2013 Rarities of the World continued...

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE STRIP OF THREE OF THE 1857 ONE-CENT TYPE Ia, WITH WIDE INTERPANE MARGIN AND ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE USED ON COVER. ONE OF THE RAREST AND MOST OUTSTANDING MULTIPLES FROM PLATE FOUR.

Type Ia, imperforate and perforated, only comes from 18 of the 20 positions in the bottom rows of the right and left panes of Plate 4. The 3c rate was a common rate and was often paid using horizontal strips of three of the 1c stamp. However, multiples from the bottom row of Plate 4 are extremely rare, both on and off cover. We doubt that more than two other strips on cover exist. The strip offered here is especially desirable as it has the interpane margin at right.

Ex Neinken and Wagshal. With 2011 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail $32,500.00 as a strip off cover. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE PERFORATED ONE-CENT TYPE II IN THE FRESHEST STATE OF PRESERVATION. A BEAUTIFUL STAMP IN EVERY RESPECT.

When perforations were introduced in 1857, the plates used to print stamps at Toppan, Carpenter & Co. were laid out with narrow spaces between the subjects, because no thought had been given to the concept of perforation holes between the stamps. The imperforate sheets of 1c stamps on hand were printed from Plates 1 Late, 2 and 4, and the perforations on those stamps rarely clear the design all around. We have offered only four other unduplicated Mint N.H. examples of the perforated Ty. II in nearly 20 years.

With 1990, 2002 and 2012 P.F. certificates (VF-XF 85). Scott Retail as hinged (Image)

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VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE PERFORATED ONE-CENT 1857 ISSUE FROM POSITION 99R2. THIS POSITION FURNISHED THE BEST EXAMPLES OF TYPE III.

Plate 2 was made in late 1855, and consists of 198 stamps that are Type II, one position that is Type III (99R2) and one that is Type IIIA (100R2).

Guide dots were used to accurately lay out the subjects on the plate. Positions 79 and 89 were transferred perfectly using their guide dots. However, the guide dot to the south-east of Position 88R2, which was used to align the single B Relief for Position 99R2, was placed far out of line, resulting in the bottom part of the A Relief being transferred into the bottom part of Position 89 (and in the margin below this position) by mistake. When the fresh entry was made in Position 99R a full transfer of the design was not possible without running into the error in Position 89R. The position was therefore short transferred at top, and apparently also at bottom, creating the finest example of Type III found on any plate (see pp. 183-184 of Neinken book).

Plate 2 stamps were issued imperforate from December 1855 through June 1857. Beginning in July 1857 stamps from Plates 1 Late, 2 and 4 were issued with perforations, and Plates 2 and 4 continued to produce stamps through late 1857. Plate 2 stamps are rarer perforated than in imperforate form, conversely, Plate 4 stamps are rarer imperforate than in perforated form. Perforated 99R2 stamps are of extreme rarity.

Our census, which incorporates the records of noted student Jerome S. Wagshal, the Philatelic Foundation, the Levi records and our own work, is available at our website at http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/21/21.pdf . Only one unused example is known, in a block. Twelve used singles are recorded, as are three on covers and two in strips, for a total of 18 known in any form. Virtually all have faults or are very off-center -- only three off-cover singles and one on cover are confirmed as sound and not all have decent centering.

Ex Sheriff. With 1986 and 2011 P.F. certificates. (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. -- PARTICULARLY DESIRABLE WITH THE RED CARRIER DATESTAMP.

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 type characteristics are clearly visible.

With 2011 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95, SMQ $9,300.00). This is the highest grade awarded. (Image)

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VERY FINE. THIS IS THE EARLIEST DOCUMENTED USE OF A GOVERNMENT PERFORATED STAMP IN THE UNITED STATES. ONLY THREE ARE RECORDED WITH THE FEBRUARY 28, 1857, DATE -- TWO FROM NEW YORK AND THIS ONE COVER FROM PHILADELPHIA.

The first experimentally perforated stamps were delivered to the U.S. government on February 24, 1857. Seven cities were chosen for distribution. According to the North American and United States Gazette of February 27, "...Ninety thousand were ordered for the cities of Philadelphia and New York, and thirty thousand for New Orleans and other cities of the South and West." The earliest documented use of a perforated stamp is February 28, 1857, based on two covers from New York and the Philadelphia cover offered here. The experimental period continued until June 10, 1857, when the original six-year contract with Toppan, Carpenter expired. It was renewed on April 8, 1857, effective June 10, from which point all stamps were perforated as mandated by the new contract terms.

With 1995 A.P.S. certificate stating "used on first day cover, February 28, 1857, Philadelphia, Pa." Also with 1936 letter from Stanley B. Ashbrook to L. J. Shaughnessy, regarding this cover. Ex Hulme. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF THE MOST FANCIFUL AND CELEBRATED OF ALL LINCOLN DESIGNS, COMBINING PATRIOTIC SENTIMENT WITH A CONTEMPORARY REAL-WORLD ASTRONOMICAL EVENT. THIS IS ALMOST CERTAINLY THE FINEST OF THE FEW EXAMPLES EXTANT.

The rare "Comet of 1861" design is a wonderful combination of patriotic sentiment on the meteoric rise of our nation's 16th President, who had been relatively unknown before the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates, and the real-world "Great Comet" of 1861. The 1861 comet was one of the brightest of the 19th century, visible to the naked eye for approximately three months, from June to August in the Northern Hemisphere, and by telescope for many months after. As such it was categorized as a "Great Comet", which generally means appearing once or less a decade. On the Fourth of July 1861, a soldier from the Second Wisconsin wrote about the comet, We have been visited for a week past by a very large comet which at full day appears very bright and transparent, late at night the tail stretched nearly to the Zenith while the star was near the horizon." (http://civilwarwisconsin.com/campfire-stories/46-great-comet-of-1861.html). Popular media used the comet as a symbol for events then unfolding, especially the impending Civil War. It appears in several political cartoons of the period, but we believe none are as beautiful or apropos as the Lincoln design on this cover.

Ex Waud and Jarrett. With 2009 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE STRIKE OF THE RARE "ST" IN STAR FANCY CANCEL ON A TRIANGULAR-SHAPED FOLDED LETTER. A WONDERFUL EXHIBITION ITEM AND BELIEVED TO BE THE ONLY RECORDED COVER WITH THIS MARKING.

The Texas was a vessel of the Southern Steamship Company, which foundered in 1860 at Galveston. Another marking with a hollow star and "Steam Ship Texas" in circle is known used in April 1858 (illustrated in the Feldman book, p. 289). The more primitive "ST" Star cancel was probably used for a brief period of time prior to 1858.

Ex "Artemis". With 2011 P.F. certificate (Image)

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FRESH AND VERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF THE "OLD STAMPS NOT RECOGNIZED" HANDSTAMP WHICH IS RARELY FOUND TYING THE STAMP.

Philadelphia was one of the first post offices to receive the new 1861 stamps, and so the 1857 Issue and old-style embossed envelopes were demonetized by that post office earlier than at many others. The new 1861 Issue embossed envelopes were announced as available on August 8, with a five-day exchange period expiring on August 13. The new 1861 Issue adhesive stamps were announced as available on August 19, with a six-day exchange period expiring on August 25. (Source: Elliott Perry, Pat Paragraphs reprint, pp. 97, 140-141). (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A REMARKABLE STAMP AND ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED USED EXAMPLES OF THIS RARE PERFORATION ERROR. ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE SHOWING THE IMPRINT AND PLATE NUMBER.

The only other used example of Scott 26b we record is on cover, without imprint or plate no. There is also a horizontal unused pair from the Wagshal collection (sale 996, lot 3223)

Ex Piller and Hulme. With 1974 and 2009 P.F. certificates. Unpriced as used in Scott. Scott Retail as unused pair is $14,000.00 (Image)

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VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE MINT NEVER-HINGED BLOCK OF THE 1857 3-CENT PERFORATED TYPE IV. THIS IS THE FIRST WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED.

A review using Power Search failed to find even a single Ty. IV in Mint N.H. condition and only seven blocks of four or larger of the much more common Ty. III (26).

Ex Wagshal. With 2010 P.F. certificate. Unpriced in Scott as Mint N.H. Scott Retail as hinged block of four (Image)

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VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE ORIGINAL-GUM STRIP OF FOUR OF THE 1857 5-CENT BROWN. THE LARGEST RECORDED UNUSED MULTIPLE OF THIS ISSUE IS A MULTIPLE OF FOUR (BLOCK OR STRIP). A FANTASTIC SHOWPIECE.

The largest recorded unused multiple of Scott 29 is one containing four stamps. Three blocks of four are known -- the most recent was offered in our 2009 Whitman sale and realized $125,000 hammer. Perhaps two or three strips of four are also known.

Ex Caspary. Scott Retail as strip of three and single. (Image)

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