The Scarsdale Collection, Part One continued...

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS IS THE ONLY EXAMPLE OF SCOTT 305 TO RECEIVE THE GRADE OF 95 JUMBO FROM PROFESSIONAL STAMP EXPERTS -- THE ULTIMATE GRADE AWARDED TO DATE.

With 1999 P.F. certificate. With 2004 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95 Jumbo, SMQ $1,250.00 as 95, $3,050.00 as 98 even though none have been graded 98 thus far). (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A MAGNIFICENT MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 15-CENT 1902 ISSUE. THIS IS THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED TO ANY 15-CENT 1902 BY P.S.E., AND THIS STAMP IS THE ONLY 95 JUMBO.

An example graded 90 Jumbo realized $2,600 hammer in our sale of the North Fork collection (Sale 903).

Ex Morris. With 1992 and 2000 P.F. certificates. With 2004 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95 Jumbo, SMQ $3,000.00 as 95, $6,600.00 as 98 even though none have been graded 98 thus far) (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 50-CENT 1902 ISSUE. THIS STAMP HAS THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED TO ANY SCOTT 310 BY PROFESSIONAL STAMP EXPERTS.

The 1902-03 Regular Issue was a great improvement over the Bureau's first efforts in 1894 and 1895. Perforations tend to be cleaner, and centering better, but the large plate layout and perforating method still resulted in a large number of poorly centered stamps. Furthermore, stamps issued in choice condition seldom stayed that way, because the boom in stamp collecting that began with the Roosevelt administration caused hordes of hinge-bearing philatelists to mount stamps over and over again. For this reason, today's collectors have grown accustomed to paying many multiples of Scott value for Extremely Fine stamps in Mint Never-Hinged state. Anyone who has pursued this set can testify that the 50c is rarely encountered in such condition. The 50c 1902 offered here probably ranks among the five highest-quality examples in existence.

With 1998 P.F. certificate. With 2004 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95, SMQ $9,250.00) (Image)