Sale 1289 — 2023 Rarities of the World
Sale Date — Tuesday, 27 June, 2023
Category — 1867-68 Grilled Issue
National Bank Note Co., Harmon Patent, 3c Rose, Black "Bedspring" Safety Network Overprint (79-E26i). Affixed to small piece and cancelled by Buffalo N.Y. patent killer, clear rows of overlapping rings, the so-called "Bedspring" safety network overprint, horizontal crease slightly breaks the paperVERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE "BEDSPRING" SAFETY NETWORK OVERPRINT, ATTRIBUTED TO EMANUEL HARMON, ON THE 3-CENT 1861 ISSUE WITH BUFFALO NEW YORK PATENT CANCEL.
The safety network overprint essays listed in Scott as 79-E26 are discussed in two important articles by James Lee, Richard Drews and Jan Hofmeyr in the 2016 and 2017 Chronicle (no. 251, pp. 260-274 and no. 253, pp. 64-72). Both Abram Gibson and Emanuel Harmon received patents for re-use prevention ideas based on overprinting intaglio engraved stamps with surface printed networks of light wavy lines in various colors. Either the intaglio ink or network ink would be fugitive and wiped away if an attempt was made to re-use the stamp. The essay offered here conforms to the Harmon patent and is so attributed in the first Chronicle article. We are aware of only one other example with this Buffalo patent cancel. An example with a Washington D.C. cancel is also known (see Sale 890, lot 263).
Ex Drews.
3c Rose, A. Grill (79). Large part original gum, intense shade and impression, lighter than usual grill impression which leaves perforations on all sides completely intact, faint horizontal creaseFINE APPEARANCE. A SCARCE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1867 3-CENT A GRILL. ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE WITH THE PERFORATIONS INTACT.
Due to the nature of the grilling machine and the overall grill, most examples of this issue have missing or ragged perfs. The example offered here, with intact perfs all around, is a condition rarity.
Ex Geisler, Curtis and Lesnik. With 1986, 1990 P.F. and 2007 P.S.E. certificates
3c Rose, A. Grill (79). Unusually choice centering, perforations completely intact on all four sides, brilliant color and detailed impression, clear all-over grill, attractive blue pinwheel fancy cancelEXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION THE FINEST USED EXAMPLE OF THE 3-CENT 1867 EXPERIMENTAL ALL-OVER GRILL IN EXISTENCE. A PHENOMENAL STAMP IN EVERY RESPECT -- CENTERING, COLOR, IMPRESSION, PAPER, PERFORATIONS AND CANCELLATION.
The August 1867 3c experimental A Grill was the first grilled issue. It was soon learned that the all-over grill weakened the paper and interfered with perforating and separating, resulting in rough perforations and pieces torn out of the margins when split apart. Within two months of A Grill production the apparatus was modified by dividing the embossed area into smaller rectangular units within each stamp (C Grill).
The 3c A Grill, Scott 79, is one of the most distinctive of 19th century United States stamps by virtue of its consistently poor appearance. The Scott Catalogue values this stamp in Fine-Very Fine grade and with perforation faults, the norm for the issue. Any example with complete perforations and in sound condition is valued far in excess of the Scott Catalogue price. The example offered here, which received a clear but not as heavy grill impression as usual -- allowing the perfs to remain intact -- has realized hammer prices of many multiples of Scott value each time it has been sold.
Ex Zoellner, Dr. Puliafito, "Natalee Grace", "Golden Oak", Morton and Myerson. With 1966, 1987 and 2012 P.F. certificates. Scott Catalogue states that "Values for No. 79 are for Fine-Very Fine examples with minor perf faults. Examples with complete or virtually complete perforations sell for much more."
3c Rose, Z. Grill (85C). Original gum, with top part imprint selvage, clearly defined grill which has a tiny hole just to the left of Washington's foreheadFINE APPEARANCE. A RARE ORIGINAL-GUM PART-IMPRINT EXAMPLE OF THE 1868 3-CENT Z GRILL.
This is the upper left stamp from the block of four offered in our 1992 Rarities sale and sale of the Curtis collection.
Ex Curtis (as a block) and Przybyl. With copy of 1994 P.F. certificate for the block. Scott value $25,000.00
12c Black, Z. Grill (85E). Intense shade and impression, bold strike of quartered cork cancel, wide margins, most recent certificate notes short perf at upper left which is obscured by the cancel and is barely noticeableVERY FINE AND CHOICE USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1868 12-CENT Z GRILL.
With 1986 and 2007 P.F. certificates (VF-XF 85). With 2010 P.S.E. certificate (VF 80; SMQ $2,750.00)
1c Blue, E. Grill (86). Radiant color, clear grill points, choice centering with wide and balanced margins, blue cork cancelEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A GORGEOUS USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1868 ONE-CENT E GRILL, GRADED XF-SUPERB 95 BY P.S.E.
With 2000 P.F. and 2006 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $4,850.00)
12c Black, E. Grill (90). Intense shade on bright paper, cork cancel, circular datestamp and red cancel which is likely a boxed Aachen Franco marking and circular datestamp, Extremely Fine Gem, ex Morton, with 2003 P.F. and 2014 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $3,250.00), only two grade higher (at 95J and 98)
1c Blue, F. Grill (92). Detailed impression on bright paper, wide and balanced margins, light strike of target cancelEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A MAGNIFICENT USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1868 ONE-CENT F GRILL. A SCARCE STAMP IN SUCH SUPERB CONDITION.
With 1984 P.F. and 2007 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $4,250.00). Only four grade higher and four others share this desirable grade.
5c Brown, F. Grill (95). Block of four, original gum, lightly hinged, deep rich color, top left stamp with small corner crease at top left, right pair with vertical pre-printing paper foldFINE APPEARANCE. A SCARCE BLOCK OF THE 1868 5-CENT F GRILL WITH ORIGINAL GUM.
Ex Przybyl. With 2001 P.F. certificate. Scott value $17,500.00
24c Gray Lilac, F. Grill, Split Grills (99 var). Positions 81-82/91-92R, block of four with bottom sheet selvage and straddle-pane margin at left with full vertical guideline, grills shifted towards bottom and showing part of the grill in the selvage, top right stamp does not show any trace of the grill at top, original gum, h.r. at left where few perf separations sensibly reinforcedFRESH AND FINE. A REMARKABLE POSITION BLOCK OF THE 1868 24-CENT F GRILL, SHOWING SPLIT GRILLS.
Our records contain fewer than ten blocks of four, plus the iconic ex Gross pieces--a plate block of eight (Sale 1188, lot 85) and a block of 15 (Sale 1200, lot 92). These blocks come from the complete pane in the de Coppet collection sold in 1893.
Ex de Coppet, Colonel Green, Drews and Przybyl. Scott value as normal block of four is $45,000.00
30c Orange, F. Grill (100). Rich color, used with 12c Black, F. Grill (97), crisp shade, both well-centered, beautifully tied by two bold strikes of circle of wedges cancel on folded letter datelined New York Feb. 6, 1869, from Weston & Wolf to Charles Thorel & Co. in Yokohama, Japan, sender's directive "p. City of Antwerp via Marseilles", red "New York Paid All Br. Transit Feb. 27" (1869) circular datestamp on back, matching red "32" credit handstamp -- carried on Inman City of Antwerp, departing New York Feb. 27, 1869, arriving Queenstown Mar. 10 -- red London Paid datestamp (Mar. 11), red crayon "1" British Colonial credit, carried on Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co. steamers from Southampton to Alexandria (Egypt), then overland to Suez, and from there to Hong Kong via Galle (Ceylon), "Hong-Kong C AP 20 69" and "Yokohama A MY 1 69" British P.O. circular datestamps on backEXTREMELY FINE. AN EXTRAORDINARILY FRESH AND ATTRACTIVE FOLDED LETTER TO JAPAN FROM THE THOREL CORRESPONDENCE, WITH A CHOICE QUALITY 1868 GRILLED ISSUE FRANKING.
Charles (or Karl) Thorel was one of many western merchants doing business in Japan after the 1858 Harris Treaty formalized commercial relations between the United States and Japan. Thorel partnered with a Swiss-born merchant named Karl Ziegler in the silk-trading firm of Thorel, Ziegler & Company. The company was based in Yokohama and operated from 1865 to 1868, at which point the partnership dissolved. Thorel continued in business under the name Charles Thorel & Company. Were it not for the Thorel correspondence, collectors would have no 24c or 30c 1869 covers to Japan. In addition, there are quite a few Thorel covers with stamps of earlier issues or other 1869 values. This cover comes from the more recent discovery of Thorel letters, sold through Dr. Wilhelm Derichs auction house in Germany (August 29, 2014).
From the Magnolia collection.
12c Black, Re-Issue (107). Sharp proof-like impression on bright white paper, well-centered with wide margins, face-free strike of quartered cork cancelEXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL SOUND USED EXAMPLE OF THE 12-CENT 1861 RE-ISSUE. OUR CENSUS CONTAINS ONLY 18 EXAMPLES AND THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST.
The 12c Re-Issue was printed from a new plate of 100 subjects, compared to the original plate of 200 in two panes. 10,000 stamps were printed (100 impressions). Only 389 of the 12c were sold; the remaining 9,611 were destroyed on July 16, 1884.
Our census of Scott 107 used, at https://siegel-auctions.com/census/us/scott/107, records only 18 examples with contemporary cancels. Of these, only ten are potentially sound. Of all the stamps in our census, this example and the one offered in our 2022 Rarities sale have the most face-free cancels.
Census no. 107-CAN-18. With 2021 P.F. certificate (VF-XF 85 XQ).