The Don David Price Iconic Collection of continued...

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FINE. A SCARCE SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE 30-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE ON DOUBLE PAPER WITHOUT GRILL.

The 30c 1869 Without Grill variety comes on two types of paper. The normal paper is classified as Scott 121a, and the Double Paper as a variety of Scott 121. This stamp has the shade, impression and centering of the Double Paper stamps, all of which come from one large multiple found more than 100 years ago.

With 1993 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 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 "Lafayette" and "Lake Shore". Scott value for eight singles $60,000.00 (Image)

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VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 30-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE WITHOUT GRILL.

This is the true Scott 121a, which is often confused with the Double Paper, Without Grill variety (offered in the previous two lots). The shade and impression are noticeably different between the two.

With 1975 and 1998 P.F. certificates (Image)

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VERY FINE. A SCARCE EXAMPLE OF THE 30-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE WITHOUT GRILL.

This stamp has the color and impression of the true Scott 121a variety, not the Double Paper/Without Grill.

With 1994 and 2005 P.F. certificates (Image)

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