Sale 1288 — The Nelson Berman Collection of Outstanding United States Stamps
Sale Date — Thursday, 22 June, 2023
Category — 1902-08 Issues (Scott 300-322)
50c Orange (310). Original gum, lightly hinged, intense color, Very Fine, with 2006 P.S.E. certificate (OGph, VF 80; SMQ $400.00)
$1.00 Black (311). Original gum, barely hinged, intense shade, almost perfectly centered, fresh and Extremely Fine, with 2000 P.F. and 2004 P.S.E. certificates (OGph, XF 90; SMQ $775.00)
$2.00 Dark Blue (312). Original gum, deep rich color, choice centering with well-proportioned margins, Extremely Fine and attractive, with 1994 P.F. certificate
$5.00 Dark Green (313). Original gum, lightly hinged, intense shade and impressionVERY FINE AND CHOICE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE $5.00 1902 ISSUE.
With 1986 P.F. certificate.
5c Blue, Imperforate (315). Mint N.H. pair, intense shade and impression, large margins, fresh and Extremely Fine, with 1984 P.F. certificate for block of four
1c Blue Green, Coil (316). Paste-up pair, top stamp with bottom selvage used for the paste-up, original gum, rich color, choice centeringEXTREMELY FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE PAIR OF THE ONE-CENT VERTICAL COIL, SCOTT 316. OUR CENSUS RECORDS ONLY TEN PAIRS AND FIVE SINGLES, AND THIS IS THE ONLY PASTE-UP. ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL 20TH CENTURY STAMPS.
According to Johl, these first government coils were an experiment, and collectors and dealers were generally unaware of their existence. Regular sheets of 400 were printed and then perforated in only one direction. They were then cut into strips of 20. The strips were then pasted together to form rolls. The pair offered here comes from the union of one strip with another to form the roll.
It is unknown exactly how many of these experimental coils were produced. They were superseded less than a year later by the Washington-Franklin issue coils, the first of which were issued on December 29, 1908.
Our census of Scott 316, available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/316 , records seven pairs, three line pairs (one of which is rejoined) and five unused singles, for a total of 25 stamps. Two pairs have been broken in the last few years. None are known used.
Census no. 316-OG-PR-12. Signed in pencil "S.P." (Sam Pinchot). With 1976 and 1990 P.F. certificates.
5c Blue, Coil (317). Mint N.H. pair, intense color and impression, unusually choice centeringEXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE MINT NEVER-HINGED PAIR OF THE 5-CENT VERTICAL COIL, SCOTT 317. ONE OF THE FINEST IN EXISTENCE.
According to Johl, these first government coils were an experiment, and collectors and dealers were generally unaware of their existence. Regular sheets of 400 were printed and then perforated in only one direction. They were then cut into strips of 20. The strips were then pasted together to form rolls. Since they were stripped by hand, it is difficult to obtain centered examples. The pair offered here, with wide margins on both sides, is a rarity for the issue. With the exception of the guide line strip of four with Parkhurst machine marks offered in our April 2022 Getlan sale (with the two center stamps Mint N.H.), this is the first Mint N.H. pair we have offered since the 2009 Whitman sale.
With 1977 and 1998 P.F. certificates.
1c Blue Green, Coil (318). Pair, original gum, deep rich color, choice centeringFRESH AND VERY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE RARE ONE-CENT 1908 HORIZONTAL COIL, SCOTT 318.
With 2000 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Coil (322). Pair, original gum, lightly hinged, radiant colorFRESH AND FINE-VERY FINE PAIR OF THE 2-CENT 1908 HORIZONTAL COIL, SCOTT 322.
Issued on July 31, 1908, and intended only to be used by private vending machine companies, Scott 322 is only known with the Die II widened line at lower left.
Blue Stanley Gibbons backstamp. With 1985 P.F. certificate.