Sale 1123 — The Rollin C. Huggins Jr. Collection of U.S. Officials
Sale Date — Friday, 8 April, 2016
Category — 1979 American Bank Note Co. Printing on Soft Paper
1c Agriculture, Soft Paper (O94). Top plate "No. 65" horizontal pair, without gum as issued, glowing color on bright white paperFINE. THIS IS THE ONLY REPORTED PLATE NUMBER MULTIPLE OF THE 1879 ONE-CENT AGRICULTURE AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY PRINTING ON SOFT PAPER.
The Agriculture Officials were printed from sheets of 100 consisting of one pane. In December 1878 Continental merged with American Bank Note Company, which assumed production for United States stamps early in 1879, including the Officials. As with the regular Bank Note issues, the Officials printed by American can be distinguished by the use of soft, porous paper. The Durland catalogue lists only two recorded plate number singles, one each from the top and bottom of the sheet, and only this plate number multiple.
Ex Markovits. Scott Retail as singles with no premium for the plate number
1c Agriculture, Soft Paper (O94). Without gum as issued, brilliant color, small thin spot, horizontal crease, Very Fine appearance
1c Agriculture, Soft Paper (O94). Without gum as issued, vivid color, centered to bottom right, thin spots, otherwise Fine
1c-15c Interior, Soft Paper (O96-O102). 2c and 10c Mint N.H., 1c barely hinged, others original gum, range of shades, overall Fine-Very Fine
10c Interior, Soft Paper (O100). Bottom left corner imprint and plate no. 109 block of 12, original gum, most stamps Mint N.H., couple small h.r., vivid color, production crease in selvage, also an extra part row of perfs in selvage at bottom left, Fine and scarce, Power Search lists only a complete sheet of 100 and no plate blocks outside of that
10c Interior, Soft Paper (O100). Top left corner imprint and plate no. 109 block of twelve, original gum, small hinge slivers where some perf separations sensibly reinforced, brilliant color, small natural gum crease at bottom right, Fine-Very Fine
15c Interior, Soft Paper (O102). Bottom imprint and plate no. 93 strip of ten with side selvage, eight stamps Mint N.H., side stamps and some selvage previously hinged including paper h.r. in selvage where few perf separations at plate no. position reinforced, right stamp thin spot, Fine appearance, a scarce multiple, Scott Retail as singles
24c Interior, Soft Paper (O103). Original gum, h.r., bright color, couple gum wrinkles visible from front under cross-lighting, short perf at left, otherwise Fine, scarce, with 1980 P.F. certificate
24c Interior, Soft Paper (O103). Unused (no gum), vibrant color, trivial natural inclusion, small thin spot, Fine appearance, with 1986 P.F. certificate
24c Interior, Soft Paper (O103). Brilliant color, blue cancel is clearly visible at left, light corner creasing, few tiny margin tears, Very Fine appearance, extremely rare in used condition, only one other in the P.F. on-line records has a certificate as genuine, but it was recently re-certified as intermediate paper and so is not a Scott O103, with 1975 P.F. certificate, listed but unpriced in Scott
24c Interior, Soft Paper (O103). Block of four, original gum, vibrant color, well-centeredVERY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED BLOCK OF THE 24-CENT INTERIOR DEPARTMENT AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY PRINTING ON SOFT PAPER.
The 24c Interior on soft paper is very difficult to find in sound and centered original gum condition. Many copies submitted as the soft paper are actually intermediate paper and are therefore the Continental printing, Scott O22. This is the only recorded block. An imprint and plate number strip of five is also known, last offered in the Curtis Collection (Siegel Sale 1085, lot 4199).
Ex Lilly Waud and Markovits. With 1973 P.F. certificate
3c-6c Justice, Soft Paper (O106). Blocks of four, original gum, h.r, rich colors, 3c with some perf separations, Fine
6c Treasury, Soft Paper (O110). Top left imprint and plate no. 51 block of 12, original gum, h.r., rich color, some gum residue on selvage at left, about Fine, a very scarce plate block, Power Search lists only one other from a sale 16 years ago
30c Treasury, Soft Paper (O112). Original gum, rich color, choice centering, thin spot from hinge removal, Very Fine appearance
90c Treasury, Soft Paper (O113). Unused, regummed over small thin spots, rich color, Very Fine, with 1979 P.F. certificate as original gum
1c-30c War, Soft Paper (O114-O120). 22 items, including set of singles and blocks of four, imprint and plate no. strips of five, six or seven of 1c-10c, 3c top and bottom imprint and plate no. blocks of 20, last item is imprint and plate no. block of twelve of 1c, mostly original gum, few Mint N.H., few h.r., few small faults but overall fresh and Fine-Very Fine, Scott Retail as all hinged with no premium for the many better positions such as strips $3,700.00
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2c War, Soft Paper (O115). Mint N.H. top and bottom half-panes of 50 which originally formed a pane of 100, natural s.e. at left, rich color, top half with diagonal crease affecting three stamps at lower left, Fine-Very Fine and impressive multiples, the 2c War Issue was one of eight printed from plates of 200 subjects
3c War, Soft Paper, Imperforate Horizontal Pair (O116a). Original gum, h.r. over a tiny thin spot, large even margins, fresh color, natural inclusion in forehead on right stampVERY FINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 3-CENT WAR DEPARTMENT IMPERFORATE ERROR PAIR.
Some of the 3c War Imperforate pairs are found in a vertical format and/or without gum. This horizontal format with original gum is more desirable
30c War, Soft Paper (O120). Top and bottom imprint and plate no. 81 strips of six, top with five stamps Mint N.H., bottom center two stamps Mint N.H. (one with a natural wrinkle), brilliant color, one top position natural inclusion, Fine-Very Fine and scarce position strips