The Curtis Collection: 1847-1901 Issues continued...

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 PERFORATED ONE-CENT TYPE Ia.

Type Ia was produced by only 18 of the 20 bottom-row positions on Plate 4. Although Plate 4 was designed with sufficient space to accommodate perforations, the height of the top row and bottom row positions resulted in the perforations often cutting into the design at either top or bottom. For this reason, stamps from the bottom row of Plate 4 with perforations clear of the design are especially desirable, since the characteristics of the type is complete (Type Ia) or nearly complete (Type Ic) at bottom. The stamp offered here is one of the few well-centered examples with original gum, and its intense color and impression make it one of the most beautiful original-gum copies we have ever seen.

With copy of 1978 P.F. certificate. With 2007 P.S.E. certificate (Image)

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FINE AND SCARCE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE PERFORATED 1857 ONE-CENT TYPE III.

With 1976 P.F. certificate for combination pair of Ty. III/IIIa, this the top stamp (Image)

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VERY FINE AND CHOICE UNUSED EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 TYPE IV PERFORATED ISSUE.

Ex Beals. With 1977 and 1988 P.F. certificates (Image)

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VERY FINE AND CHOICE. THE 1857 PERFORATED 3-CENT TYPE I IS RARELY FOUND IN CENTERED ORIGINAL-GUM CONDITION.

This stamp is extremely difficult to obtain with superior margins and centering, due to the narrow spacing on the plate, which was laid out prior to the introduction of perforations in 1857. Finding such an example in unused condition with original gum adds considerably to the difficulty. Even superb copies will show perforations impinging on at least one frameline.

With 1989 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE SOUND ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 5-CENT BRICK RED SHADE -- IN OUR OPINION, THE BRICK RED IS ONE OF THE RAREST STAMPS OF THE CLASSIC PERIOD IN SOUND CONDITION WITH ORIGINAL GUM.

Many collectors know this issue by type and shade, but fewer are aware of the order of production (or release). This state of confusion is partly due to the Scott Catalogue. The distinctive Brick Red shade of the 5c 1857 Issue comes first in the series of Scott-listed perforated 5c issues, but its true release date comes later in the sequence.

Based on dated covers, the 5c Type I shades were released in the following order: 1) Red Brown, Scott 28, EDU 8/23/1857; 2) Indian Red, Scott 28A, EDU 3/31/1858; 3) Brick Red, Scott 27, EDU 10/6/1858; 4) Brown, Scott 29, EDU 3/21/1859, almost certainly the last printing from the first 5c plate. The second 5c plate was made from a new six-relief transfer roll with the design projections cut away at top and bottom, to varying degrees. The Type II Brown was issued first (Scott 30A, EDU 5/4/1860), and the Orange Brown printing from the same plate followed about one year later (Scott 30, EDU 5/8/1861).

After surveying dozens of classic United States sale catalogues, we found approximately twenty stamps with original gum, allowing for duplicate offerings and excluding the one known original-gum block. Of the stamps we counted, about half had perfs touching on two sides or were deeply cut into on one side. Almost two-thirds had stains or small faults.

Ex Hoffman. With 1980 and 2006 P.F. certificates (Image)

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FINE APPEARING AND RARE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 5-CENT RED BROWN.

The perforated 5c 1856” Red Brown (Scott 28) stamps were made from the stock of imperforate stamps on hand in 1857 when perforations were introduced. The 1858 printing, the first after perforations were introduced, was in the Bright Red Brown and Indian Red shades. The perforated 5c Type I stamps in any shade of Red Brown are very rare in unused or original-gum condition. In the past thirteen years we have offered over 200,000 auction lots of primarily U.S. stamps. During that time, we have sold only two other Scott 28 singles with original gum and the block of four in the Whitman sale. In our opinion, the Scott Catalogue value for Scott 28 with original gum is too low. The number of original-gum Scott 28 singles falls somewhere between the numbers for the Brick Red (Scott 27) and the Indian Red (Scott 28A), which catalogue $80,000.00 and $175,000.00, respectively.

Ex Geisler. With 1984 P.F. and 2007 P.S.E. certificates (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE UNUSED EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 5-CENT INDIAN RED.

Our search of old auction catalogues and the records of The Philatelic Foundation and P.S.E. yielded only eleven unused examples of Scott 28A. Of these, the majority are without gum (Scott Retail for original gum is $175,000.00)

With 2001 P.F. and P.S.E. certificates (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARING ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1859 5-CENT TYPE I BROWN.

With 1997 P.F. certificate (Image)

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