Lot
3120 
1861, 12¢ black, First Design, large part o.g. (which covers virtually the entire reverse of the stamp), exceptionally centered with large beautifully balanced margins and perforations clear of the design all round, tiny thin spot at top, Extremely Fine appearance, ex-Weill & T. Cullen Davis; with 1962 & 2019 P.F. certificates.Scott No. 59 $90,000.
THE 12¢ BLACK IS THE RAREST OF THE 1861 FIRST DESIGNS AND COLORS, WITH A TOTAL OF 16 EXAMPLES RECORDED, ONE OF WHICH RESIDES IN THE MILLER COLLECTION AT THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY.
This stamp was sold in a 1964 Siegel Auction (Sale #276) for a whopping $13,000, the highest price of the entire sale. By way of comparison, in the same sale, a sound copy of the Inverted Jenny (Scott C3a) sold for $10,500.
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Realized: $30,000
Lot
3067
1857, 1¢ blue, type III, position 45L4, showing wide break in line at top and clear break showing at bottom, o.g., lightly hinged, rich vivid color enhancing a remarkably detailed impression, exceptionally bright and fresh, Extremely Fine, ex-Moody (as part of a vertical block of six) & Petersen; with 1991 & 2021 P.F. certificates.Scott No. 21 $17,500.
A MAGNIFICENT MINT ORIGINAL GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 1¢ TYPE III PERFORATED ISSUE. ONLY A SMALL HANDFUL EXIST IN SOUND, ORIGINAL GUM CONDITION. THE INCREDIBLE CENTERING AND REMARKABLY FRESH ORIGINAL GUM MAKE THIS STAMP AN EXTRAORDINARY CONDITION RARITY.
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Lot
3004
1847, 5¢ dark brown, perfect full original gum which has been very lightly hinged once, huge margins including large portions of the stamps at the left & right, wonderful sharp early impression, Post Office fresh color on deeply blued paper, a Superb jumbo; with 2000 P.F. & 2008 P.S.E. certificate, the latter Graded (Superb 98J, SMQ $50,000).Scott No. 1a $7,000.
A PERFECT GEM THAT IS UNSURPASSED IN QUALITY OR BEAUTY--WORTHY OF THE FINEST COLLECTION.
The rarity of a stamp like this cannot be overstated. The few known examples with original gum are more often than not, lacking the color, the freshness or the Post Office gum as is found on this remarkable stamp.nnThis is one of two known examples graded Superb 98 Jumbo by the P.S.E. with none higher. Additionally, there are no recorded examples of the 5¢ Red Brown (Scott 1) graded higher than Superb 98, of which there is a single example, which was sold in our sale of the Peter Iwate Collection (Sale 105, Lot 3012)
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Realized: $60,000
Lot 3011 o
1851, 1¢ blue, type I, position 7R1E, very faint manuscript and small portion of red town cancel leaving the design almost completely unobscured, with full top sheet margin and ample to just shaving bottom left plume and touching ball leaving design virtually complete, strong and distinctively bright plate one early color, small corner crease at top right away from printed design & tiny surface scrapes at bottom right (both of which are truly insignificant), Extremely Fine, this stamp was acquired in 1941 by Stanley Gibbons owner Gordon N. Usticke, ex-Matthies, N. Hubbard & "Lake Shore"; with 1974 & 2001 P.F. certificates.Scott No. 5 $55,000.
A WONDERFULLY LIGHTLY CANCELED USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 1¢ TYPE I ISSUE FROM POSITION 7 ON THE RIGHT PANE OF PLATE ONE EARLY - ONE OF THE FEW MARGINAL EXAMPLES SHOWING VIRTUALLY THE COMPLETE DESIGN.
According to the Jerome S. Wagshal census of the Scott #5 (this example being 5-CAN-005) there are only 98 examples in all recorded. This example is one of a small handful of examples showing the complete design. Position 7R1E is the only position on any of the 1¢ Imperforate plates to show the true Type I with the complete design as it existed on the original die. This example, with wide sheet margin at top, very light cancellations leaving design almost completely unobscured and a virtually complete design makes this example one of the finest extant.
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Realized: $28,000
Lot
3161
1861, 5¢ brown yellow, o.g., lightly hinged, well centered especially for this notoriously tight margin issue, bright and fresh with rich brilliant and distinctively true brown yellow color, Extremely Fine; with 1959 P.F. & 1991 P.S.E. (as #67) and 2000 P.F. certificate correctly identifying color.Scott No. 67a $32,500.
WITHOUT QUESTION ONE OF THE FINEST MINT ORIGINAL GUM EXAMPLES OF THE 1861 5¢ BROWN YELLOW ISSUE. AN OUTSTANDING CLASSIC RARITY.
The 1861 5¢ Brown Yellow is regarded as one of the rarest U.S. Classic issues to obtain with full original gum and with centering as with this stamp, near impossible to find.
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Realized: $20,000
Lot
3125 ()
1861, 90¢ dull blue, First Design, no gum, precision centering and rich vivid color, sharp impression on bright fresh paper, Extremely Fine and choice, ex-Cole & Drucker; with 1958, 1988 & 2002 P.F. certificates.Scott No. 62 $50,000.
A STUNNING GEM WHICH IS EASILY ON THE FINEST KNOWN EXAMPLES OF THE 1861 90¢ FIRST DESIGN.
According the Siegel Census, there are at total of 22 known examples of the 90¢ First Design, including one copy in the New York Public Library collection. There are a mere six examples which are in sound condition and only two of these still retain their original gum.
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Realized: $27,000
Lot
3117 ()
1861, 5¢ brown, First Design, no gum, outstanding centering for this rare issue, sharp impression, exceptionally fresh color, Extremely Fine and choice, with Scott catalog value for examples bearing small faults, ex-Seymour, Lutwak & Zoellner; with 1961, 1976 & 1998 P.F. certificates.Scott No. 57 $30,000.
AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE OF THIS CLASSIC RARITY IN SOUND CONDITION - ONE OF ONLY FIVE.
According to the Siegel Census, there are five examples in sound condition with another six stamps (one of which is in the New York Public Library collection) where the condition is unknown, leaving this as one of the finest known.
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Lot
3123
1861, 30¢ red orange, First Design, o.g., previously hinged, wonderful centering with perfs well clear all around, deep color, trace of light corner crease at top right, still Extremely Fine, with Scott catalog value for the grade of fine, ex-Lilly, Seymour, Cole, "Concord" & Floyd; with 1949, 1988 & 2001 P.F. certificates.Scott No. 61 $40,000.
A LOVELY EXAMPLE OF THIS CLASSIC RARITY WHICH HAS GRACED SEVERAL IMPORTANT COLLECTIONS.
A common trait found in the majority of 1861 First Color 30¢ stamps is slight creasing, varying from severe in some instances to barely discernible in others.
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Realized: $13,000
Lot
3237
1866, 15¢ black, o.g., lightly hinged, unbelievable centering with large even margins, Post Office fresh color and proof-like impression, Extremely Fine; with 1995 P.F. & 2008 P.S.E. certificates, the latter Graded (XF 90, SMQ $10,000).Scott No. 77 $5,000.
AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE ORIGINAL GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 15¢ 1861-66 ISSUE IN THE BEST CONDITION ATTAINABLE. THIS STAMP IS CERTAINLY THE FINEST MINT SINGLE POSSESSING ALL THE ATTRIBUTES OF A TRUE GEM.
As a reference, the P.S.E. has graded but a mere three mint examples of the 15¢ Lincoln with original gum. One never hinged example, graded F-VF 75 and two hinged examples, one graded F 70 and this example graded XF 90.nnWhy this gem did not graded higher, we do not understand and the SMQ value for this is woefully undervalued. To this point, it should be noted that this magnificent gem sold in Dec. 2000 for a hammer price of $32,500 (Siegel Sale 833, Lot 422)
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Realized: $35,000
Lot
3299
1861-66 (1875 Re-issue), 12¢ black, o.g., hinged twice, perfect centering within huge even margins, fresh Post Office color, a Superb gem, only 389 were sold; with 1983 P.F. & 2010 P.S.E. certificates, the latter Graded (Superb 98, SMQ $18,000).Scott No. 107 $3,750.
THIS IS THE FINEST KNOWN EXAMPLE OF THE 1875 12¢ BLACK RE-ISSUE. A REMARKABLE GEM THAT MUST BE SEEN TO FULLY APPRECIATE THIS OUTSTANDING BEAUTY.
This one of three examples of the 12¢ Re-Issue to receive the Grade Superb 98 by the P.S.E., with no others grading higher. We sold one of the two other known examples in our Sale #68 (Lot 113) and the Dr. Grassi copy is better centered and with larger margins.
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Realized: $12,000