United States Stamps continued...

VERY GOOD. AN EXTREMELY RARE BLOCK OF NINE OF THE 12-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE. ESPECIALLY SCARCE WITH THE IMPRINT SELVAGE. THIS IS THE SECOND-LARGEST UNUSED MULTIPLE AND THE ONLY RECORDED IMPRINT BLOCK.

The Rose book notes only six unused blocks larger than four stamps, including off-center blocks of twelve and nine and three blocks of six. We sold another block of nine in our 2013 Rarities sale that is not listed in Rose. All but one of the blocks of six or larger are off center to varying degrees. The block offered here is the only one showing any part of the imprint (there are no blocks showing a plate number).

Scott Retail as a block of four, two pairs and a single (Image)

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FINE APPEARANCE. A FRESH AND ATTRACTIVE USED EXAMPLE OF THE 15-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL INVERT. ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE WITH THE STAR FANCY CANCEL.

Our census of Scott 119b, available at our website at http://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/119b , records three unused and 100 used copies (there are an additional three used examples of Scott 119c). Two of the used copies are in institutions -- the Tapling Collection at the British Library and the Miller Collection at The New York Public Library.

Census No. 119b-CAN-42. With 1973 and 2010 P.F. certificates (Image)

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FINE. A RARE SOUND USED BLOCK OF FOUR OF THE 24-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE. ONLY SIX USED BLOCKS ARE RECORDED.

The six recorded used blocks of the 24c 1869, excluding the unique Invert block, are listed here (identified by last known pedigree): 1) ex Rose, VF centering, fancy circle of V's cancel neatly struck on each stamp, minor wrinkling causing light creasing, top right stamp small margin tear, offered in Siegel Sale 794; 2) ex Bechtel and Dr. Heimburger (Siegel Sale 1054, lot 444), EF centering, circular cork cancels over each vignette; 3) ex Ishikawa, Eubanks and Curtis (Siegel Sale 1084, lot 3339), VF centering, circle of wedges cancel, left stamps few small tears; 4) ex Anderson, Fine centering to top right, circle of wedges cancel; 5) ex Klein, Fine centering to left, quartered cork cancels, light corner crease at bottom right and several rejoined perfs; and 6) ex Lopez and our 1965, 1992 and 2001 Rarities sales, perfs cutting in at right, cork cancels, the block offered here.

Ex Lopez and Price. With 1990 P.F. certificate (Image)

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ONE OF TWO RECORDED TOP SHEET-MARGIN BLOCKS OF THE 30-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL WITHOUT GRILL ON DOUBLE PAPER (SCOTT 121 VARIETY), PRINTED FROM A FLAGS PLATE (ULTRAMARINE COLOR) THAT WAS MISSING THE PLATE NUMBER "21" AT TOP.

The 30c 1869 Pictorial Issue was printed from separate plates: the Eagle and Shield plate with imprint at bottom (in Carmine), and the Draped Flags plate with imprint at top (in Ultramarine). The 30c 1869 Double Paper/Without Grill variety exists in top and bottom imprint multiples, which show that the Flags plate did not have a plate number at one point (as evident in this block); however, plate proofs exist with the "No. 21" present, so it is possible that issued stamps exist with the plate number at top in Ultramarine. No top-margin examples of the normal 30c 1869 are known, with or without imprint or plate number. Therefore, it is impossible to say with certainty that the regular 30c stamps were printed from a Flags plate with plate numbers or without.

This block, three other sheet-margin blocks and a number of singles and interior blocks originate from a large multiple spanning the right and left panes, which is printed on experimental double paper without grill. The 30c 1869 Without Grill/Double Paper block was described by John N. Luff in his book, but over the years, stamps from this multiple have been offered and certified as the Scott 121a on ordinary single-layer paper (without grill). The ex-Zoellner left-pane plate number block of six was originally joined with the ex-Ishikawa block of fifteen from the adjacent right pane. They are both the Without Grill/Double Paper variety. Those two bottom sheet-margin multiples and the Scott 121 multiple in Sale 1118 lot 98 are the only extant 30c 1869 Pictorial blocks, other than proof impressions, that show the imprint and plate number 21. The two top sheet-margin multiples, including the block offered here, come from the same Without Grill/Double Paper sheet (left and right panes), proving that this experimental printing was made from a Flags plate lacking the plate number. See Chronicle 217 for an article by Scott R. Trepel on this subject.

With 2003 P.F. certificate identifying this as "Scott 121E, Essay on Double Paper" before there was a Scott listing for this variety (now listed under Scott 121). Ex Walske, "Lake Shore" and Price. Scott Retail for eight original gum singles $56,000.00 (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE GEM APPEARANCE. A STUNNING USED EXAMPLE OF THE 90-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE, GRADED SUPERB 98 JUMBO BY P.S.E.

A missing 1997 P.F. certificate stated "small corner creases" and their 2019 update maintained part of this opinion, stating a single "faint corner crease at top left". If the faint crease is there it is all but undetectable and is not noted on the 2008 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98 Jumbo; SMQ $29,000.00). (Image)

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