Terms of SaleBid IncrementsGradingLinksContact

Sale 130: The Westpex Sale

Previous ChapterTable of ContentsNext Chapter

10 Select Items

Lot 1222    

1851, 1¢ blue, type IIIa, horizontal combination strip of 6 (positions 14-19R1E), first and third stamps Type II (Scott 7), and the other four Type IIIA (Scott 8A), large margins to just in at one or two spots, beautiful Plate 1 Early "Robin's Egg" Blue color and impression, cancelled by rare 8-bar open grid, postmarked matching "San Francisco Cal. 1 Oct." (1851) cds on brown cover to Sing Sing, New York, strip tied by light pencil "Oct. 1st 1851" docketing at left, cover with small tears at right, top flap mostly complete and tucked under other flaps, ex-Jessup, Polland, Grunin, Kramer, Hackmey and Gross; with 2003 & 2019 P.F. certificates.
Scott No. 8A, 7    Estimate $10,000 - 15,000.

ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC COVERS OF THE 1851 ISSUE AND THE EARLIEST RECORDED USE OF THE 1¢ 1851 ISSUE FROM THE WEST COAST.

This cover represents an exceptionally rare use of the 1¢ 1851 Issue to pay the new 6¢ prepaid rate, effective July 1851, for distances exceeding 3,000 miles. It was dispatched on the very first sailing from San Francisco to Panama following the arrival of the new stamps in California.

The first shipment of the 1851 Issue reached the West Coast aboard the Pacific Mail Steamship Company steamer "Oregon," which arrived in San Francisco on September 18, 1851. The earliest documented West Coast use of the new issue is a cover bearing a pair of 3¢ Orange Brown stamps, postmarked at Sacramento on September 30, 1851.

Mail postmarked in San Francisco on October 1, 1851, was carried on the return voyage of the "Oregon," departing that same day and arriving in Panama on October 20. The correspondence then crossed the isthmus and continued from Chagres to New York aboard the United States Mail Steamship Company steamer "Ohio," which sailed on October 25 and reached New York on November 5. The present cover traveled on that sailing.

Noted philatelist Stanley B. Ashbrook regarded this and other 1851 Issue covers bearing the same October 1 postmark as "first day" uses from California.

all lots for this sale will be subject to a 18% buyer's premium

Current Opening Bid: $5,000

email this lot to a friend

Lot 1226    

1¢ blue, type IV, plate reconstruction of the left & right panes on cover, missing only Position 54L1L, some duplication, fascinating lot of 265 covers for the plate reconstruction of the 1851 1¢ blue type IV, however we do note that a couple of the Type II's have snuck in, included is singles, pairs, strips, a block of six on cover, foreign usages, trans-continental usages with a wide variety of markings and cancel, condition is mixed, however this is a great lot that would be impossible to duplicate, F.-V.F.
Scott No. 9    Estimate $15,000 - 20,000.

AN IMPRESSIVE GROUP OF THE 1851 1¢ TYPE IV WHICH MUST BE VIEWED TO BE FULLY APPRECIATED.

Complete images:
View gallery or Download PDF (308MB).

all lots for this sale will be subject to a 18% buyer's premium

Current Opening Bid: $7,500

email this lot to a friend

Lot 1513 o   

1851, 1¢ blue, type Ib, position 8R1E, blue town cancels, clear to large margins, clear sharp impression with rich bright plate one early color, Extremely Fine, a wonderful sound full margin example of the rare 1851 1¢ type Ib; with 2007 P.S.E. certificate Graded (XF 90, SMQ $32,500).
Scott No. 5A    $11,000.

A STUNNING EXAMPLE OF THIS RARE STAMP WITH POSITION 8R1E BEING ONE OF THE TWO FINEST EXAMPLES SHOWING THE TYPE.

Type Ib was produced only as an imperforate stamp. Six positions on Plate 1 Early provided stamps qualifying as Type Ib - Positions 3-6R and 8-9R - distinguished by the complete design at top and nearly complete design at bottom. When first entered on the plate, these six positions (as well as 7R1E) had the complete design at top and bottom. However, small portions of the bottoms were burnished away, with the exception of 7R. Positions 6R and 8R had less of the bottom erased than the other Type Ib positions, and for this reason they are more desirable examples of the type.

A Type Ib with large margins all around is a great rarity, particularly in sound condition.

all lots for this sale will be subject to a 18% buyer's premium

Current Opening Bid: $5,750

email this lot to a friend

Lot 2494 o   

Hawaii, Revenue, 1910, $5 vermilion & violet blue, denomination inverted, neat "Cancelled" straight line handstamp, this single has only a faint trace of aging and a very light irrelevant crease, otherwise Very Fine; with 2018 P.S.A.G. certificate.
Scott No. R15a    Estimate $15,000 - 20,000.

A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE GREATEST RARITIES IN ALL OF HAWAIIAN PHILATELY!

There are only 4 examples of this rarity in existence, two on each of two small pieces. Just recently one of the pieces was soaked yielding 2 singles. This will be the first time any single has been offered to the collecting public.

all lots for this sale will be subject to a 18% buyer's premium

Current Opening Bid: $13,500

email this lot to a friend

Lot 1533 o   

1851, 1¢ blue, type IIIa, plate 4, huge margins including wide sheet margin at left, detailed impression clearly showing wide break in top outer line, deep rich color on bright paper, light unobtrusive strike of New Orleans town cancel leaves entire design clearly visible, a Superb jumbo, ex-Collier, Merlin & Iwate; with 1996 P.F. and 2009 P.S.E. certificates, the latter Graded (Superb 98 Jumbo, SMQ $16,250).
Scott No. 8A    $1,250.

A REMARKABLE SHEET-MARGIN USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1¢ 1851 TYPE IIIA IMPERFORATE GRADED SUPERB 98 JUMBO BY THE P.S.E. - THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED.

Type IIIa is defined as having a break in the outer line at either top or bottom. The stamp offered here is a superb example of this type, which clearly shows the wide break at top and the complete bottom line. Plate 4 imperforate stamps are desirable and rare since they were issued in April-June 1857 shortly before perforations were introduced.

Only three stamps have been graded by the PSE in the lofty grade of Superb 98 Jumbo.

all lots for this sale will be subject to a 18% buyer's premium

Current Opening Bid: $4,000

email this lot to a friend

Lot 2305 ()   

Hawaii, 1859, Numeral, 2¢ light blue on bluish white, Plate 3-A, Type V, Position 5, no gum, four nice margins, Very Fine, a beautiful sound example, Rare so Choice and one of the nicest.
Scott No. 13    $6,250.

all lots for this sale will be subject to a 18% buyer's premium

Current Opening Bid: $1,800

email this lot to a friend

Lot 1899    

1909, 10¢ yellow, D.L. watermark, coil, perf. 12 vertically, pair, o.g., hinge remnant, rich bright color, short corner perf at bottom right, F.-V.F., an attractive and scarce Washington-Franklin issue coil pair; with 2025 P.F. certificate.
Scott No. 356    $8,250.

all lots for this sale will be subject to a 18% buyer's premium

Current Opening Bid: $1,700

email this lot to a friend

Lot 1858    

1895, $5 dark green, D.L. watermark, top margin plate no. "85" strip of 3 with imprint, slightly disturbed o.g., intensely rich color and particularly fresh, Very Fine.
Scott No. 278    $10,500.

A VERY RARE SOUND MINT PLATE STRIP OF THE 1895 $5 BUREAU ISSUE.

all lots for this sale will be subject to a 18% buyer's premium

Current Opening Bid: $1,500

email this lot to a friend

Lot 225 /   

North West Pacific Islands, 1915-16, Kangaroo and Map, 6d Ultramarine with Retouched "E" Variety, 1st watermark, horizontal strip of 6, o.g., 2 stamps never hinged, Position 1R55-60 from the first printing overprint types "acccbc" transfer error, Very Fine and choice, an exquisite item, quite possibly the finest extant. SG No. 78, 78a £8,050 as singles ($10,710).
Scott No. 4 var.    Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.

all lots for this sale will be subject to a 18% buyer's premium

Current Opening Bid: $1,000

email this lot to a friend

Previous ChapterTable of ContentsNext Chapter