Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

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The Grant Inman Collection, Part 2: Officials continued...

Official Special Printings - State Department

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

655

1c-7c State, Specimen Ovpt. (O57S-O61S. O57Sb, O57xS). Without gum as issued, bright colors, choice centering, few faults incl. 7c diagonal crease, O57Sb thin spot and pinhole and O57xS light crease, Very Fine appearance (Image)

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$ 967.50

SOLD for $180.00
Will close during Public Auction

656

1c State, Specimen Ovpt., Horizontally Ribbed Paper, Dotted "i" in "Specimen" (O57Sc; formerly O57Sb). Without gum as issued, radiant color, trivial soiling at top left not mentioned on accompanying certificates, Very Fine, with 2007 Weiss and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (Image)

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$ 550.00

SOLD for $600.00
Will close during Public Auction

657

10c State, Specimen Ovpt. (O62S). Without gum as issued, intense shade and impression, fresh and Fine, only 346 sold (Image)

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$ 550.00

SOLD for $550.00
Will close during Public Auction

658

12c State, Specimen Ovpt. (O63S). Without gum as issued, bright color, Very Fine, a pretty stamp, only 280 sold (Image)

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$ 550.00

SOLD for $300.00
Will close during Public Auction

659

15c State, Specimen Ovpt. (O64S). Without gum as issued, radiant color, Very Fine and choice, only 257 sold (Image)

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$ 600.00

SOLD for $500.00
Will close during Public Auction

660

24c State, Specimen Ovpt. (O65S). Without gum as issued, bright color, wide margins, Very Fine, only 253 sold (Image)

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$ 600.00

SOLD for $450.00
Will close during Public Auction

661

30c State, Specimen Ovpt. (O66S). Without gum as issued, radiant color, fresh and Fine, only 249 sold (Image)

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$ 600.00

SOLD for $450.00
Will close during Public Auction

662

90c State, Specimen Ovpt. (O67S). Without gum as issued, brilliant color, wide margins, Very Fine, only 245 sold (Image)

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$ 600.00

SOLD for $450.00
Will close during Public Auction

663

$2.00 State, Specimen Ovpt. (O68S). Without gum as issued, bright colors, unusually wide margins for this difficult issue

VERY FINE AND CHOICE. THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF THE $2.00 STATE DEPARTMENT SPECIAL PRINTING WITH "SPECIMEN" OVERPRINT THAT WE HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED. A BEAUTIFUL STAMP.

Of the 32 sold, Markovits estimated that approximately 20 are known (2004 Bennett sale). Most seem to be strongly centered to one side.

From our 1993 Rarities sale. With 1974 and 1990 P.F. certificates (Image)

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$ 27,500.00

SOLD for $9,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

664

$5.00 State, Specimen Ovpt. (O69S). Without gum as issued, bright color, detailed impression, choice centering

VERY FINE. A PHENOMENAL EXAMPLE OF THE $5.00 STATE DEPARTMENT SPECIAL PRINTING WITH AN IMPECCABLE PROVENANCE. THIS EXAMPLE WAS PART OF THE SET PURCHASED FROM THE THIRD ASSISTANT POSTMASTER GENERAL'S OFFICE BY PAUL LIETZOW OF GERMANY, AND WAS BOUGHT BY ROBERT LEWENTHAL IN 1953. ONLY TWELVE WERE SOLD AND IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ONLY EIGHT STILL EXIST.

Paul Lietzow was a German collector/dealer who displayed his collection in one of the first philatelic exhibitions in Germany. The first was held in April 1870 and featured one person's collection. Lietzow exhibited his collection in July 1877 in Berlin for the benefit of wounded soldiers. His collection at the time comprised 6,200 stamps housed in six large volumes, quite an achievement for the time. In 1880 and 1882 he published handbooks on philately, one of which was a precursor to the Scott Catalogue. The idea of exhibitions and handbooks was to increase the appeal of stamp collecting, which was widely seen as suitable only for schoolboys and not worthy of serious pursuit.

Lietzow was an enthusiastic purchaser of high-denomination stamps thru the Special Printing program. He is the only purchaser of the $36.00 (two), $48.00 and $60.00 Newspaper special printings, and also purchased two each of the $9.00 and $12.00 values. The Combs book notes the Lietzow set of dollar-value State departments was purchased by Lewenthal from a German dealer in 1953. They were offered as single lots and then as a set in the 1978 Simmy's auction of the Lewenthal collection, where they were acquired by Leonard Sheriff. They were offered individually in the 1993 Sheriff sale, where they were dispersed to different buyers.

Although the Scott Specialized states that twelve $5.00 State "Specimen" stamps were sold, the description for the Markovits example states that eight are recorded, presumably based on Markovits's original research.

Ex Lietzow, Lewenthal and Sheriff. With 1993 P.F. certificate (Image)

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$ 40,000.00

SOLD for $50,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

665

$10.00 State, Specimen Ovpt. (O70S). Without gum as issued, bright colors, detailed impressions

FRESH AND FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE $10.00 STATE DEPARTMENT SPECIAL PRINTING. ONLY EIGHT WERE SOLD, OF WHICH FIVE ARE RECORDED. ONE OF THE KEYS TO ASSEMBLING A COMPLETE SET OF THE OFFICIAL SPECIAL PRINTINGS.

Although the Scott Specialized states that eight $10.00 State "Specimen" stamps were sold, the description for the Markovits example (2004 Bennett sale) states that five are recorded, presumably based on Markovits's original research. Our numbers concur with Markovits -- our census is available at our website.

With copy of 1991 P.F. certificate, obtained after this was offered in a June 1991 Christie's auction featuring the Governor Pierre S. duPont IV collection and property from the Frank G. Back stock. (Image)

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$ 60,000.00

SOLD for $100,000.00
Will close during Public Auction