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VERY FINE. THE $20.00 STATE DEPARTMENT IS ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL SPECIAL PRINTINGS. ONLY SEVEN WERE SOLD, AND PERHAPS FOUR ARE KNOWN. THIS IS THE KEY TO A COMPLETE SET OF OFFICIAL PRINTINGS.
Official records note that seven of the $20.00 State Department Special Printings were sold. The Combs book did not have any sale histories and noted that in February 1960 Philip Ward wrote in Mekeel's Weekly that he was aware of two copies each of the $10.00 and $20.00. We are aware of four examples of the $20.00 (in order of condition):
1) The example offered here, last sold in a June 1991 Christie's auction featuring the Governor Pierre S. duPont IV collection and property from the Frank G. Back stock, with other dollar-value State Department stamps. PFC 241742 stating "it is genuine"
2) The ex Lietzow, Lewenthal and Sheriff copy, centered to top left, single pulled perf at bottom
3) perfs clear all around, small stain spots, small thin and short perf, last offered in Siegel Sale 728 (Sept. 14, 1990), currently in the collection of a Southern gentleman
4) Ex Sinkler and Siegel Sale 623 (Sept. 21, 1983), centered to top left, PFC 437782 stating "faint horizontal thin at lower left".
With 1991 (copy) and 2016 P.F. certificates (Image)
Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com
FINE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 3-CENT STATE DEPARTMENT "SEPCIMEN" ERROR. ONLY APPROXIMATELY FIVE EXAMPLES ARE KNOWN.
Only 793 copies of the 3c State Special Printing were sold, but it is not known how the stamps were taken from the sheets or if full sheets were exhausted before breaking a subsequent sheet. If full sheets were used, then only eight can possibly exist. Only five were recorded by Markovits (2004 Bennett sale). There is one in the Miller collection (on extended loan by The New York Public Library to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum). We are aware of five privately-owned examples: the Lewenthal, Combs, Sheriff, Markovits and Golden copies.
Ex Sheriff. Sloane backstamp. With 2016 P.F. certificate (Image)
VERY FINE. AN ABSOLUTELY STUNNING EXAMPLE OF THE 6-CENT STATE DEPARTMENT SPECIAL PRINTING WITH THE "SEPCIMEN" SPELLING ERROR. ONLY THREE ARE RECORDED, INCLUDING ONE IN AN INSTITUTION.
Only 467 copies of the 6c State Special Printing were sold, but it is not known how the stamps were taken from the sheets or if full sheets were exhausted before breaking a subsequent sheet. If full sheets were used, then only five can possibly exist. Only three were recorded by Markovits (2004 Bennett sale). The Combs book notes an example in the Miller collection (on extended loan by The New York Public Library to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum), and the copy offered here. We are unaware of the third copy. This is the first we have offered since our 1993 Sheriff sale -- it was not present in the Golden collection.
Ex Lewenthal, Sheriff and Markovits. With 2004 P.F. certificate. (Image)
FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 7-CENT STATE DEPARTMENT "SEPCIMEN" ERROR. FEWER THAN SEVEN ARE KNOWN.
Only 791 copies of the 7c State Special Printing were sold, but it is not known how the stamps were taken from the sheets or if full sheets were exhausted before breaking a subsequent sheet. If full sheets were used, then only eight can possibly exist. Only six were recorded by Markovits (2004 Bennett sale). We are aware of five outside of public institutions--an example is in the Miller collection (on extended loan by The New York Public Library to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum). The others are ex Markovits, Sheriff, Golden, Rollin C. Huggins, Jr. and the example offered here.
With 2016 P.F. certificate (Image)
VERY FINE AND CHOICE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT STATE DEPARTMENT WITH THE "SEPCIMEN" SPELLING ERROR. ONE OF THE GREATEST RARITIES OF THE OFFICIAL ISSUES.
Only 346 copies of the 10c State Special Printing were sold, but it is not known how the stamps were taken from the sheets or if full sheets were exhausted before breaking a subsequent sheet. If full sheets were used, then only four can possibly exist. The Combs book does not record any, and the Miller collection, which has copies of most Official Special Printing rarities, does not contain one.
Ex Markovits. With 1937 R.P.S. and 1991 P.F. certificates. (Image)
VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THIS IS ONE OF TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE 12-CENT STATE DEPARTMENT WITH THE "SEPCIMEN" ERROR. A PHENOMENAL RARITY.
Only 280 copies of the 12c State Special Printing were sold, but it is not known how the stamps were taken from the sheets or if full sheets were exhausted before breaking a subsequent sheet. If full sheets were used, then only three can possibly exist. Only two were recorded by Markovits (2004 Bennett sale). Both are ex Lewenthal; the other is also ex Combs.
Ex Lewenthal, Sheriff and Markovits. Illustrated in Combs book on page 42. With 2004 P.F. certificate. (Image)
EXTREMELY FINE. THE FINER OF ONLY TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE 24-CENT STATE DEPARTMENT WITH THE "SEPCIMEN" ERROR. A PHENOMENAL RARITY.
Only 253 copies of the 24c State Special Printing were sold, but it is not known how the stamps were taken from the sheets or if full sheets were exhausted before breaking a subsequent sheet. If full sheets were used, then only three can possibly exist. Only two were recorded by Markovits (2004 Bennett sale). The other, ex Markovits, has perfs trimmed at top.
Ex Sheriff. (Image)
VERY FINE. THE FINER OF ONLY TWO RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE 30-CENT STATE DEPARTMENT WITH THE "SEPCIMEN" ERROR. A GREAT RARITY.
Only 249 copies of the 30c State Special Printing were sold, but it is not known how the stamps were taken from the sheets or if full sheets were exhausted before breaking a subsequent sheet. If full sheets were used, then only three can possibly exist. Only two were recorded by Markovits (2004 Bennett sale). The other, ex Sheriff, has perfs just in at right and is scissors-separated.
Ex Markovits. With 2004 P.F. certificate. (Image)
FINE. ONLY TWO EXAMPLES OF THE 90-CENT STATE DEPARTMENT WITH THE "SEPCIMEN" ERROR ARE RECORDED. A WONDERFUL RARITY.
Only 245 copies of the 90c State Special Printing were sold, but it is not known how the stamps were taken from the sheets or if full sheets were exhausted before breaking a subsequent sheet. If full sheets were used, then only three can possibly exist. Only two were recorded by Markovits (2004 Bennett sale), and we not know the whereabouts of the second copy. The Combs book did not record any sales.
Ex Stone, Sheriff and Markovits. With 2004 P.F. certificate (Image)