Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

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United States Stamps and Possessions continued...

1857-60 Issue and 1875 Reprints (Scott 18-41)

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

3117

1c Blue, Ty. Ic (19b). Position 47L4, E Relief, deep rich color, light circular datestamp, Fine and scarce example of this sub-type (Image)

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$ 2,500.00

SOLD for $1,300.00
Will close during Public Auction

3118

1c Blue, Ty. II (20). Position 6L4, top row of Plate 4, neat circular datestamp, well-centered, deep rich color on fresh paper, Very Fine (Image)

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$ 1,250.00

SOLD for $250.00
Will close during Public Auction

3119

1c Blue, Ty. II (20). Horizontal strip of three, rich color, single neat pen cancel, few minor perf separations sensibly reinforced, Fine and scarce strip (Image)

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$ 1,000.00

SOLD for $300.00
Will close during Public Auction

3120

1c Blue, Ty. III (21). Position 66L4, rich color, faint toned spot on perf at top right, otherwise Fine and scarce, signed Brookman (Image)

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$ 1,800.00

SOLD for $300.00
Will close during Public Auction

3121

1c Blue, Ty. IIIa, Imperforate Between (formerly 22b). Positions 27-28L4, horizontal pair, the 1958 P.F. certificate states "imperforate between pair", but the 2015 P.F. certificate states "Scott 22 with blind perforations slightly into the most upper right ornament of the left stamp and a tiny pinhole at lower left" -- we will have something to say about this shortly -- deep Plate 4 shade, neat strikes of circular datestamp, Fine and extremely rare

Now for our commentary: This pair was the basis of the Scott Catalogue listing for Scott 22b, which has now been de-listed because of the P.F. certificate. It was owned by two outstanding 1c 1851-57 authorities, Mortimer L. Neinken and Jerome S. Wagshal. Frankly, we consider the 2015 P.F. opinion to be an appalling act of expertizing revisionism, and entirely unjustified, not because the physical evidence isn't there, but because they have totally misunderstood the nature of the variety and misinterpreted the significance of the physical characteristics.

The imperforate-between varieties were obviously created when the perforating pins on a wheel suffered a mechanical deficit, and not because the pins "vanished" or the operator failed to apply a single row of perforations. The entire concept of "missing perforations" on 1857 stamps means they failed to punch the paper and the holes cannot be seen. In this example, not one complete perforation hole can be seen. There are three, possibly four, faint half-circle shallow indentations in the surface of the paper at the top and nothing else. For the P.F. or any expert to say this pair has "blind" perforations and is not imperforate-between, because of these barely impressed half-circles, is a misguided attempt to suggest that the row of perforating pins had to be "missing" when the sheet was perforated, or that the operator somehow "skipped" the "true" imperforate-between pair. Neither of those concepts is correct.

Expertizing decisions such as this cause us great frustration. We have faith that it will not stop intelligent philatelists from recognizing the rarity and significance of this 1857 perforating variety/error. Perhaps the P.F. can be persuaded to correct this wrong on a reconsideration, and the Scott Catalogue listing will be restored. Should that occur, whoever buys this pair will be financially rewarded for following his convictions and ignoring a paper certificate. (Image)

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E. $ 2,000-3,000

SOLD for $2,500.00
Will close during Public Auction

3122

1c Blue, Ty. V, Laid Paper (24b). Showing clear horizontal laid lines, rich color, choice centering, neat strike of grid cancel

VERY FINE AND CHOICE. AN EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 ONE-CENT TYPE V ON LAID PAPER. OUR CENSUS OF THIS ISSUE RECORDS ONLY THREE COPIES, INCLUDING A PAIR AND THE SINGLE OFFERED HERE. NONE IS KNOWN UNUSED. THIS IS CURRENTLY THE ONLY SINGLE IN EXISTENCE. ONE OF THE GREAT RARITIES OF THE ISSUE.

Our census of Scott 24b, encompasses the records of Mortimer Neinken, Jerome S. Wagshal, auctions and the records of the Philatelic Foundation, and is available at our website at: http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/24b/24b.pdf. We record this single and a horizontal pair.

Ex Chapin, Natalee Grace and Bakwin. With 1992 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail $7,500.00 (Image)

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E. $ 2,000-3,000

SOLD for $4,500.00
Will close during Public Auction

3123

1c Blue, Ty. V (24). Three blocks of four, two with original gum including one with bottom left corner selvage, top stamps h.r., bottom lightly hinged, one block unused (no gum), few small imperfections, Fine-Very Fine, Scott Retail as two blocks of four and four no gum singles (Image)

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$ 1,820.00

SOLD for $700.00
Will close during Public Auction

3124

3c Dull Red, Ty. III (26). Mint N.H., with selvage at bottom, unusually choice centering with well-proportioned margins, brilliant color, Extremely Fine Gem, ex Whitman, with 1999 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $1,200.00), only three have graded higher (Image)

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$ 75.00

SOLD for $950.00
Will close during Public Auction

3125

3c Dull Red, Ty. IV (26A). Original gum, lightly hinged, excellent centering, fresh color, Very Fine and choice, with 1999 and 2008 P.F. certificates (VF-XF 85) (Image)

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$ 600.00

SOLD for $900.00
Will close during Public Auction

3126

5c Brick Red (27). Exceedingly well-centered with perfs clear of design, fresh color, face-free red cancel, small thin at top, appears Very Fine (Image)

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$ 1,850.00

SOLD for $550.00
Will close during Public Auction

3127

5c Red Brown (28). Deep rich color, choice margins and centering, neat strike of New Orleans circular datestamp, Extremely Fine, with 2015 P.S.E. certificate (VF-XF 85; SMQ $1,900.00) (Image)

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$ 1,050.00

SOLD for $1,200.00
Will close during Public Auction