Sale 1096 — The Robert R. Hall Collection of Outstanding United States Stamps
Sale Date — Tuesday-Thursday, 28-30 April, 2015
Category — 1861-66 Issue, cont. (Scott 69-78c)


VERY FINE AND CHOICE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 12-CENT 1861 ISSUE.
With 1996 P.F. certificate





VERY FINE CENTERING. A RARE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1861 24-CENT VIOLET.
With 2015 P.F. certificate



EXTREMELY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCK OF THE 30-CENT 1861 ISSUE. A BLOCK OF FOUR IS THE LARGEST RECORDED UNUSED MULTIPLE, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE TWO FINEST BLOCKS.
As this block demonstrates, the 30c 1861 plate left very little space between the stamp subjects. Consequently, perforations usually cut into part of the design. This fact is acknowledged in both the Scott Catalogue and Stamp Market Quarterly, and the 30c 1861-68 Issue is one of the few for which which centering standards are adjusted accordingly.
This block is one of approximately eight different blocks we have located in past auctions. It was originally joined with the equally superb block of four in our sale of Alan B. Whitman collection (Siegel Sale 968). This block was originally positioned to the right of the ex-Whitman block. It is possible that these and a few other 30c 1861 blocks were part of a larger multiple, but this and the Whitman blocks have superior centering to any others.
Ex Lilly, Klein and Zoellner. With 1968 and 1998 P.F. certificates.


FINE-VERY FINE. A RARE ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCK OF FOUR OF THE 90-CENT 1861 ISSUE.
Less than ten blocks of four are recorded. Most tend to be centered to left. A block of eight was offered in the Caspary sale, with similar centering, and this may have come from the same sheet.
With 1983 P.F. certificate.


VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY SCARCE SOUND AND WELL-CENTERED ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 30-CENT 1861 ISSUE.
Ex "Concord". With 1988 P.F. certificate







VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A REMARKABLY FRESH AND ATTRACTIVE EXAMPLE OF THE 3-CENT SCARLET TRIAL PRINTING FROM THE ROTHFUCHS GROUP.
As has been documented by Jerome S. Wagshal in a series of Chronicle articles (Nos. 56, 60, 61 and 62), Carl F. Rothfuchs, a Washington D.C. stamp dealer, obtained a supply of the 3c Scarlet in 1893 -- probably from the Post Office Department in exchange for his assistance with the Columbian Exposition -- and sold them with pen marks and original gum. The Rothfuchs lot is not from the same supply acquired by John W. Scott in the late 1870's, from which stamps exist uncancelled and cancelled with a New York City Station D oval.
Ex "Vineyard." With 2000 P.F. certificate


VERY FINE AND RARE SOUND ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT 1862 ISSUE IN THE RED BROWN SHADE.
This is a very difficult issue to obtain in sound original-gum condition.
With 1986 P.F. certificate



EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFULLY CENTERED AND UNUSUALLY FRESH ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1863 5-CENT BROWN.
The 5c 1861-68 Issue was printed from plates with closely-spaced subjects that left little room for the large 12-gauge perforations. The Brown shade, Scott 76, is scarce in original-gum condition, and truly rare in this quality.
With 1986 P.F. certificate


EXTREMELY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1866 15-CENT LINCOLN. SCARCE IN SUCH CHOICE CONDITION.
With 1990 P.F. certificate


VERY FINE AND CHOICE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1863 24-CENT LILAC SHADE.
With 1996 P.F. certificate for block of four


EXTREMELY FINE. A CHOICE EXAMPLE OF THE 24-CENT 1863 GRAYISH LILAC SHADE. VERY SCARCE IN THIS HIGH-QUALITY ORIGINAL-GUM CONDITION.
With 1986 P.F. certificate (submitted as No. 78, opinion states No. 70a Brownish Lilac -- we disagree)

EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 24-CENT BLACKISH VIOLET, WHICH IS THE MOST DIFFICULT STAMP OF THE 1861-66 SERIES TO OBTAIN -- EITHER UNUSED OR USED -- IN SOUND AND CENTERED CONDITION. THIS IS EASILY ONE OF THE FINEST IN EXISTENCE.
A thorough search through past auction catalogues will demonstrate how rare this stamp is in either used or unused condition. With regard to used stamps, this shade was lacking from the Ishikawa, Grunin, Klein, Caspary and Twigg-Smith collections. The Zoellner collection contained an original-gum single even though the rest of the series was obtained in used condition, because a suitable used stamp was never offered. The superb used single in our Sale 878 (lot 324, realized $22,000 hammer) was stolen from a Fedex courier and has not been recovered.
Our census of Scott 78c, available at our website at http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/78c/78c.pdf , records a total of 36 used examples of this issue, of which only 31 have been certified as genuine by The Philatelic Foundation. We also record nine on cover plus three unused, for a total of 48 potential examples. Of the used off cover copies only ten are confirmed as sound, and of these ten only four have decent centering (one of which is the stolen copy). This leaves only three used copies which are confirmed as sound and centered -- Census Nos. 01 (ex Dr. Morris), 02 (ex Natalee Grace) and 30 (ex Floyd, the example offered here).
Census No. 78c-CAN-30. Ex Floyd. With 1996 P.F. certificate