2019 Rarities of the World continued...

EXTREMELY FINE. AN OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 30-CENT 1873 CONTINENTAL PRINTING. A SUPERB STAMP IN EVERY RESPECT.

When it comes to naming the most elusive Bank Note stamps in choice original-gum condition, the 30c 1873 is often overlooked. However, go to any serious collection and look for this stamp, and most of the time it is missing or represented by something that compromises quality. The 30c 1870 is frequently found filling the space for Scott 165. The 30c Continental is extremely rare in any original-gum condition that approaches this example. Blocks have always been rare -- for example, Caspary did not have one; Lilly had one well-centered block of four and an off-center block of six -- which means that singles could not be harvested from multiples. We hope that collectors who still have a tendency to overlook the 30c Continental will be awakened to its rarity in Extremely Fine original-gum condition by our comments and recent realizations.

Ex "Hampshire". With 2008 P.F. certificate (Image)

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FRESH AND FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE 1875 2-CENT CARMINE VERMILION CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY SPECIAL PRINTING. ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL BANK NOTE SPECIAL PRINTINGS. ONLY 24 ARE RECORDED IN OUR CENSUS.

Our census of Scott 180, available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/180 , records 24 examples of this rare Special Printing, one of which is in the Miller collection at The New York Public Library. Only about a dozen are confirmed as sound.

Census No. 180-UNC-12. "SA" manuscript initials (Spencer Anderson) and small "W.H.C." backstamp (Warren H. Colson). With 1993 and 2008 P.F. certificates (Image)

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VERY FINE AND CHOICE. ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF THE 5-CENT 1875 CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY HARD-PAPER SPECIAL PRINTING, SCOTT 181. THIS IS ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL UNITED STATES STAMPS. ONLY TEN EXAMPLES ARE RECORDED IN OUR CENSUS, INCLUDING ONE IN THE MILLER COLLECTION AT THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Our census of Scott 181, available at our website at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/181 , contains only ten examples, including one in the Miller collection owned by The New York Public Library, leaving nine available to collectors. One (number 8) was certified in 1952 and needs to be reexamined for condition and identification. Another (number 6) has a confirmed fault. Two have perforations touching the design at bottom (numbers 1 and 5). One other has perforations partly scissors-separated but intact (number 3). This leaves only four sound and well-centered examples available to collectors with intact perforations (numbers 2, 4, 7 and 9 -- the stamp offered here). For the condition-conscious collector this is a significant opportunity to add one of the rarest stamps in U.S. philately, without compromising on condition.

Census No. 181-UNC-09. Ex Caspary, Lilly, Cole, and Weisman. With 1992 P.S.E. certificate. With 1966 (issued for Lilly sale), 1988 (issued for Cole sale), 1998 (issued for Weisman sale) and 2008 P.F. certificates (Image)

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VERY FINE. A RARE SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE ONE-CENT 1880 AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY SPECIAL PRINTING. ONLY 26 ARE RECORDED IN OUR CENSUS. ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL CLASSIC UNITED STATES STAMPS.

Our census of Scott 192, available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/192 , contains a total of 26 copies. Of these, half or fewer are reported to be sound. The most typical faults are small thin spots due to the nature of the soft paper. Of the sound copies most are centered to the bottom. Based on soundness and margin width, this is one of the finest of the 26 total recorded.

Census No. 192-UNC-15. Ex Sinkler and "Concord" (Dr. Charles E. Test). Also from our 1981 Rarities sale as part of a complete set of American Bank Note Co. Special Printings. Signed Stern and with small "W.H.C." (Warren H. Colson) backstamp. With 1994 and 2008 P.F. certificates (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. APPROXIMATELY 41 EXAMPLES OF THE 90-CENT 1880 AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY SPECIAL PRINTING ARE KNOWN TO EXIST. THIS STAMP IS ONE OF THE FINEST EXTANT.

The 90c 1880 Special Printing on soft paper is notorious for its condition. Thins or more serious faults affect about half of the known examples and most have only Fine centering. In this stamp we have the rare combination of soundness, margins and centering, as well as extraordinary freshness.

Census No. 201-UNC-16 (unpublished). Ex McCarthy. With 2000 P.S.E. and 2001 P.F. certificates (Image)

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VERY FINE AND CHOICE. THE 2-CENT SCARLET VERMILION 1880 AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY SPECIAL PRINTING IS ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL BANK NOTE SPECIAL PRINTINGS. OUR CENSUS CONTAINS ONLY 20 EXAMPLES.

Our census of Scott 203, available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/203 , contains only 19 stamps which are available to collectors. The 20th copy is in the Miller collection at The New York Public Library. Of the 20 recorded, six have faults or have not been examined in recent years to determine soundness.

Census No. 203-UNC-12. Ex Engel and Klein. With 1959, 1993 and 2008 P.F. certificates. Small "W.H.C." backstamp (Warren H. Colson ) (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE 5-CENT 1880 AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY SPECIAL PRINTING. ONLY 18 ARE RECORDED IN OUR CENSUS.

The 5c 1880 Special Printing on soft paper is one of the most elusive of all the Bank Note Special printings. Our census of Scott 204 is available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/204 . We record only 18 copies of this stamp, including one example in the Miller collection at The New York Public Library. About one-third of the known stamps have minor faults. Combining soundness and centering, this is one of the few finest.

Census No. 204-UNC-12. Ex West and "Concord" (Dr. Charles E. Test). Illustrated in Brookman on p. 213. With 1994 and 2008 P.F. certificates (XF 90). By way of comparison, the P.S.E. Population Report lists only two graded Scott 204's -- one at 75 and the other the incomparable 98J last offered in our 2012 Rarities sale (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF THE FINEST KNOWN EXAMPLES OF THE RARE 4-CENT AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY SPECIAL PRINTING. ONLY 26 ARE RECORDED IN OUR CENSUS.

Our census of the 4c 1883 Special Printing, available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/211D , contains 26 stamps offered as No. 211D, of which 25 have been certified by The Philatelic Foundation. Post Office Department records indicate that only 26 were sold. Of the known copies, at least six have small faults and several others have not been examined for condition in many years. This sound centered copy is particularly desirable.

Census No. 211D-UNC-24. Ex Caspary, as the top right stamp in the block of four. The block was broken shortly after the 1956 Caspary sale. Ex Clifford Cole and Zoellner. With 1957, 1998 and 2008 P.F. certificates (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS MAGNIFICENT MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 1888 5-CENT AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY ISSUE IS GRADED SUPERB 98 JUMBO BY P.S.E. -- NO OTHER EXAMPLE GRADES ABOVE 95.

The 5c Garfield was first issued in 1882 in shades of Brown. When the colors were changed in 1888, the 5c was released in a beautiful Indigo shade. Although unused copies are by no means scarce, Mint N.H. examples are scarce and higher grades in Mint N.H. condition are exceedingly rare. For the collector assembling a Superb Mint N.H. set of the 1888 American Bank Note Issue, the stamp offered here is a key component.

With 2013 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98 Jumbo; SMQ $12,500.00). This is the highest grade awarded by far. The next highest is a 95, which is shared by five stamps. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SPECTACULAR ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 6-CENT 1890 ISSUE, GRADED GEM 100 JUMBO BY P.S.E. -- THIS IS THE HIGHEST GRADE POSSIBLE AND NONE SHARE IT.

With 2018 P.S.E. certificate (OGph, Gem 100 Jumbo; unpriced in SMQ above the grade of 100, SMQ $2,400.00 as 100). This is the highest grade possible on the grading chart and none share it. (Image)

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