23 examples of the 24c 1869 Without Grill (Scott 120a), of which half have faults.
Ex Coulter. With 1973 P.F. certificate
90c Carmine & Black (122). Original gum which is really quite fresh, bright colors, clearly-defined grillVERY FINE AND CHOICE. A BEAUTIFUL ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 90-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE.
With 1987 P.F. certificate
3c Blue, Re-Issue (125). Original gum, choice centering with well-balanced margins, fresh colorEXTREMELY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 3-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL RE-ISSUE.
Original sales figures show that among the 1869 Pictorial Re-Issues, the 3c and 90c stamps accounted for the smallest number of units sold (1,406 and 1,356, respectively). Overall, the 1869's were popular with stamp collectors, far outselling the 1851-60 and 1861-66 Re-Issue sets. However, the 90c stamp's high denomination and the availability of ordinary 3c stamps limited demand. Today, both are rare, and handling over the years has not been kind to most of the surviving examples.
With 2000, 2006 P.F. and 2005 P.S.E. certificates (OGph, VF-XF 85; SMQ $8,550.00). Only three original-gum examples have graded higher (two at 90, one at 95). This is the only example graded 85
3c Blue, Re-Issue (125). Rich color, bold strike of "29" duplex cancel, few thin spots, single pulled perf at topVERY FINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE 3-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL RE-ISSUE. THE RAREST OF THE 1869 PICTORIAL RE-ISSUES IN USED CONDITION.
Our census of Scott 125 in used condition, available at our website at http://siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/125/125.pdf , contains only fifteen copies. An example on cover was offered in the 1956 Caspary sale, but its current whereabouts is unknown.
Ex Twigg-Smith. With 1998 P.F. certificate. Scott Catalogue states "The used value is for an attractive example with minimal faults."
6c Blue, Re-Issue (126). Deep rich color and proof-like impression, bold strike of registry oval cancelVERY FINE AND CHOICE USED EXAMPLE OF THE 6-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL RE-ISSUE.
The 6c is the one of the rarest of the set in used condition. SMQ estimates that approximately 30 exist in used condition, and our own informal count concurs. The example offered here is easily one of the finest in existence -- most are either off-center or have flaws.
Ex Dauer. With 1967, 2000 and 2008 P.F. certificates
12c Green, Re-Issue (128). Original gum, lightly hinged, intense shade and proof-like impression, well-balanced marginsEXTREMELY FINE. A GORGEOUS ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 12-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL RE-ISSUE.
With 2006 P.S.E. certificate (OGph, VF-XF 85; SMQ $3,600.00)
15c Brown & Blue, Re-Issue (129). Original gum, lightly hinged, deep rich colors and proof-like impressions, wide marginsEXTREMELY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 15-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL RE-ISSUE.
With 2009 P.S.E. certificate (OGph, XF 90; SMQ $3,150.00)
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