The Jay Hoffman Collection of United States Stamps continued...

VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A SCARCE MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE $1.00 1902 ISSUE. A BEAUTIFUL STAMP.

A review of our computerized records indicates that we offer approximately one Mint N.H. example a year.

With 2005 P.F. certificate (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SPECTACULAR MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE $2.00 1902 ISSUE IN THE FINEST CONDITION ATTAINABLE. A TRULY REMARKABLE STAMP IN EVERY RESPECT -- CENTERING, COLOR, CLARITY OF IMPRESSION, PAPER FRESHNESS AND GUM.

With 2004 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95, SMQ $18,900.00). This is the highest grade awarded to date, and is one of only three $2.00 1902's to achieve XF-Superb 95 status. SMQ does not even price this stamp in any grade above a 95. An example graded 95 realized $22,000 in our Scarsdale sale. (Image)

VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A RARE MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE $5.00 1902 ISSUE.

The 1902-03 Regular Issue was a great improvement over the Bureau's first efforts in 1894 and 1895. Perforations tend to be cleaner, and centering better, but the large plate layout and perforating method still resulted in a large number of poorly centered stamps. Furthermore, stamps issued in choice condition seldom stayed that way, because the boom in stamp collecting that began with the Roosevelt administration caused hordes of hinge-bearing philatelists to mount stamps over and over again. For this reason, today's collectors have grown accustomed to paying many multiples of Scott value for Extremely Fine stamps in Mint Never-Hinged state. This is especially true when it comes to the $5.00 denomination. This fact is made abundantly clear when you realize that the highest grade awarded by P.S.E. to a $5.00 value in never-hinged condition is a 90, given to only one stamp.

Ex Scarsdale. With 2000 P.F. certificate. With 2004 P.S.E. certificate (VF 80, SMQ $8,200.00) (Image)

FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 4-CENT 1908 IMPERFORATE.

With the rising popularity of vending and affixing machines, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing received numerous requests from manufacturers for supplies of imperforate stamps, which could then be privately perforated to conform to each firm's machine. In May 1908, a supply of 25 sheets (400 stamps per sheet) of the 4c 1902 Issue, without perforations, was delivered to the Schermack Mailing Machine Co. in Detroit. The entire supply was cut into coils with Schermack Type III perforations, designed for the firm's patented affixing machine and delivered to the Winfield Printing Co. for use on mass mailings of advertising material. Approximately 6,000 were used on a mailing for Hamilton Carhartt Manufacturer, and almost all of the 4,000 balance were used on a mailing for Burroughs Adding Machine Co.

Our unpublished census contains 45 used examples, including three strips of three (one on cover), three singles on separate covers, and 33 single used copies (four are or were at one time on piece, including one of the sound copies with full margins). All three strips of three and two covers were used by Karl Koslowski, who was the only person able to acquire some of the 4c Imperforates. He is also the source for the only known unused copies. Our published census of unused examples (updated) contains four pairs, two guide line pairs and nine singles, for a total of 21 unused stamps.

Unpublished Census No. 314A-CAN-24. This issue rarely is seen at auction -- the last example we offered at auction was in our Lake Shore sale in 2004. With 1985 P.F. certificate (Image)