Sale 1034 — The Merlin Collection of Superb United States Stamps

Sale Date — Wednesday-Thursday, 28-29 November, 2012

Category — 1c 1851-56 Issue (Scott 5-9)

Lot
Symbol
Photo/Description
Cat./Est. Value
Realized
25
 
Sale 1034, Lot 25, 1c 1851-56 Issue (Scott 5-9)1c Blue, Ty. Ia (6). Position 100R4, large to huge margins, including bottom right corner sheet margins, deep rich color on bright paper, neat strikes of circular datestamp leaves the defining characteristics of the type clearly visible

EXTREMELY FINE. A REMARKABLE EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 IMPERFORATE ONE-CENT TYPE Ia, ONE OF THE RARITIES FURNISHED BY PLATE FOUR, WITH CORNER SHEET MARGINS.

Stamps printed from Plate 4 were issued in April, May and briefly in June 1857 before perforations were introduced. The relatively small number of imperforate Plate 4 stamps issued during this period explains the rarity and desirability of any of the imperforate stamp types produced from this plate (Ia, Ic, II, III and IIIa). The extremely rare Type Ia, showing the full design at bottom, was furnished only by 18 of the 200 subjects on Plate 4 (the remaining two bottom-row positions were sub-type Ic).

"W.H.C." backstamp (Colson). With 1992 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (XF 90 Jumbo; SMQ $25,000.00 as 90, $47,500.00 as 95). Only four have graded higher and one other shares this grade.

11,000
12,500