2017 Rarities of the World continued...

FINE. A LOVELY EXAMPLE OF THE RARE ONE-CENT 1861 FIRST DESIGN. ONLY 24 ARE AVAILABLE TO COLLECTORS.

Our census of Scott 55, available at our website at: http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/55/55.pdf , contains a total of 26 examples of this stamp, including three with target cancels. Of these, one is in The New York Public Library collection. Of the 22 unused available to collectors, nine have no gum and thirteen have gum. Approximately half are defective to some degree.

Census No. 55-UNC-02. Ex Hewitt and Simon. With 1955 and 1982 P.F. certificates (Image)

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VERY FINE. AN ATTRACTIVE AND RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 1861 5-CENT FIRST DESIGN. ONLY 36 EXAMPLES ARE KNOWN.

Our census of Scott 57, available at our website at http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/57/57.pdf , contains a total of 36 copies of this rarity. Of these, one is in The New York Public Library collection. Of the 35 thought to be available to collectors, two are cancelled, 18 have no gum, five have part original gum and ten have full (or nearly full) original gum. Approximately half the full or part original gum stamps in private hands have faults.

Census No. 57-UNC-17. With 1973 P.F. certificate. From our 1978 Rarities Sale (Image)

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FINE APPEARANCE. ONLY SIXTEEN EXAMPLES OF THE 12-CENT 1861 FIRST DESIGN ARE RECORDED. ONE OF THE GREAT RARITIES OF THE 1861 ISSUE AND THE RAREST OF THE FIRST DESIGNS AND FIRST COLORS.

The 12c is the rarest of the 1861 First Designs and Colors, with a total of 16 examples recorded, including one in the Miller collection at The New York Public Library. Our census of the 12c 1861 First Design, available at http://www.siegelauctions.com/enc/census/59.pdf , contains only four sound copies (three have original gum).

Census No. 59-UNC-13. Ex Lutwak, Lessin and Curtis. With 1976, 2002 and 2013 P.F. certificates (Image)

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FINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 30-CENT 1861 FIRST COLOR.

Our census of the 30c 1861 First Color, available at http://siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/61/61.pdf , contains a total of 33 examples, including one in the Miller collection at The New York Public Library. A characteristic common to most examples of the 30c 1861 First Color is creasing, which in some cases is very severe and in others barely visible. Most stamps are centered to one side.

Census No. 61-OG-25. Ex "Isleham" (Peyton). With 1986 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE 1861 90-CENT FIRST DESIGN. THIS IS THE SECOND RAREST STAMP OF THE 1861 FIRST DESIGNS AND COLORS.

Our census of the 1861 First Designs and Colors, available at http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/62/62.pdf , contains 22 examples of Scott 62, including one copy in the Miller collection at The New York Public Library and another copy certified as a privately-perforated No. 62a which comes from a set in the Col. Green sale that was signed by John Luff (we believe this stamp to be genuine). Another has been certified as genuine with a trial cancel.

Census No. 62-UNC-21. Ex Col. Green. With 2012 P.F. certificate (Image)

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