EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF THE CONTINENTAL 1875 5-CENT TAYLOR. AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT STAMP TO FIND IN SUCH EXCEPTIONALLY CHOICE ORIGINAL-GUM CONDITION.
The addition of a 5c value was made necessary by the creation of the General Post Union in 1874, which specified a rate of 5c between member countries, effective July 1, 1875. Of the two regular-issue 5c Taylor stamps -- Scott 179 (Continental) and Scott 185 (American) -- the former is much more difficult to obtain in this superb original-gum condition because comparatively few multiples have ever been available to feed the demand for singles.
With 2000, 2009 and 2017 P.F. certificates (OGph, XF 90). By way of comparison, P.S.E. has only graded four higher than 85 (two at 90, one each at 90J and 95).
EXTREMELY FINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE 1880 15-CENT AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY SPECIAL PRINTING.
Our census of Scott 199 contains 37 certified examples. Of these, only 12 are confirmed as sound, 10 have faults and 15 need to be reexamined according to current methods and standards. Many of the stamps, regardless of condition, are off center.
Census No. 199-UNC-14. With 1975 P.F. and 2017 P.S.E. certificates
EXTREMELY FINE MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 1881 ONE-CENT RE-ENGRAVED ISSUE, SCOTT 206.
Ex "Hanover". With 1996 P.F. and 2005 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $2,000.00). This is the highest grade awarded and only seven others share it.
EXTREMELY FINE GEM. THE 1882 RE-ENGRAVED 6-CENT ROSE IS ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT ISSUES TO OBTAIN IN SUCH SUPERB CONDITION. A REMARKABLE CONDITION RARITY.
Despite being the major Scott listing, the Rose shade is far rarer than the Brown Red sub-shade, Scott 208a. Power Search located only one Mint N.H. example offered in our sales since 1993, and that is off-center with perfs almost touching the design. We have offered no multiples with Mint N.H. stamps. The online records of the Philatelic Foundation contain only two in Mint N.H. condition, but we doubt they would even grade 90. For the collector who values centering, a hinged copy is all there is. The example offered here, with light hinging and perfect centering, is a true condition rarity.
Ex "Hanover". With 2009 P.S.E. certificate (OGph, Superb 98; SMQ $7,000.00). This is the highest grade awarded and no others share it. P.S.E. has never graded a Mint N.H. copy.
EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF THE FINEST CENTERED EXAMPLES OF THIS IMPERFORATE-BETWEEN ERROR IN EXISTENCE.
The vast majority of these error pairs are centered to the top. Using Power Search, we could find no more than one or two which compare to the centering of the pair offered here
EXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS IS QUITE POSSIBLY THE FINEST EXTANT MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 1887 2-CENT AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY ISSUE. THIS STAMP IS GRADED GEM 100 BY P.S.E. -- THIS IS THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED AND THE ONLY EXAMPLE TO ACHIEVE THIS PERFECT GRADE.
With 1997 P.F. and 2017 P.S.E. certificates (Gem 100; unpriced in SMQ, SMQ $5,100.00 as 98J). This is the highest grade awarded and no others share it. The next-highest is a single example graded 98J (realized $6,000 hammer in our 2016 "Hanover" sale), followed by a single example graded 95J (never offered in our sales) followed by a few graded 95. The low population numbers at the higher end of the scale is an excellent indication for how rare this is in such superb condition.