The Nick Kirke Collection of Gem-Quality Used U.S. Stamps continued...

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 PERFORATED ONE-CENT TYPE I. VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND IN THIS CHOICE CENTERED CONDITION.

The perforated Type I stamps were produced from C Relief positions on Plate 12. Almost all of the C Relief positions have complete designs at the top and bottom. Position 56L12 is a Quasi-Type Ia” with complete bottom plumes, but the top of the design is incomplete. This stamp has complete plumes at bottom, yet the top right is almost completely missing. Dick Celler has identified this stamp as coming from Position 88R12, but other examples of this position show the top right fully engraved.

With 2005 P.F. and 2006 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95, SMQ $5,900.00). This is the highest grade awarded. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. A SUPERB USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 ONE-CENT PERFORATED TYPE Ia. THIS IS ONE OF THE SCARCEST AND MOST DESIRABLE TYPES OF THE ISSUE.

Type Ia stamps were produced from 18 of the 20 bottom-row positions on Plate 4. After perforations were introduced in mid-1857, sheets on hand printed from Plates 1 Late and 2 were fed through the new perforating machine, but the narrow spacing between stamps made perforating difficult to accomplish without cutting into the designs. Plate 4 was produced in early 1857 when the introduction of perforations was anticipated, thus, it was entered from a new six-relief transfer roll, and the spaces between stamps were enlarged to allow for perforations. Some Plate 4 sheets were issued in imperforate form (April to June 1857), while the greater portion was issued perforated beginning in July 1857, along with perforated sheets from Plates 1L and 2.

Plate 4's most distinctive feature is that the top row (Positions 1-10L and 1-10R) was entered with the designs complete at top (Type II) and the bottom row (Positions 91-100L and 91-100R) was entered with designs complete or nearly complete at bottom (Types Ia and Ic). Although the plate layout provided sufficient space for perforations, the height of the top-row and bottom-row designs was larger than others in the sheet, which resulted in perforations cutting into either the top or bottom rows, depending on which direction the sheet was fed into the perforator. Type Ia and Ic stamps from the bottom row are almost always cut into at bottom, an unfortunate situation for collectors because the bottom part of the design is what makes Type Ia and Ic stamps desirable.

Illustrated in Neinken book on p. 280. With 2008 P.F. and P.S.E. certificates (XF 90, SMQ $37,800.00). Only three have graded higher, and only two have equaled this grade (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE GEM. THE 1857 ONE-CENT TYPE II IS A SURPRISINGLY DIFFICULT STAMP TO FIND IN SUPERB USED CONDITION.

With 1980 P.F. and 2004 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95, SMQ $2,700.00). A review of the P.S.E. Population statistics for the 1c 1857 perforated types reveals a startling fact. For stamps in the grade of 95, Type I (Scott 18) has seven examples, the rare Type Ia (Scott 19) has two plus a 98J, Type III (Scott 21) has nine examples, Type IIIa (Scott 22) has twelve and Type IV (Scott 23) has three. Type II is regarded as the most common of the perforated 1c stamps prior to Scott 24, yet the P.S.E. Population statistics show only two used examples grading 95, with none higher -- this despite more submissions of used Type II's than any other 1c stamp except Type IIIa and the common Type V. Each of the other scarcer types, including Type Ia has more examples graded 95 or better. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 ONE-CENT TYPE III, WHICH HAS BEEN GRADED XF-SUPERB 95 BY P.S.E.

Due to the narrow vertical spacing on this plate, stamps are most typically found with the perforations impinging on a portion of the design. The example offered here is centered so that the breaks in both the bottom and top lines are clearly visible.

With 1994 P.F. and 2005 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95, SMQ $10,000.00). None has graded higher. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A STRIKINGLY BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF THE PERFORATED 1857 ONE-CENT TYPE IIIa IN THE FINEST CONDITION ATTAINABLE.

With 2001 and 2007 P.F. certificates (XF-Superb 95). With 2007 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95 Jumbo, SMQ $3,500.00 as 95, unpriced as 98). This is the highest grade awarded and only one other shares this grade, which was offered in our sale of the Natalee Grace collection (Sale 1024, lot 58) (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 ONE-CENT PERFORATED TYPE IV WHICH HAS BEEN GRADED XF-SUPERB 95 BY P.S.E. THIS IS THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED.

Most examples of this issue have perforations either touching or cutting into the recut lines. The example offered here, with intact recut lines at top and bottom, is the rare exception to that rule.

With 2010 P.F. and 2006 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95, SMQ $7,000.00). This is the highest grade awarded and it is shared by only two others, a population which has been unchanged for three years. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SPECTACULAR USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 ONE-CENT PERFORATED TYPE V, GRADED SUPERB 98 JUMBO BY P.S.E. THIS IS THE WIDEST-MARGINED EXAMPLE WE HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED AND THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED.

Wide side margins are the norm for 1c Type V stamps printed from Plates 5 and 7 to 10, but the enormous and balanced top and bottom margins on this example are extremely unusual. The stamp was printed from Plate 7, one of the first of the Type V plates and one that produced sharp clear impressions. A few bottom-row stamps from Plates 5 and 7 show wide-spaced horizontal perforations, comparable to the wide-spaced stamps from Plate 4.

Ex Wagshal. With 2011 P.F. and P.S.E. certificates (Superb 98 Jumbo, unpriced in SMQ above the grade of 98, SMQ $2,500.00 as 98). This stamp stands alone as the highest grade awarded for a Scott 24 in either used or unused condition (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 PERFORATED 3-CENT TYPE I WHICH HAS BEEN GRADED SUPERB 98 BY P.S.E. THIS IS THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED.

With 2010 P.F. and 2002 P.S.E. certificates (Superb 98, SMQ $4,750.00 for Rose shade). As an indication of the difficulty of finding this issue with centering and margins that qualify as truly Superb, it has been a full ten years since this stamp was graded by P.S.E. and not a single additional example has achieved a 98, which remains the highest grade awarded (Image)

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