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EXTREMELY FINE. THE FINEST OF THE FEW KNOWN IMPERFORATE 2-CENT BLACK JACK STAMPS.
The 1861 Imperforates with manuscript "X" cancels are generally considered to be presentation copies. All are rare, and there are fewer than five known of the 2c Black Jack. This part imprint copy is the finest known example of the 2c.
Ex Metzger. With 1973 and 1988 P.F. certificates (Image)
Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com
VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A CHOICE AND EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 1863 2-CENT BLACK JACK PRINTED ON BOTH SIDES. ONLY FOUR USED AND ONE UNUSED ARE RECORDED. THIS IS ONE OF THE TWO MOST VISUALLY APPEALING PRINTED-ON-BOTH-SIDES VARIETIES OF THAT SMALL POPULATION -- WITH A STRONG IMPRESSION ON BACK SHOWING MOST OF THE FULL BLACK JACK DESIGN.
Engraved stamps printed on both sides usually have a poor impression on one side and a second, complete impression on the other. They probably occurred when a sheet was printed without proper moistening, which prevented the paper from picking up the ink in the recessed lines of the engraved plate.
The 2c Black printed-on-both-sides stamps are known with the orientation of the back impression the same or inverted in relation to the design on the front, which indicates more than one sheet was printed. The inverted impression on back is a result of the sheet being turned 180 degrees before it was put on the press the second time.
Our census of the 2c Black Jack printed on both sides, available at our website at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/73f , records four used and one unused example of this rarity. The stamp offered here is one of the two strongest impressions on back of any known (the other is the ex Metzger and "Natalee Grace" copy, which shows a quartered impression of four designs).
Census No. 73f-CAN-04. (Image)
FINE APPEARANCE. THE 2-CENT ON LAID PAPER IS ONE OF THE RAREST BLACK JACK VARIETIES. ONLY FIVE COPIES ARE CONTAINED IN OUR RECORDS.
The 2c Black Jack on laid paper is one of the rarest production varieties (as opposed to a plate variety). The other rare Scott-listed variety is printed on both sides. Our census of this variety, available at our website at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/73g , records just five used copies and no unused.
Census No. 73g-CAN-05. (Image)
FINE. ONE OF THE FINEST IF NOT THE FINEST KNOWN EXAMPLE OF THE RARE ATHERTON SHIFT -- THE MOST PRONOUNCED DOUBLE TRANSFER OF THE BLACK JACK ISSUE.
According to the Allen book, the Atherton shift got its name from Stanley Ashbrook, who first discovered it in the summer of 1923 in the collection of J. P. Atherton. Concerning this double transfer, Mr. Ashbrook wrote: "Here we have one of the most remarkable double transfers on U. S. stamps that I have ever seen. I have for years classed the One Cent 1851, Type II, 89R2, as the No. 1 among remarkable examples of this variety and in my opinion this 2c Black Jack could well rank as No. 2. Perhaps some would even rank it equal to the 1c..." He stated further that it was his opinion, supported by other authorities whom he had consulted, that the variety must surely have come from an early or first condition of one of the plates, and that later it had been burnished out and a fresh entry made. The fact that every line in the Atherton Shift "is razor sharp" led him to conclude that the plate from which it came was very new.
Ex Mackey and Sheriff (Siegel Sale 655), where it was described as the finest known example. With 1986 P.F. certificate (Image)
FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE ON-COVER EXAMPLE OF THE ATHERTON SHIFT -- THE MOST PRONOUNCED DOUBLE TRANSFER OF THE BLACK JACK ISSUE.
According to the Allen book, the Atherton shift got its name from Stanley B. Ashbrook, who first discovered it in the summer of 1923 in the collection of H. P. Atherton. Concerning this double transfer, Mr. Ashbrook wrote: "Here we have one of the most remarkable double transfers on U. S. stamps that I have ever seen. I have for years classed the One Cent 1851, Type II, 89R2, as the No. 1 among remarkable examples of this variety and in my opinion this 2c Black Jack could well rank as No. 2. Perhaps some would even rank it equal to the 1c..." He stated further that it was his opinion, supported by other authorities whom he had consulted, that the variety must surely have come from an early or first condition of one of the plates, and that later it had been burnished out and a fresh entry made. The fact that every line in the Atherton Shift "is razor sharp" led him to conclude that the plate from which it came was very new.
Ex Russo, Col. McClellan and Dr. Rorke. With 1980 P.F. certificate (Image)
VERY FINE. THE ONLY RECORDED ON-COVER EXAMPLE OF THE RARE BLACK JACK "PRESTON SHIFT." VERY FEW ARE KNOWN IN ANY FORMAT AND THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT.
Little has been written about the Preston Shift -- a search of the Chronicle database turned up nothing. The best source is the Allen Black Jack book (p. 125), which states the "shift" was originally noted by Marvin Preston of Ferndale, Michigan. In a letter to J. David Baker, columnist for Stamps, Preston explained: "I was amazed, while perusing a dealer's stock in 1951, to discover this outstanding major double transfer."
In 1953 Stanley B. Ashbrook wrote "This is a double transfer of the 'Black Jack' which is very rare in my opinion. It is the only copy that I have ever been able to find and is evidently much scarcer variety than the well-known 'Atherton Shift.' I communicated with a number of the leading students of this stamp thru-out the country and none of them had ever seen a copy of this variety. The following were consulted: H. P. Atherton, Anthony Russo, the late Ignatz Reiner, W. H. Kiefaber and Maurice Cole, author of a book on the stamp. These as well as a number of prominent dealers. It does seem strange that none of the above had ever seen a duplicate of this stamp."
The Allen collection contained the discovery single, which was perforated on all sides and with perfs strongly cutting into the design at top. This cover was also in the Allen collection but went unrecognized as the Preston Shift. None were offered in the Dr. Rorke sale. Richard Drews showed a used single with straight edge at left in a talk at the Collectors Club in 2010. Barbara Fosdyke-Ray owned a used single with perfs strongly cutting into the design at bottom and straight edge at left, as well as this cover. We offered an original-gum block of four containing the variety in our 2016 Rarities of the World sale.
Ex Allen (illustrated on p. 87 of Lane book without attribution as the shift), Metzger and Fosdyke-Ray. With 2002 P.F. certificate (Image)