Sale 1255 — The David W. Gorham Collection of Outstanding Used U.S. Stamps
Sale Date — Tuesday-Friday, 17-20 May, 2022
Category — 1863-66 Issue, cont. (Scott 75-78c)
5c Red Brown (75). Warm color in the true Red Brown shade, nicely contrasted by green "Paid" in circle handstamp, small paper wrinkle at top right not mentioned on either accompanying certificateVERY FINE AND CHOICE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 1862 5-CENT RED BROWN CANCELLED IN GREEN.
A review of major sales of cancellations, including Haas ("Distinguished Connoisseur"), Rohloff, Grunin and Klein, failed to find another with a green cancel. We have offered only one other since 1994, which originally formed a pair with the stamp offered here.
With 2004 P.S.E. certificate as a pair and 2011 P.F. certificate as this single. The other stamp in the pair realized $7,500 hammer in our 2005 Rarities sale.
5c Chestnut Brown (75 var). Astonishing fiery red color, choice centering, central strike of target cancel, Extremely Fine, a beautiful example of this distinct shade which is unlisted in Scott, with 2006 P.F. certificate
5c Red Brown (75). Lovely warm color, red "New York Nov. 15" circular datestamp, unusually choice centering, Extremely Fine, with 2005 P.F. certificate
5c Red Brown (75). Intense color nicely complemented by blue Baltimore circular datestamp, well-proportioned margins, Very Fine and choice, with 2004 P.F. certificate
5c Brown (76). Rich color and detailed impression, wide and balanced margins, face-free strike of segmented cork cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, ex Kirke, with 2003 P.F. and 2005 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $1,400.00), only two grade higher (at 95J and 100)
5c Brown (76). Bright color complemented by blue Cincinnati circular datestamp, well-proportioned margins, fresh and Extremely Fine, with 2007 P.S.E. certificate (XF 90; SMQ $475.00)
5c Brown (76). Rich color, crisp impression, bold strikes of dark green cork cancels, Fine, the 5c 1861-63 Issue is exceedingly rare with a green cancel, this is a true green (not bluish green), we have offered only one other since keeping computerized records, ex Saadi, with 1991 P.F. certificate
5c Brown (76). Bright shade, well-struck Blue Bird fancy cancel of Rockford Ill., Extremely Fine strike, this is the first we have offered on a Scott 76 since keeping computerized records, with 2009 P.F. certificate
15c Black (77). Well-centered, wide margins, negative 5-Point Star in Circle fancy cancel, also part of red circular datestamp, Extremely Fine, ex Dr. Morris, with 1995 P.F. certificate
15c Black (77). Bright shade, neat strike of New York City segmented circular cork cancel, wide margins, Very Fine and choice, with 1999 and 2007 P.F. certificates
15c Black (77). Deep shade, red circular datestamp cancels, unusually wide margins for this issue, Extremely Fine, with 1985 and 2006 P.F. certificates
15c Black (77). Crisp impression, purple target cancel, Very Fine, rare with a purple cancel, this is the first we have offered since keeping computerized records and it is also the only certified by the P.F., with 2006 P.F. certificate, Scott assigns only a $90 premium for this cancel, which seems low to us
15c Black (77). Intense shade, bold strikes of blue quartered cork and circular datestamp cancels, Very Fine and choice, with 2004 P.F. certificate
15c Black (77). Crisp impression on bright paper, red circular datestamp at left and ultramarine cork at center, Very Fine, very unusual with the ultramarine cancel, with 2004 P.F. certificate
24c Lilac (78). Deep shade, well-proportioned margins, ultramarine target cancel, Extremely Fine, we have offered only one other in the Scott 78 family of colors with an ultramarine cancel, in our 2001 Twigg-Smith sale, ex Kirke, with 1990, 2003 and 2006 P.F. certificates (XF 90)
24c Dark Lilac (78 var). Deep rich color (submitted to the P.F. as the Blackish Violet), bright paper, blue target and red cancel at lower left, unusually wide margins, Very Fine and choice example of this scarce sub-shade, with 2003 P.F. certificate
24c Gray (78). Lovely color, face-free strikes of cork and part of red cancels, Extremely Fine, with 1991 and 2004 P.F. certificates, the former as on cover to England
24c Lilac (78). Rich color, bold strike of Mortar and Pestle fancy cancel of Waterbury Conn. (Type 3, Rohloff O-7), faint corner crease at bottom rightVERY FINE STRIKE OF THE RARE MORTAR AND PESTLE FANCY CANCELLATION OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT. ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE ON A 24-CENT STAMP.
The Waterbury postmaster, John W. Hill, carved three different Mortar and Pestle cancellations. The Rohloff Types 1 and 3 (O-5 and O-7) were carved in 1867 and used with the large double-circle datestamp. They are much rarer than the Type 2 Mortar and Pestle.
Waterbury fancy cancels are especially rare on the 24c denomination. We have offered only one other (a Bridgeport Fireman off-cover, realized $8,000 hammer in 2018) since keeping computerized records.
With 1981 and 2011 P.F. certificates
24c Grayish Lilac (78a). Vertical pair, two full bold strikes of Horse's Head fancy cancel of New York City, a third part strike at left--we call this a Win, Place and Show example of the Horse cancel--top stamp tiny tear at left, bottom stamp two tiny tears at lower rightVERY FINE STRIKES OF THE NEW YORK HORSE'S HEAD FANCY CANCEL ON A PAIR OF THE 24-CENT 1861 ISSUE IN THE GRAYISH LILAC SHADE.
With 2007 P.F. certificate
24c Lilac (78). Rich color nicely complemented by Blue Bird fancy cancel of Rockford Ill., Very Fine and choice, we have offered maybe a dozen unduplicated examples of this cancel since keeping computerized records but almost always on 3c stamps, this use on a 24c stamp is a phenomenal rarity, ex Saadi, with 1995 and 2014 P.F. certificates
24c Grayish Lilac (78a). Pretty shade beautifully complemented by red Star in Circle fancy cancel, fresh and Very Fine, an attractive stamp, with 2019 P.F. certificate
24c Lilac (78). Rich color, clear strike of dark green 5-ring target cancel, a true green ink (not bluish green), small corner creases at bottom right, Very Fine appearance, a rare example of the 24c 1861-63 Issue with a green cancel, we have offered only one other (in 1997) since keeping computerized records, and only two in the entire Scott 78 shade family (Lilac, Dark Lilac, Grayish Lilac, Gray or Blackish Violet) are contained in our computerized records, ex Saadi, with 1991 and 2014 P.F. certificates
24c Lilac (78). Rich color, neat strike of Star of David fancy cancel, Very Fine, an attractive stamp, with 2006 P.F. certificate
24c Grayish Lilac (78a). Bright shade, great strike of 16-Segment Rosette in Circle fancy cancel of Ripon Wis., Extremely Fine strike, a stamp with great visual appeal, with 2004 P.F. certificate
24c Gray (78b). Rich color, neat strike of Bat fancy cancel of Hingham Mass., red London circular datestamp, Very Fine and choice, ex Koppersmith and Saadi, with 1987, 1991 and 2014 P.F. certificates
24c Blackish Violet (78c). Deep rich color in the true Blackish Violet shade, circular datestamp cancelFINE. A RARE SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE 24-CENT BLACKISH VIOLET, A SHADE VARIETY THAT IS MISSING IN MOST ADVANCED CLASSIC UNITED STATES COLLECTIONS.
Our census of Scott 78c, available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/78c , records three unused stamps, 50 used off-cover and ten used on nine covers (one cover bears a pair), for a total of 63 stamps. Of the used off-cover examples only 14 are confirmed as sound -- the others either have a fault or were certified long ago and condition is uncertain. In fact, some of those older certificates should also be re-confirmed as to the true 78c shade. This sound example is a great rarity of the issue.
Census no. 78c-CAN-50. With 1998 P.S.E. certificate.