Sale 1242 — The Gordon Eubanks Collection: United States 1851 to 1856 Imperforate Issue
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 12-13 October, 2021
Category — Ten-Cent: Type II, Off-Cover (Scott 14)
10c Green, Type II (14). Original gum, large to huge margins including portions of both adjoining stamps at sides, deep rich color and sharp impression, small and trivial corner crease at top right not mentioned on old certificateEXTREMELY FINE APPEARING ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1855 10-CENT TYPE II IMPERFORATE.
Ex Grunin. Small backstamp. With clear 1977 P.F. certificate
10c Green, Type II (14). Position 60R1, huge margins all around including right sheet margin with "ter, Casilear & Co. BANK NOTE EN" part imprint, deep rich color and sharp proof-like impression, bold strike of San Francisco circular datestamp, Extremely Fine Gem and an exceedingly rare imprint copy of the 10c Type II Imperforate, with 2009 P.S.E. certificate (XF 90 Jumbo; SMQ does not price imprint copies) -- the graders at P.S.E. traditionally do not add points for stamps with imprints or plate numbers, and sometimes take off points because the margins do not appear balanced; therefore, the numerical grade should be ignored when considering the rarity of this stamp with imprint
10c Green, Type II (14). Position 51L1, double transfer, large to huge margins including left sheet margin with "ENGRAVERS. Phila. New York. Bo" part imprint, intense shade and detailed impression, Extremely Fine, imprint copies of this stamp are very rare, we have offered fewer than five different examples since at least 1993, ex Ishikawa (book)
10c Green, Type II (14). Position 1R1, large to huge margins including top left corner interpane sheet margins, deep rich color, circular datestamp cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, a beautiful and scarce corner-margin copy of the 10c 1855 Issue, with 1991 P.F. certificate
10c Green, Type II (14). Position 10R1, huge margins to clear including top right corner sheet margins, intense shade and impression, neat strike of circular datestamp, Very Fine and choice, ex Koppersmith and Dr. Morris, with 1987 and 1995 P.F. certificates
10c Green, Type II (14). Huge margins all around, deep rich color and proof-like impression on bright paper, nicely complemented by two strikes of red grid cancelEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1855 10-CENT TYPE II WITH A GORGEOUS RED GRID CANCEL. THIS STUNNING STAMP IS GRADED SUPERB 98 JUMBO BY P.S.E.
Ex Merlin. With 2005 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98 Jumbo; SMQ $4,000.00) P.S.E. Population Report for No. 14 used: 98 (17), 98J (7) and 100 (1)
10c Green, Type II (14). Position 11L1, massive Jumbo margins all around including portion of adjoining stamp at top, deep rich color, circular datestamp cancel and red "Aachen Franco" framed transit datestamp, natural inclusion blends in with the black cancel and is therefore barely visible, Extremely Fine Gem, a superb stamp with the added bonus of a red German transit cancel, ex Newbury and Haas, with 1983 P.F. certificate
10c Green, Type II (14). Large margins, rich color, unusual grid of tiny dots cancel, Extremely Fine, ex Koppersmith, with 1988 P.F. certificate
10c Green, Types II and III (14, 15). Vertical block of 21 (three by seven) from Positions 1-3/11-13/21-23/31-33/41-43/51-53/61-63L1--the first three vertical rows from the top left corner of the left pane, which is one of the most fascinating sections of the 200-subject plate from a philatelic perspective--Positions 1L and 2L are the Misplaced B Relief Transfers of B Relief instead of A Relief, producing Type III stamps from those positions instead of Type II; also contained in the block are two major double transfers, Positions 31L and 51L, the former being the most pronounced of all 10c double transfers--the entire block contains ten Type II and eleven Type III stamps in alternating rows, mostly large margins except touching right and top, incredibly deep rich color and early impression, neatly cancelled by multiple strikes of "Columbia Cal. Jan. 19, 1857” circular datestamp, a few negligible wrinklesEXTREMELY FINE. THIS BLOCK--THE "COLOSSUS"--WAS USED TO MAIL A VALENTINE FROM GOLD RUSH CALIFORNIA IN 1857, AND FOR THE CENTURY SINCE ITS DISCOVERY THE BLOCK HAS BEEN UNCHALLENGED AS THE LARGEST MULTIPLE OF THE 10-CENT 1855 IMPERFORATE ISSUE.
According to George B. Sloane (Stamps, Feb. 11, 1956), this block was discovered on a cover used to enclose a large Valentine from Columbia, California, to Portland, Maine. At the height of its Gold Rush glory, the town of Columbia was the second largest in California, with numerous hotels, banks, stores and churches serving thousands of residents. A devastating conflagration in August 1857 burned down anything that was not made of brick. Eight months earlier, fire was burning in the heart of a nameless soul, who took three dollars to the post office, bought thirty 10c stamps, and affixed the massive block--almost one-third of a sheet--to a large envelope containing a Valentine for his sweetheart in Portland, Maine. At 10c per half ounce for postage, the Valentine weighed in at a hefty 15 ounces--one wonders if it contained a gift of gold nuggets.
After its discovery by philatelists, the bottom three Type I stamps were removed (91-93L1). After that another block of six was removed (71-73/81-83L1), which was later reduced to a block of four (71-72/81-82L1). The Colossus block of 21 was offered in an auction held at the 1922 American Philatelic Society convention. It was described in that sale as having "condition so remarkable that the most hardened critic succumbs to its charm and is lost in wonder, love and praise." The buyer who succumbed was Arthur Hind. Alfred H. Caspary bought the block in the 1933 Hind sale, and, when the Caspary sale was held in 1956, the catalogue devoted a full page to the Colossus block, which may have helped catapult the realization to $7,250, paid by Mozian, a New York dealer.
Illustrated in Stanley B. Ashbrook, The United States Ten Cent Stamp of 1855-1857 (p. 50) and Special Service #60 (pp. 482-483); Lester G. Brookman, United States Postage Stamps of the 19th Century, Vol. I (p. 165); Mortimer L. Neinken, The United States Ten Cent Stamps of 1855-1859 (p. 37); Jonathan W. Rose, Classic United States Imperforate Stamps (p. 79); and exhibited at World Stamp Show 2016 Court of Honor (Gross)
From a B. L. Drew sale (as block of 21), Aug. 17, 1922, lot 69, to Kennett for Hind; ex Arthur Hind, Phillips-Kennett sale, Nov. 20-24, 1933, lot 135, to Colson as agent for Caspary; Alfred H. Caspary, H. R. Harmer sale, Jan. 16-18,1956, lot 482, to Mozian; Robert Lehman, Robson Lowe Geneva sale, Apr. 30, 1976, lot 1137; Robert Faiman and Andrew Levitt (according to personal communication with Faiman; sold privately to Ishikawa through Garrett, 1979); Ryohei Ishikawa, Christie’s Robson Lowe sale, Sep. 28-29, 1993, lot 163, to Gross; William H. Gross, Siegel Sale 1188, Oct. 3, 2018, lot 37, to Mr. Eubanks.
With 1976 P.F. certificate
10c Green, Type II (14). Positions 19-20L1, horizontal pair with right interpane margin and centerline, large to huge margins other sides including portion of Position 18 at left and trace of stamp at top, deep rich color, unobtrusive cancelEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB CENTERLINE POSITION PAIR OF THE 1855 10-CENT TYPE II IMPERFORATE IN THE FINEST QUALITY.
Ex Saadi. With 1983 and 1989 P.F. certificates
10c Green, Type II (14). Positions 31-34L1, horizontal strip of four, left stamp with "Big Shift" double transfer at top, huge margins all around, pretty shade, tied by "New Orleans La. Jan. 17, 1857" circular datestamps on piece, Extremely Fine, a beautiful strip and especially desirable with the strongest double transfer on the plate, ex Saadi, with 1991 P.F. certificate
10c Green, Type II (14). Positions 17-20R1, horizontal strip of four, right stamp major double transfer, large margins to just touching, cancelled by three bold strikes of New York Ocean Mail circular datestamp, Very Fine strip and most likely the largest known 10c multiple with the Ocean Mail cancel, ex Koppersmith, with 1980 P.F. certificate
10c Green, Types II-II/III-III (14-14/15-15). Positions 19-20/29-30R1, block of four with combination of Type II at top and Type III at bottom, top right stamp double transfer, three enormous margins, full to clear at left, wonderful proof-like impression and deep shade from an early printing, lightly cancelled by town circular datestamps, bright and freshVERY FINE-EXTREMELY FINE 10-CENT 1855 ISSUE BLOCK WITH A COMBINATION OF TYPES II AND III. A MARVELOUS CLASSIC USED MULTIPLE IN FLAWLESS CONDITION.
Ex Emerson and Lehman. With 1998 P.F. certificate. Scott value $3,500.00
10c Green, Types II-II/III-III (14-14/15-15). Positions 71-72/81-82L1 on accompanying P.F. certificate, but the Eubanks exhibit states this is Positions 16-17/26-27L1, block of four with combination of Type II at top and Type III at bottom, large margins to full at lower right, fresh color, neat grid cancelsVERY FINE-EXTREMELY FINE 10-CENT 1855 IMPERFORATE TYPE II AND III COMBINATION BLOCK.
Ex Mayer, Meyersburg and Koppersmith. With 1989 P.F. certificate. Scott value $3,500.00