Sale 1279 — The Magnolia Collection: Classic Uruguay Stamps and Covers
Sale Date — Tuesday, 28 March, 2023
Category — 1858 First Issue - 180 Centesimos
URUGUAY, 1858, 180c Green (5). Complete reconstruction of 30 Transfer Types, all unused (except Transfer Type 9 lightly used), two with original gum, several shades present including the scarcer Deep Green (though we counted them all as the basic shade), vast majority with large margins with a few close, the occasional small fault to be expected with any complete plating but with excellent appearance, mostly Fine-Very Fine, unlikely more than a few complete reconstructions exist, mostly ex Hoffmann (few replaced since with better examples), "Concordia", and "Tito", with 1981 Diaz (for some examples) and 2008 Rocha certificates (entire reconstruction), Scott $4,500.00 as basic stamps
URUGUAY, 1858, 180c Green (5). Complete reconstruction of 30 Transfer Types, all unused, several with original gum, several shades present including the scarcer Deep Green (though we counted them all as the basic shade), most examples with four large margins though some close but clear, various conditions including thins and some toned though still allowing for clear identification of Transfer Type, mostly Fine-Very Fine appearance, unlikely more than a few complete reconstructions exist, Scott $4,500.00 as basic stamps
URUGUAY, 1858, 180c Green (5). Transfer Types 19-20-21, horizontal strip of three, unused (no gum), large margins to mostly clear at left, bright shade, right stamp has small thin spot, left stamp faint toned spot, couple natural inclusionsVERY FINE AND EXTREMELY RARE MULTIPLE OF THE 1858 180-CENTÉSIMOS FIRST ISSUE. ONE OF FOUR KNOWN MULTIPLES LARGER THAN A PAIR.
Only four multiples of the 180c larger than a pair are known, including three blocks of four and this strip of three, all unused. The strip, printed in Green on normal paper, was owned by Alfred F. Lichtenstein, who included it in his exhibit of Uruguay at the International Philatelic Exhibition held in Montevideo in April 1931 (reported by E. J. Lee in The Postage Stamps of Uruguay, page xii). After Lichtenstein's death in 1947, his daughter, Louise Boyd Dale, sold the strip and other Uruguay rarities to Robert Hoffmann, who featured it in his Uruguay exhibit, which captured the Grand Award at the 1956 FIPEX exhibition in New York City.
Ex Lichtenstein, Dale (by inheritance), Hoffmann, Banchs, "Concordia", "Tito" and Gordon N. John. Signed Diaz. With 2008 Hernandez Rocha certificate.
URUGUAY, 1858, 180c Pale Green (5b). Transfer Types 3-4, horizontal pair, original gum, h.r., huge margins including top sheet margin, ample at left, dry impression, small tear in top sheet margin above right stamp, slight gum crease, Very Fine appearance, an extremely rare multiple of the 1858 180c Green, ex Lee, Burrus, "Concordia", and Gordon N. John, with 2008 Rocha certificate
URUGUAY, 1858, 180c Green (5 var). Transfer Type 15 additionally featuring defective transfer of top label showing complete omission of "Montevideo" and with solid green line, additionally with spot on forehead presumably from stray foreign matter, unused (no gum), large balanced margins, fresh color, few minor ink marks, still Very Fine and choice example of this rare and visual variety, ex Caspary, "Concordia", and "Tito" (2012 Spink/Investphila description reports "no more than three copies are known"), with photocopy of 2008 Rocha certificate
URUGUAY, 1858, 180c Green (5). Transfer Type 22A , defective transfer with "80" for "180", lower left corner of transfer missing including the first numeral of denomination, also white line thru "Montevideo", unused (no gum), ample margins to just touched at top (as usual since this is a "squeezed" transfer position), horizontal crease at bottom, still Fine, a rare variety, ex Gordon N. John, signed Diaz
URUGUAY, 1858, 180c Dark Green (5a). Transfer Types 21-22/27-28, block of four, original gum, h.r., gorgeous dark shade and strong impression, scissors-cut at right between stamps, horizontal crease at bottom, faint toned spotsEXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF THREE RECORDED BLOCKS OF THE 1858 180-CENTÉSIMOS FIRST ISSUE. THIS IS THE ONLY KNOWN BLOCK IN THE DARK GREEN SHADE.
Only three blocks of the 180c 1858 Issue are recorded. The three blocks have been in important collections of Uruguay for the past century, and no other blocks have been discovered in all of that time. The only other multiple larger than a pair is one strip of three, offered as lot 61.
Each of the three known blocks of four is unused and has unique characteristics. This block is the only one in the Dark Green shade. One of the three blocks is on thick paper (lot 70). The third known block is in the regular shade on normal paper.
This Dark Green block was owned by Alfred F. Lichtenstein and his daughter, Louise Boyd Dale, for approximately fifty years. It was among the items retained by Mrs. Dale after her father's death in 1947 and after she sold a selection of Uruguay rarities to Robert Hoffmann.
Backstamped Soto Hermanos. Ex Lichtenstein, Dale (by inheritance), and Gordon N. John.
URUGUAY, 1858, 180c Dark Green (5a). Transfer Types 16/22A, vertical pair from bottom two rows showing "squeezed transfers" and defective transfer Type 22A, unused (no gum), large to huge margins including bottom sheet margin, beautiful deep shade, very fresh, couple faint creasesEXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. THE ONLY RECORDED MULTIPLE CONTAINING THE "SQUEEZED TRANSFER" VARIETY. AN OUTSTANDING AND VISUALLY STRIKING MULTIPLE OF CLASSIC URUGUAY.
To build up a lithographic printing stone, the printer had to use an intermediate transfer unit to create the subjects on the stone. The three values of the 1858 Issue each appear to have had 30 transfer types arranged in five horizontal rows of six in the intermediate transfer block.
The 240c printing stone of 204 subjects, arranged in 17 rows of 12, was created by making six separate transfers from the intermediate transfer block of 30 for the first 15 rows (180 subjects), and dividing the transfer block into two blocks of 12 for the remaining two rows at bottom. While we know the precise configuration of the 240c stone, owing to the discovery of the sheet of 204, the rarity of 120c and 180c multiples makes it impossible to prove the exact relative positions of the types in the intermediate transfer block, or even to determine the size and configuration of the printing stones for these two values.
This "squeezed transfer" pair, of which only one multiple is known (there are also a few singles from these positions), is printed in Dark Green. The lower stamp is a severely deformed transfer which impinges on the subject above. The faulty transfer shows a white line through "Montevideo" and missing "1" in the denomination, creating a virtual "80" centésimos value.
The 180c continues to challenge specialists trying to reconstruct the positions on the printing stone. This transfer variety, from the bottom two rows, is one of the keys to the solution and was acquired by Robert Hoffmann in the Alfred H. Caspary sale after he won the Grand Award at FIPEX in 1956.
Signed Diaz and backstamped Soto Hermanos. Ex Caspary, Hoffmann, "Concordia" and Gordon N. John.
URUGUAY, 1858, 180c Dark Green (5a). Transfer Types 9/15, vertical pair, original gum, h.r., large margins to ample at bottom, wonderful deep shade and strong impression, slight thin spots, two horizontal creases (one between stamps and other at bottom), minor toned spots, these flaws do not materially affect the Very Fine appearance or significance of this very rare multiple, ex Gordon N. John, with 2008 Rocha certificate
URUGUAY, 1858, 180c Deep Green (5a). Transfer Types 22A and 24B, defective transfers, 22A with "80" for "180", lower left corner of transfer missing including first numeral of denomination and white line thru "Montevideo" and 24B with bottom label partly missing and white spot in lower right of background, both unused (no gum), deep shades, large to ample margins to just in at top of transfer 22A, both with slight thins and tiny pinhole in transfer 22A, otherwise Fine and rare pair of varieties, transfer 22A ex Gordon N. John
URUGUAY, 1858, 180c Deep Green (5a). Transfer Type 30, mostly large to full margins all around, deep rich shade, used with 1859, 60c Gray Lilac (7a), large to full margins, both tied by "Admon de Correos, Montevideo, 15 MARZO, 1860" oval datestamp on small pieceVERY FINE AND CHOICE. AN EXCEPTIONAL URUGUAY COMBINATION RARITY WITH THE 180-CENTÉSIMOS 1858 FIRST ISSUE AND 60-CENTÉSIMOS 1859 THIN NUMERALS ISSUE. ONLY THREE COMBINATIONS ARE RECORDED OF THESE TWO ISSUES.
There are only three recorded combination uses of the 1858 First Issue and 1859 Thin Numerals. They are as follows:
1) 180c Deep Green and 60c Gray Lilac (5a, 7a) on piece, Montevideo Mar. 15, 1860, the example offered here
2) 180c Green and 60c Brown Lilac (5, 7) on cover, Montevideo Oct. 5, 1860, ex Hoffmann, Bustamante, "Concordia", and "Tito"
3) 240c and 60c Gray (6, 7) on piece, Montevideo Dec. 29, 1859, ex "Concordia" and "Tito", offered in this sale as lot 77
Ex Caspary and "Concordia". With 2008 Rocha certificate.
URUGUAY, 1858, 180c Green, Thick Paper (5c). Transfer Types 7-8/13-14, block of four, original gum, h.r., bright shade and strong impression, diagonal crease affects three stamps but not very noticeable without magnificationEXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF THREE RECORDED BLOCKS OF THE 1858 180-CENTÉSIMOS FIRST ISSUE. THIS IS THE ONLY KNOWN BLOCK ON THICK PAPER.
Only three blocks of the 180c 1858 Issue are recorded. The three blocks have been in important collections of Uruguay for the past century, and no other blocks have been discovered in all of that time. The only other multiple larger than a pair is one strip of three, offered as lot 61.
Each of the three known blocks of four is unused and has unique characteristics. This block is the only one on thick paper (Scott 5c). One of the three blocks is the Dark Green shade (lot 65). The third known block is in the regular shade on normal paper.
This block on thick paper was exhibited by Robert Hoffmann at the 1956 FIPEX international, where he captured the Grand Award. When Hoffmann's collection was sold by Corinphila in 1982, this block was acquired by Enrique Martin de Bustamante and included in the collection exhibited by his wife, Angel Ruiz Vegas, which won the Grand Prix International in Argentina in 1985 and the Grand Prix d'Honneur in 1987 and 1992.
Backstamped Soto Hermanos. With certificates from Diaz (1981), Holcombe (1993) and Hernandez Rocha (2008, describing it as "original and unique on thick paper") -- also signed Diaz and Holcomble. Ex Hoffmann, Bustamante, "Concordia" and Gordon N. John.
URUGUAY, 1858, 180c Green, Thick Paper (5c). Transfer Types 4/20, vertical pair from bottom row mixed transfer positions and also showing tightly spaced transfers, unused (no gum), full to huge margins including bottom sheet margin, beautiful bright shade, very fresh, tiny brown adherence on backEXTREMELY FINE. THE ONLY RECORDED MULTIPLE CONTAINING THE TYPE 4 AND 20 MIXED TRANSFER POSITIONS. AN OUTSTANDING MULTIPLE OF THIS CLASSIC URUGUAY ISSUE.
To build up a lithographic printing stone, the printer had to use an intermediate transfer unit to create the subjects on the stone. The three values of the 1858 Issue each appear to have had 30 transfer types arranged in five horizontal rows of six in the intermediate transfer block.
The 240c printing stone of 204 subjects, arranged in 17 rows of 12, was created by making six separate transfers from the intermediate transfer block of 30 for the first 15 rows (180 subjects), and dividing the transfer block into two blocks of 12 for the remaining two rows at bottom. While we know the precise configuration of the 240c stone, owing to the discovery of the sheet of 204, the rarity of 120c and 180c multiples makes it impossible to prove the exact relative positions of the types in the intermediate transfer block, or even to determine the size and configuration of the printing stones for these two values.
This vertical pair helps prove that the transfer types were placed in mixed positions on the bottom two rows of the 180c printing stone. Rather than the usual configuration of Type 4 over 10, or 14 over 20, in the transfer block of 30, this pair has a large bottom margin, so we know a Type 20 transfer was made in the bottom row of the printing stone, and Type 4 was transferred directly above in a slightly "squeezed" position.
The 180c continues to challenge specialists trying to reconstruct the positions on the printing stone. This transfer variety, from the bottom two rows, is one of the keys to the solution.
Ex Gordon N. John. Backstamped Soto Hermanos. With 2008 Henandez Rocha certificate stating it is "original and unique."
URUGUAY, 1858, 180c Green (5). Transfer Type 25, large balanced margins all around, bold color and sharp impression, tied by clear strike of "Admon de Correos, Montevideo, 16 FEBRERO, 1860" oval datestamp on folded cover to Buenos Aires, Argentina, sender's directive "p Montevideo", small faults to outer part of flap on back (immaterial)EXTREMELY FINE. EASILY ONE OF THE FINEST OF THE SEVEN RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE 1858 180-CENTÉSIMOS FIRST ISSUE ON COVER. A WORLDWIDE POSTAL HISTORY RARITY, AND ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE IN THIS CHOICE CONDITION.
Our census of Scott 5 covers, available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/uruguay/scott/5, contains seven covers.
Census no. 5-COV-01. Ex Lee and Dr. Hubbard. With 1957 P.F. and 2014 Moorhouse certificates.
URUGUAY, 1858, 180c Green (5). Transfer Type 4, large to ample margins on each side, tied by clearly struck "Admon de Correos, Montevideo, 21 SEPTe, 1858" oval datestamp on blue folded cover to Buenos Aires, Argentina, slight ink erosion at bottom and on back flap of no consequenceVERY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE 1858 180-CENTÉSIMOS FIRST ISSUE ON COVER. ONE OF THE RAREST COVERS OF URUGUAY AND LATIN AMERICA IN GENERAL, WITH ONLY SEVEN RECORDED--THIS IS THE EARLIEST RECORDED DATE.
Our census of Scott 5 covers, available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/uruguay/scott/5, contains seven covers.
Census no. 5-COV-02. Ex Lee, Diaz and Provera. Signed Lee. With 1980 Diaz and 1996 Holcombe certificates.
URUGUAY, 1858, 180c Green (5). Transfer Type 17, large even margins on each side, pretty shade with a worn impression, tied by "Admon de Correos, Montevideo, 2 MARZO, 1860" oval datestamp on folded cover to Pelotas, Brazil, manuscript "90 rs" due rate upon arrivalEXTREMELY FINE. AN IMPORTANT POSTAL HISTORY RARITY, AS ONLY SEVEN 180-CENTÉSIMOS COVERS ARE KNOWN AND NO OTHER 1858 FIRST ISSUE COVER IS KNOWN TO AN ADDRESS OUTSIDE OF ARGENTINA.
The 180c paid the double weight rate up to -1/2oz to Buenos Aires, but could not prepay the postage required for transmission beyond Argentina. Therefore, 90 reis was due upon receipt in Brazil.
Our census of Scott 5 covers, available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/uruguay/scott/5, contains seven covers with this as the only example used outside of Argentina.
Census no. 5-COV-05. Ex "Concordia" and "Tito". With 1996 Sorani, 1999 P.F., and 1999 Moorhouse certiifcates.
URUGUAY, 1858, 180c Green (5). Transfer Type 24, large balanced margins, rich color and strong impression, tied by Montevideo oval datestamp on folded cover to Buenos Aires, Argentina, stamp with small stained spot and cover with splitting along folds (reinforced in places)OVERALL VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE 1858 180-CENTÉSIMOS FIRST ISSUE ON COVER TO BUENOS AIRES. ONLY SEVEN COVERS ARE RECORDED.
Our census of Scott 5 covers, available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/uruguay/scott/5, contains seven covers.
Census no. 5-COV-06. Ex Sciarra, Seybold, Burrus, "Concordia", and "Tito". Signed
A. Diena and Holcombe. With 2008 Rocha certificate.