Sale 1235 — United States Stamps
Sale Date — Wednesday-Thursday, 19-20 May, 2021
Category — 1880-83 American Bank Note Company Special Printing (Scott 193-211D)
2c Black Brown, Special Printing (193). Without gum as issued, deep rich color and detailed impressionVERY FINE SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 2-CENT 1880 AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY SPECIAL PRINTING.
Our census of Scott 193 contains 51 examples, including one in the Miller collection owned by The New York Public Library, leaving 50 available to collectors. Almost half have faults (mostly thins, which are endemic to this soft porous paper). Of the sound examples, nearly all are centered to top or one side.
Census no. 193-UNC-47. With 1940 American Board of Experts certificate signed by Klemann and Bartels. With 1983, 1990 and 2004 P.F. certificates
7c Scarlet Vermilion, Special Printing (196). Without gum as issued, exceptionally well-centered, marvelous fiery colorEXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF THE 1880 7-CENT AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY SPECIAL PRINTING.
Our census of Scott 196 contains approximately 86 examples. It is the most common of the soft-paper Special Printings because the 7c was no longer in production in 1880 and, probably to some degree, because it can be easily identified since there is no regular issue on soft paper.
Census no. 196-UNC-03. P.F. certificate no. 322041 no longer accompanies. With 2009 P.S.E. certificate
12c Blackish Purple, Special Printing (198). Without gum as issued, deep rich color and detailed impression, wide marginsVERY FINE AND CHOICE. A BEAUTIFUL WIDE-MARGINED SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE 1880 12-CENT AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY SPECIAL PRINTING.
Our census of Scott 198 contains 65 examples, including one in the Miller collection owned by The New York Public Library, leaving 64 available to collectors. Of these, at least one-third have flaws. Many have poor centering.
Census no. 198-UNC-08. Ex Hetherington. With 1957 and 2006 P.F. certificates
15c Orange, Special Printing (199). Without gum as issued, brilliant color, wide margins and choice centering, tiny natural perf flaw at left which is endemic to the issue but described as a "tiny closed tear" on two older P.F. certificates, it is not even mentioned on most recent P.S.E. certificateEXTREMELY FINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 15-CENT 1880 AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY SPECIAL PRINTING.
Our census of Scott 199 contains 38 examples, including one in the Miller collection owned by The New York Public Library, leaving 37 available to collectors. Of these, only 12 are confirmed as sound, at least 11 have faults and 14 need to be reexamined according to current methods and standards.
Ex Dr. Test ("Concord"). Census no. 199-UNC-28. P.F. certificate nos. 283707 and 416920 no longer accompany. With clear 2002 P.S.E. certificate
24c Dark Violet, Special Printing (200). Without gum as issued, deep rich color on bright paper, well-proportioned marginsVERY FINE AND CHOICE EXAMPLE OF THE 24-CENT 1880 AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY SPECIAL PRINTING.
Our census of Scott 200 contains approximately 67 examples.
Census no. 200-UNC-54. With 1993 and 2004 P.F. certificates
30c Greenish Black, Special Printing (201). Without gum as issued, bright shade and detailed impression, well-centered with long and full perforations all aroundVERY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE 1880 30-CENT AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY SPECIAL PRINTING.
Our census of Scott 201 contains 46 examples, including one in the Miller collection owned by The New York Public Library, leaving 45 available to collectors. Only ten are confirmed as sound and only seven of those are well-centered. Another 17 need to be reexamined for condition, but only a handful of these have better than Fine centering.
Census no. 201-UNC-29. Ex Curtis. 1994 P.F. certificate (as "genuine") no longer accompanies. With 2009 P.S.E. certificate
90c Dull Carmine, Special Printing (202). Without gum as issued, rich color on bright paper, wide and beautifully balanced marginsEXTREMELY FINE. THIS IS THE FINEST EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 90-CENT 1880 AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY SPECIAL PRINTING RECORDED IN OUR CENSUS -- WHICH CONTAINS ONLY 42 EXAMPLES. AN EXTRAORDINARY STAMP.
Our census of Scott 202 contains 42 examples, including one in the Miller collection owned by The New York Public Library, leaving 41 available to collectors. The 90c 1880 Special Printing on soft paper is notorious for its condition. Thins or more serious faults affect about half of the known examples. Most of the sound examples are centered to the right. This example has the finest centering of any contained in our census. It also has the rare combination of soundness and extraordinary freshness.
Census no. 202-UNC-13. P.F. certificate no. 24074 no longer accompanies. With 2001 P.F. certificate
2c Scarlet Vermilion, Special Printing (203). Without gum as issued, intense shade and impression, choice centering for this difficult issueEXTREMELY FINE. THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF THE 1880 2-CENT VERMILION AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY SPECIAL PRINTING, ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL SPECIAL PRINTINGS. ONLY 20 ARE RECORDED IN OUR CENSUS, MANY OF WHICH ARE OFF-CENTER.
Our census of Scott 203, available at our website at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/203 , contains 20 examples, including one in the Miller collection owned by The New York Public Library. Of the 19 available to collectors, six have faults or have not been examined in recent years to determine condition. Of the 14 remaining sound copies, we see only two others which rival the stamp offered here for centering and margins.
Census no. 203-UNC-07. Ex Gleysteen, Zoellner and Gorham. With 1943 A.P.S. certificate. With 1972, 1998 and 2013 P.F. certificates.
4c Deep Blue Green, Special Printing (211D). Without gum as issued, rich color and proof-like impression, beautiful centering with well-proportioned marginsVERY FINE AND CHOICE. A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 4-CENT 1883 AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY SPECIAL PRINTING. THIS IS ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL SPECIAL PRINTINGS -- ONLY 26 ARE RECORDED.
Our census of the 4c 1883 Special Printing, available at our website at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/211D , contains 26 stamps offered as Scott 211D, of which 25 have been certified by The Philatelic Foundation. Post Office Department records indicate that only 26 were sold. Of the known copies, at least six have small faults and several others have not been examined for condition in many years.
Census no. 211D-UNC-19. Ex Hoffman and Gorham. With 1983, 2002 and 2008 P.F. certificates.
2c Pale Red Brown, Special Printing (211B). Mint N.H., rich color, well-centered, Very Fine, with 1994 P.F. certificate