9th Floor
New York, NY 10036
Sale 1096 — The Robert R. Hall Collection of Outstanding United States Stamps
Sale Date — Tuesday-Thursday, 28-30 April, 2015
Category — 1851-56 Issue (Scott 5-17)
1c Blue, Ty. I (5). Position 7R1E, three large margins, just barely in at bottom but plumes almost complete, bright early shade, neat strike of blue grid cancel, small corner crease at top left entirely in the sheet marginVERY FINE APPEARANCE. POSITION 7R1E -- THE SEVENTH STAMP IN THE RIGHT PANE OF PLATE ONE EARLY -- IS THE ONLY ONE OF THE 1,000 POSITIONS USED TO PRINT IMPERFORATE ONE-CENT STAMPS THAT SHOWS THE COMPLETE DESIGN (TYPE I). A GREAT RARITY.
The published census compiled by Jerome S. Wagshal contains at least 98 unduplicated records of Scott 5. There are probably no more than ten examples existing outside of the Wagshal census population. Therefore, the 1c 1851 Type I is the rarest of all United States stamps issued regularly prior to the 1868 Grills.
Wagshal Census No. 5-CAN-26. Ex McCree. With 1995 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. Ib (5A). Position 5R1E, based on our familiarity with Plate 1 Early singles and multiples with original gum, we are confident that the gum on this stamp is original -- it is described on 1988 and 1989 P.F. certificates as regummed and as original gum on 2000 P.S.E. certificate -- large margins to in at top including part of adjoining stamp at left, crisp early shade and impressionA RARE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 ONE-CENT TYPE Ib IMPERFORATE. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL UNITED STATES CLASSICS TO OBTAIN IN UNUSED CONDITION.
Type Ib was produced only as an imperforate stamp. Six positions on Plate 1 Early furnished stamps qualifying as Type Ib--Positions 3-6R and 8-9R--distinguished by the complete design at top and nearly complete design at bottom. When first entered on the plate, these six positions (as well as 7R1E) had the complete design at top and bottom. However, unlike 7R, small portions of the bottoms were burnished away.
A thorough search of past auctions and our own extensive records produced a result that surprised us. The unique block of eight from Plate 1E contains Position 7R1E (Scott 5) and five Type Ib stamps (with faults). The famous ex-Waterhouse copy of Position 7R1E is joined with a pair of Type Ib stamps (this unused unit is currently owned by William H. Gross). The multiples, containing a total of seven Type Ib stamps, really do not fit the needs of collectors who want a single unused example of Scott 5A. We located only four other unused singles, and we were surprised at the conspicuous absence of any unused Scott 5A stamps in major name sales, including Wagshal. The last we offered was in our 2008 Hoffman sale.
With 1988 and 1989 P.F. certificates as regummed. With 2000 P.S.E. certificate as original gum. Scott Retail $12,000.00 as no gum and $32,500.00 with original gum.
1c Blue, Ty. Ib (5A). Position 9R1E, ample margins to just touched at bottom, beautiful Plate 1 Early shade, lightly cancelled by black circular datestampVERY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 1851 ONE-CENT IMPERFORATE TYPE Ib.
Type Ib comes from only six positions on Plate 1E: Positions 3-6, 8 and 9R1E.
1c Blue, Ty. Ia (6). Position 96R4, large margins to barely touched at upper left and barely into bottom right plume, deep rich color on bright paper, neat strike of blue Cincinnati circular datestampVERY FINE AND CHOICE. A BEAUTIFUL SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE IMPERFORATE 1851 ONE-CENT TYPE Ia, WHICH CLEARLY SHOWS THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TYPE.
Stamps printed from Plate 4 were issued in April, May and briefly in June 1857 before perforations were introduced. The relatively small number of imperforate Plate 4 stamps issued during this period explains the rarity and desirability of any of the imperforate stamp types produced from this plate (Ia, Ic, II, III and IIIa). The extremely rare Type Ia, showing the full design at bottom, was furnished only by 18 of the 200 subjects on Plate 4 (the remaining two bottom-row positions were sub-type Ic).
With 1993 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. II (7). Plate 2, original gum, lightly hinged, large margins to clear, intense color, Very Fine, with 1986 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. II (7). Positions 43-44/53-54R2, block of four, huge margins to clear including significant portions of adjoining stamps at left, large part original gum, deep rich color, light internal creasesEXTREMELY FINE APPEARING BLOCK OF FOUR OF THE 1851 ONE-CENT TYPE II IMPERFORATE.
With copy of 2000 P.F. certificate for block of eight.
1c Blue, Ty. III (8). Position 75R4, wide break in top line and clear break in bottom line, large margins to ample at left, neatly cancelled by black grid leaving top and bottom lines clearly visible, dark Plate 4 shade, Very Fine and choice, a scarce example of the imperforate Type III, with 1981 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (8A). Plate 4, original gum, lightly hinged, huge margins all around with wide break at top, deep rich Plate 4 color and proof-like impressionEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A MAGNIFICENT ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 ONE-CENT TYPE IIIa IMPERFORATE. SUPERB IN EVERY RESPECT.
Stamps printed from Plate 4 were issued in April-June 1857 before perforations were introduced. The relatively small number of imperforate Plate 4 stamps issued during this period explains the rarity and desirability of any of the imperforate stamp types produced from this plate.
The Type IIIa from Plate 4 with original gum is extremely rare. We have offered perhaps five examples in the past 20 years in comparable condition.
Ex Chapin. With 1986, 1992 and 2003 P.F. certificates.
1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (8A). Position 55R1E, wide break at top, large margins, bright Plate 1 Early shade, sharp strike of circular datestamp, Extremely Fine, signed and plated by Ashbrook in pencil on back, with 1984 and 2000 P.F. certificates
1c Blue, Ty. IV (9). Position 16L1L, recut once at top and once at bottom and with slight double transfer at right, original gum, large margins all around, unusually bright color from an early impression, Extremely Fine, with 1996 and 2003 P.F. certificates
1c Blue, Ty. IV (9). Plate 1 Late, recut once at top, original gum, lightly hinged, mostly huge margins including part of adjoining stamp at top and right sheet margin, Extremely Fine, with 1999 P.F. certificate as Scott 8, which it is not
1c Blue, Ty. IV (9). Positions 14-15/24-25L1L, block of four, disturbed original gum, large margins to barely touched, vertical creases (very slight in lefthand pair), small tear at top right, Very Fine appearance
3c Orange Brown, Ty. I (10). Large margins to close but clear at lower right, perfect socked-on-the-nose strike of light blue grid in circle cancel, intense shade and impression, Very Fine, with 2003 P.F. certificate
3c Orange Brown, Ty. II (10A). Original gum, lightly hinged, large margins to full, brilliant colorEXTREMELY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 3-CENT ORANGE BROWN.
With 1993 P.F. certificate
3c Orange Brown, Ty. II (10A). Positions 87-89/97-98RO, block of twelve from Plate O, original gum, large margins to barely in at top left, intense shade and proof-like impression, diagonal crease affects three stamps, bottom right stamp stain spot mostly on backFINE-VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCK OF FOUR OF THE 1851 3-CENT TYPE II ORANGE BROWN, SCOTT 10A, FROM PLATE O. AN IMPORTANT CLASSIC UNITED STATES IMPERFORATE MULTIPLE.
This block comes from the lower left corner of the block of twelve from Plate O that was once part of the Stanley M. Piller and Robert Zoellner collections. After our Zoellner sale it was cut into smaller units, primarily to harvest a Mint N.H. single, but this block was preserved.
Ex Piller and Zoellner as block of twelve. With copy of 1979 P.F. certificate (for block of twelve).
3c Dull Red, Ty. I (11). Block of four, large margins to barely in, original gum, lightly hinged, radiant color, Fine-Very Fine and attractive block
3c Brownish Carmine, Ty. II (11A). Huge top and bottom margins showing parts of adjoining stamps, clear to touched at sides, cancelled by vivid green "New London Conn. Sep. 10" circular datestamp, accompanied by lady's embossed cover from which the stamp was removed, Very Fine, with 1990 P.F. certificate for the cover and 1999 P.F. certificate for the stamp, Scott Retail as off-cover stamp
5c Red Brown (12). Part original gum, large even margins, beautiful bright shade and sharp impression, remarkably freshEXTREMELY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT 1856 ISSUE WITH PART ORIGINAL GUM. ONE OF THE RAREST CLASSIC IMPERFORATE STAMPS IN SOUND UNUSED CONDITION.
The 5c stamp was issued in 1856, five years after the 1c, 3c and 12c values and one year after the 10c were issued. It was typically used to pay the 5c shore-to-ship rate for mail sent overseas and also in multiples for the 10c transcontinental or 15c U.S.-French treaty rates.
With the exception of some rare types of the 1c and 10c, such as Scott Nos. 5 and 16, the 5c stamp is the most difficult denomination to obtain with four margins in sound original-gum condition. The spacing between stamps was very narrow, leaving little margin for error when separating the stamps, which explains why so few examples are known with four margins. When other factors such as gum, color and impression are taken into consideration, the rarity and beauty of the stamp offered here may be fully appreciated.
With 1992 P.F. certificate stating "part o.g."
5c Red Brown (12). Full to large margins, rich color, cancelled by black town datestamp, Very Fine, with 1999 P.F. certificate
10c Green, Ty. I (13). Original gum, three enormous margins including part of bottom sheet margin, full at top, marvelous dark shade and intense impression on bright paperEXTREMELY FINE GEM. ONE OF THE CHOICEST EXAMPLES OF THE 10-CENT TYPE I, WHICH WAS FURNISHED ONLY BY THE BOTTOM ROW OF THE PLATE. VERY FEW ORIGINAL-GUM TYPE I STAMPS EXIST, AND THIS IS CERTAINLY AMONG THE FINEST IN TERMS OF COLOR, IMPRESSION AND MARGINS.
Type I stamps come from the bottom 20 positions of the plate. They are the only stamps to show the design complete at bottom. For some reason the sheet margin at bottom was often trimmed away, leaving a dearth of quality copies. The Type IV stamps come from only eight positions, but we would rank the two types equally in terms of the rarity of sound four-margin original-gum copies.
We have offered only one other comparable example in terms of margins and condition, in the Whitman sale.
Ex Golin. "W.H.C." backstamp (Warren H. Colson). With 1985 P.F. certificate
10c Green, Ty. I (13). Large margins to full at right with bottom sheet margin showing the full shell (the key element of Type I), lightly cancelled by town datestamp, Extremely Fine, with 2000 P.F. certificate
10c Green, Ty. II (14). Original gum, lightly hinged, large even margins all around, deep rich colorEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT TYPE II 1855 ISSUE.
Given the wide spacing between subjects on the plate used to print the 10c 1855 Issue, one would expect to find an ample supply of examples in sound original-gum condition with four margins. However, such stamps are extremely rare.
With 2002 P.F. certificate
10c Green, Ty. II (14). Large margins, rich color, lightly cancelled by town datestamp, Extremely Fine, with 1987 P.F. certificate
10c Green, Ty. III (15). Original gum, h.r., large margins to full, intense shade and impressionVERY FINE AND CHOICE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT TYPE III 1855 ISSUE.
With 1993 P.F. certificate
10c Green, Ty. IV (16). Position 86L1, recut at top, original gum, large margins to full at top, rich color, faint horizontal crease at bottom mostly in marginVERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE FOUR-MARGIN ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1855 10-CENT TYPE IV IMPERFORATE. ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL CLASSIC UNITED STATES UNUSED STAMPS.
As an indication of rarity, we have offered only ten other unused copies in all of our Rarities sales and in the last 20 years of our auctions, and only one of those has full original gum (five have part original gum and one has disturbed gum)
With 1999 P.S.E. certificate.
10c Green, Ty. IV (16). Position 3R1, recut at top, the misplaced relief position showing breaks in lines above each "X", full margins all around, Philadelphia circular datestamp, diagonal crease across bottom right corner not noted on accompanying certificate, Very Fine appearance, with 1989 P.F. certificate
12c Black (17). Original gum (some light soiling on the gum, not noted on certificate), large margins to full at left, intense shade and sharp early impressionVERY FINE AND CHOICE. A BEAUTIFUL ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 12-CENT 1851 ISSUE.
With 1968 P.F. certificate
12c Black (17). Large margins to full at upper left, crisp shade and impression, cancelled by circular datestamp, Very Fine and choice, with 2002 P.F. certificate
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