Lot
1775 
1908, 1¢ blue green, experimental coil, perf 12 horizontally, full o.g., wide margins, rich color and a wonderful crisp impression on fresh paper, Very Fine; with 1957 P.F. for pair and 2019 P.F. certificates. Scott No. 316 $160,000.
A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF THE 1908 1¢ HORIZONTAL EXPERIMENTAL COIL - A GREAT RARITY WITH ONLY ELEVEN PAIRS AND THREE SINGLES RECORDED.
The first Bureau issued coils were issued in vertical format at first, preceding the horizontal coils by nearly 6 months, appearing on February 18th, 1908 and issued in far less quantities than the horizontal coils. These issues were strictly experimental, prepared with the 1902 design series from normally produced sheets of 400 with the exception of perforations. Perforated in one direction and sliced by a stripper, these strips were then hand assembled into coil rolls.
Lot
2054 o
Revenue, 1864, First Issue, $200 U.S. Internal Revenue, imperf, complete sheet of 8, each cancelled by light "Cal. P.R.R. Co., Vallejo, Apr. 25, 1867" circular date stamp cancels, large margins to just in at sides, beautiful rich deep colors, two light creases from document (vertical at left, horizontal between blocks), Very Fine, ex-Joyce, Mayer and Curtis; with 2020 P.S.E. certificate. Scott No. R102a $30,000 for two blocks of 4.
ONE OF THREE COMPLETE SHEETS OF THE 1864 $200 U.S.I.R. IMPERFORATE ISSUE AND THE ONLY EXAMPLE BEARING HANDSTAMP CANCELS.
All three recorded sheets have similar trimmed margins. The three sheets are: 1) manuscript cancels, used in "Chicago & Great Eastern Railway, New York, May 11, 1865", ex-Zoellner (Siegel Sale 827, lot 1572, realized $24,000 hammer); 2) manuscript "Chicago & Great Eastern Railway, New York, May 11, 1865" cancels, faint horizontal crease, ex-Cunliffe (Spink-Shreves Sale June 26, 2008, lot 298, realized $23,000 hammer; and 3) "Cal. P.R.R. Co." circular datestamp, two light creases, ex-Joyce, Mayer and Curtis, the example offered here (Siegel Sale 1089, lot 385, realized $25,000 hammer).
Realized: $23,000
Lot
1257 
1852, 1¢ blue, type IV, diagonal bisect, upper right portion of stamp tied by "New Haven, Conn., Jul 29" cds on 1853 printed "General Land and Pension Agency" circular from Alfred J. Works of New Haven, Conn. and addressed to "Mrs. Julia A. Goff, Hartford, Conn."; circular with some internal separations, Very Fine; with 2012 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 9b Estimate $30,000 - 40,000.
THE UNIQUE BISECT USAGE OF THE 1851 1¢ IMPERFORATE ISSUE - USED TO PAY THE 1852 RATE WHICH CALLED FOR PRINTED MATTER CIRCULATED IN THE STATE WHERE PUBLISHED TO BE CHARGED ONE HALF THE 1¢ RATE.
Alfred J. Works, an attorney and sender of this circular, took advantage of a rate concession in the Act of August 30, 1852 (32nd Congress, Session I, Ch. 98), in which states; "Newspapers and periodicals, not weighing over one ounce and a half, when circulated in the State where published, shall be charged one half of the rates before mentioned", however printed circulars were not included in this concession. However, the New Haven and Hartford post offices apparently accepted this circular as fully pre-paid.
Extensive research and write-up regarding this fascinating cover can be found in the Robert A. Siegel, Inc. Auction #1040A, Lot 1179A (March 26, 2013).
Realized: $29,000
Lot
141
Fiji, 1877, "V.R.", 6d carmine rose, laid paper, two horizontal pairs, tied by neat sunburst cancel on cover to London, England, with bold boxed "Too Late" handstamp and red "London, 26 Se 81" entry cds, Extremely Fine and choice, ex-Eastgate. Scott No. 39b. SG No. 33a Estimate $15,000 - 20,000.
A SPECTACULAR EXAMPLE OF THE 1877 "V.R." OVERPRINT ISSUE ON COVER - CONSIDERED TO BE THE FINEST COVER OF THE ISSUE.
Realized: $12,500
Lot
1764
1901, Pan-American, 4¢ deep red brown & black, center inverted, full o.g., rich colors, reperfed at left, F.-V.F. appearance; with 2019 P.S.E. certificate. Scott No. 296a $85,000.
AN ATTRACTIVE EXAMPLE OF THE 4¢ PAN-AMERICAN WITH CENTER INVERTED - A GREAT 20TH CENTURY RARITY.
The 4¢ invert was printed deliberately as the result of a misunderstanding. After the discovery of the 1¢ and 2¢ inverts in mid-1901, the Third Assistant Postmaster, Edwin C. Madden, decided to track down any additional errors. He had his assistant instruct the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to send any inverted Pan-American stamps to Madden's office. No inverted stamps in fact remained on hand, and interpreting Madden's communique as an unconditional demand for inverts, the Bureau produced four sheets of them from the 4 cent plates and sent 400 copies on to Madden. About about half were marked "Specimen" and between 1901 and 1904 Madden distributed 172 examples.
Realized: $13,000
Lot 257 o
New Zealand, 1863 Queen Victoria "Chalon Head", 1d orange vermilion on pelure paper, imperf, unwatermarked, horizontal strip of five (R. 20/4-8), just clear to very large margins all round and showing portion of adjoining stamp at right, all the more remarkable given the miss-alignment of the impressions from left to right, neatly cancelled with five strikes of "Dunedin" five-bar oval; virtually free of imperfections which is quite extraordinary given the delicate nature of the paper used in this issue, Extremely Fine and choice, ex-Charles Lathrop Pack, Harmer Rooke & Co. N.Y. (December 1944, lot 1394 as strip of six), Alfred H. Caspary, H.R. Harmers N.Y. (October 1958, lot 313), John Boker, Stanley Gibbons, Antipodes, Corinphila (September 1988, lot 3445), Joseph Hackmey, Spink Shreves (February 2009, lot 1268); with 1988 Holcombe certificate. Scott No. 21. Campbell Paterson No. A1g.SG No. 81 £12,500 as singles ($16,250).
A STUNNING USED MULTIPLE OF THE 1863 1D ORANGE VERMILION ON PELURE PAPER, THE LARGEST KNOWN MULTIPLE OF ANY PELURE PRINTING.
Realized: $11,000
Lot 2244 o
Swaim, Wm., 8¢ orange, die cut, silk paper, manuscript signature, bright vibrant color, small flaws, Very Fine appearance, an extraordinary rarity and a key issue to any private die medicine collection.Scott No. RS235bh $25,000.
AN ATTRACTIVE EXAMPLES OF THE EXTREMELY RARE 8¢ WILLIAM SWAIN DIE CUT ON SILK PAPER WITH MANUSCRIPT SIGNATURE - ONE OF THE RAREST PRIVATE DIE MEDICINE ISSUES WITH ONLY TWO EXAMPLES EVER RECORDED.
According to the "The Boston Revenue Book", an example of the Jas. Swaim issue on silk paper in a Boston, Mass. collection was known bearing manuscript signature. They concluded that its origin was probably due to the fact that a sheet must have been delivered to Wm. Swaim which had not received the second facsimile signature printing and therefore received a signature.
Realized: $18,000
Lot
2291
Encased Postage, Weir and Larminie, 3¢, stamp with rich color and well centered within frame clearly showing denomination tablet at bottom, full raised and unworn lettering on reverse, mica well preserved and completely intact, Extremely Fine, ex-Ford, Mayer and Wm. Litle. Hodders & Bowers No. 231. Scott No. EP175 $14,000.
AN EXTREMELY RARE AN CHOICE EXAMPLE OF THE 3¢ WEIR AND LARMINIE ENCASED POSTAGE - ONE OF TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES AND KEY ISSUE TO ANY ENCASED POSTAGE COLLECTION.
Realized: $9,500
Lot
2771 o
Ryukyus, Kume Island, 1945, 7s black on cream, upper pane of 12, cancelled by neat Okinawa Kume Shima "20 10 1" First Day of Issue favor cds for October 1st 1945, position 8 with "7" & "Sen" one letter spaced at the left, wide sheet margins, two vertical creases affecting stamps in first and third rows, otherwise Very Fine, with Scott catalog value not accounting for the spaced at left variety (unlisted in used condition). Scott No. 1X1, 1X1a $30,000 for normal singles.
ONE OF THE LARGEST KNOWN MULTIPLES OF THE KUME ISLAND 1945 7S PROVISIONAL ISSUE.
This was originally the personal property of LCDR Elwood J. Wilson, USNR, Commanding Officer of Military Government Detachment B-101-X. In this capacity, and as Deputy Military Governor of Kume Shima, he authorized the printing and issuing of this provisional postage stamp on October 1st, 1945. He requested Postmaster Norifumi Kikuzato to cancel a sheet of the stamps for him as a World War II souvenir.
Realized: $12,000
Lot
640
Serbia, 1869, Prince Milan, 35pa green, perf 9½x12, in combination with 1876, 10pa red brown, perf 12 + 1869, 15pa orange, perf 9½x12 + 1872, 25pa pale rose, perf 9½ (12 IV A, 13 I C, 15 II B) on folded letter sheet to London, England, tied by "Belograde, 7 May, 1876" cds's, red "London, My 11, 76" entry cds and reverse with "Wien, 3/5, 76" transit postmark; some light cover edge wear and missing bottom flap, otherwise Very Fine. Michel No. 16 I C Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
AN OUTSTANDING FOUR COLOR FRANKING USAGE TO LONDON, ENGLAND.
Complete images:
View gallery or Download PDF (334KB)
Realized: $7,500