Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

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A European Connoisseur's Collection of U.S. Classic Issues continued...

1c-10c 1869 Pictorial Issue (Scott 112-116)

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

2251

1c Buff (112). Block of four, original gum, extraordinarily choice centering, rich color, tiny perf tear at top right and both pairs have faint horizontal creases which do not affect the appearance, Extremely Fine appearance, blocks of the 1c 1869 Pictorial Issue are rarely encountered with such precise centering (Image)

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$ 5,500.00

SOLD for $1,300.00
Will close during Public Auction

2252

2c Brown (113). Vertical block of twelve, original gum, beautiful dark shade on bright fresh paper, centering varies

FINE-VERY FINE. A MARVELOUS FRESH ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCK OF TWELVE OF THE 2-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE.

Ex Caspary. Scott value as two blocks and two pairs. (Image)

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$ 9,900.00

SOLD for $1,900.00
Will close during Public Auction

2253

2c-30c 1869 Pictorial Issue (113-115, 117, 121). Twelve stamps including 2c on piece, 3c original gum, 6c lightly cancelled, five 12c including one on cover to London, four 30c including one with pretty rosette cancel, a few tiny corner creases or thin specks to be expected, overall Very Fine (Image)

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$ 3,310.00

SOLD for $950.00
Will close during Public Auction

2254

3c-30c 1869 Pictorial Issue with Colored Cancellations (114, 116, 117, 119-121). Eleven stamps with colored cancellations including 3c (red), 10c (two--both red), 12c (blue), 15c (three--one blue, others red), 24c (red), 30c (three--one red, others blue), nice strikes and mostly well-centered stamps with one two trivial flaws, one of the 15c stamps is tied on piece by a fake New York circular datestamp (ex Klep), otherwise Very Fine group, Scott Retail for stamps and colored cancel premiums (Image)

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$ 4,727.50

SOLD for $2,800.00
Will close during Public Auction

2255

3c Ultramarine (114). Vertical block of six, original gum, slight disturbance from hinge removal, Fine-Very Fine, left center stamp is Extremely Fine (Image)

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$ 1,950.00

SOLD for $1,100.00
Will close during Public Auction

2256

3c Ultramarine (114). Wide margins and beautifully centered, tied by "X" Roman letter cancel, "Sacarappa Me. Apr. 14" circular datestamp on cover to Bethel Me., Extremely Fine (Image)

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E. $ 100-150

SOLD for $275.00
Will close during Public Auction

2257

3c Ultramarine (114). Guide arrow at bottom right, tied by one of two strikes of Large Bee fancy cancel, second strike with duplex "Adrian Mich. May 18" circular datestamp on illustrated Dove and address ribbon cover to New York City

VERY FINE. THE ADRIAN LARGE BEE FANCY CANCELLATION IS EXTREMELY RARE AND BELIEVED TO BE UNIQUE ON THIS "BIRDS AND THE BEES" 1869 PICTORIAL COVER.

The Adrian Large Bee fancy cancellation rivals the artistic quality of Waterbury postmaster John Hill's Bee creations. Covers with this cancellation are very rare, and this is the only strike on an illustrated Dove and Ribbon envelope, which creates the first "Birds and the Bees" cover we have ever encountered.

"W.H.C." (Colson) handstamp. Noted as ex Emerson on back. Warren H. Colson mentions an Adrian Bee cover in his 1929 booklet on the Duckwall collection, so this might also be ex Duckwall. With 2015 P.F. certificate (Image)

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E. $ 5,000-7,500

SOLD for $23,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

2258

3c Ultramarine (114). Bright color, tied by large circular segmented cork cancel, paying 3c rate between consular post offices in Japan on folded cover from Pignatel & Co. in Nagasaki to Eccard & Raud in Yokohama, no Nagasaki datestamp at this time (it was introduced in 1872), the cork cancel is unlisted for either Nagasaki or Yokohama in the Frajola-Perlman-Scamp book, sender's "Pignatel & Co. Nagasaki (Japon)" double oval handstamp and manuscript directive "Costa Rica" (Pacific Mail Steamship Co. branch-line steamship), receipt docketing "1870 Nagasaki, 26 Decbre, Pignatel & Co., R 31 do, 2 Janvier 1871"

VERY FINE. THIS PRISTINE COVER IS THE ONLY RECORDED 3-CENT INTERCONSULAR RATE USE BETWEEN NAGASAKI AND YOKOHAMA WITH THE 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE. CERTAINLY ONE OF THE FINEST OF ALL 1869 ISSUE COVERS ORIGINATING IN JAPAN.

The sender, Pignatel & Co., was one of the largest of the Western trading firms, and Eccard & Raud was a major silk exporter. This cover was carried on an eastbound Pacific Mail Steamship Co. branch-line steamer that originated in Shanghai and stopped at Nagasaki on its journey to Yokohama. The table of PMSS Co. branch-line trips in the Frajola-Perlman-Scamp book is, by the authors' own admission, based on incomplete records. The eastbound trip of the Costa Rica that carried this cover is not listed, but the receipt docketing can be used to determine the trip dates. According to the docketing, the letter originated at Nagasaki on December 26, 1870, and arrived in Yokohama on December 31 (it was answered January 2, 1871). The trip from Shanghai to Yokohama was usually seven or eight days at this time, so the Costa Rica probably sailed from Shanghai on December 23 or 24, picked up the mail at Yokohama on December 26 or 27, and reached Yokohama on December 31. None of the listed trips by other steamers fit these dates.

Very few interconsular covers originating in Nagasaki are recorded, and all others with 1869 Pictorial Issue stamps were prepaid 6c for the rate from Japan to Shanghai, China. This is the only known 1869 Issue cover from Nagasaki to anywhere else in Japan, paid at the 3c interconsular rate.

Pencil note on back indicates this was sold by the Weills from the Ward stock in August 1965. (Image)

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E. $ 7,500-10,000

SOLD for $17,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

2259

6c Ultramarine (115). Original gum, beautiful vibrant shade, choice centering and remarkably fresh

EXTREMELY FINE. AN OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 6-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE IN A REMARKABLE STATE OF FRESHNESS.

With 2015 P.F. certificate (Image)

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$ 2,750.00

SOLD for $2,700.00
Will close during Public Auction

2260

6c Ultramarine (115). Block of four, original gum, marvelous brilliant color on bright fresh paper, well-centered and especially so in comparison to other known blocks of the 6c 1869 Pictorial

VERY FINE. AN OUTSTANDING AND RARE 6-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE BLOCK WITH ORIGINAL GUM. RARELY ENCOUNTERED WITH THE FRESHNESS AND VIVID COLOR DISPLAYED BY THIS BLOCK.

Jonathan Rose estimates that there are seven to eight unused blocks of the 6c 1869 Pictorial Issue. Of these, most have perfs significantly into the design, a fact confirmed by using Power Search.

With 2015 P.F. certificate (Image)

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$ 16,500.00

SOLD for $13,500.00
Will close during Public Auction

2261

10c Yellow (116). Block of four with right guide arrow selvage, original gum, incredibly vibrant color and impression on bright white paper, natural narrow vertical gum skip along right pair

VERY FINE-EXTREMELY FINE. A SPECTACULAR AND RARE ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCK OF THE 10-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE. THIS RIGHT-ARROW BLOCK, WITH ITS CHOICE CENTERING AND REMARKABLE FRESHNESS, IS ONE OF THE FINEST MULTIPLES EXTANT.

Ex Caspary, where it realized $1,250 in 1956, more than double its then-current Scott Catalogue value of $600 (probably acquired by the European Connoisseur in that sale). With 2015 P.F. certificate (Image)

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$ 14,000.00

SOLD for $9,000.00
Will close during Public Auction