The Scarsdale Collection, Part Two continued...

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A BEAUTIFUL AND REMARKABLY PRISTINE LIGHTLY-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 IMPERFORATE ONE-CENT TYPE II ISSUE.

As the top and bottom margins of this stamp demonstrate, the 1c 1851 plates provided virtually no space between the stamps for separation. The stamp offered here, with wide margins showing the complete design all around and parts of the adjoining stamps above and below, is a true condition rarity.

With 2003 P.F. certificate (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLES OF THE 1851 ONE-CENT IMPERFORATE TYPE III EXTANT. THE BREAKS IN OUTER LINES AT TOP AND BOTTOM -- THE DEFINING CHARACTERISTIC OF TYPE III -- ARE ESPECIALLY WIDE IN THIS LATE IMPRESSION.

Type III is defined by breaks in the outer lines at both top and bottom. Many Type III stamps have breaks that were created or enlarged by plate wear. Since the wear occurred over a period of time, a majority of stamps of this type (both unused and used) have small breaks in at least one line. The most notable exception is Position 99R2, which has the widest breaks of any Type III position, due to the short transfer during plate entry.

The stamp offered here should be considered significant for several reasons. The breaks at top and bottom are so wide that it actually approaches those of Position 99R2. This E Relief position (44L) had breaks in both lines when originally entered on the plate, however, later impressions show widened breaks, and, in this example, the breaks are extremely wide. The large margins at top and bottom also allow for easy identification of the type. All factors considered -- design, impression, margins and gum -- this stamp is easily one of the finest original-gum examples of the imperforate Type III.

A review of past auction catalogues demonstrates how rare this stamp is in original-gum condition. None were offered in the Newbury, Zoellner, Golin, Weisman, Lyons or Floyd collections. Caspary had an unused 99R2 in a strip of three, and the Ishikawa collection contained the famous block of nine with one Type III stamp (Position 99R2).

Ex Lilly and Drucker. With 1988 P.F. certificate (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A MAGNIFICENT ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 IMPERFORATE ONE-CENT TYPE IIIA. SUPERB IN EVERY RESPECT.

Stamps printed from Plate 4 were issued in April-June 1857 before perforations were introduced. The relatively small number of imperforate Plate 4 stamps issued during this period explains the rarity and desirability of any of the imperforate stamp types produced from this plate.

The Type IIIa from Plate 4 with original gum is extremely rare. We have offered only four examples in the past ten years in comparable condition: 1) ex Golin with part imprint (Sale 812, lot 4, realized $23,000 hammer), 2) Sale 824, lot 96, realized $12,500 hammer and again in Sale 913, lot 537, realized $13,000 hammer, 3) Sale 836, lot 1142, realized $23,000 hammer, and 4) Sale 872, lot 137, realized $14,500 hammer.

With 2002 P.F. certificate (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 IMPERFORATE ONE-CENT TYPE IV ISSUE.

A stunning stamp in terms of freshness of gum and paper, color, margins and impression.

With 1999 P.F. certificate (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. A STUNNING ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 3-CENT IMPERFORATE ORANGE BROWN ISSUE.

Due to the narrow spacing on the plate, this issue rarely comes with margins as large as the stamp offered here. This should be considered a true condition rarity.

With 1979 and 2003 P.F. certificates. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 IMPERFORATE 3-CENT IN THE CLARET SHADE, SHOWING AN EXTRA VERTICAL FRAMELINE AT LEFT.

With 1982 and 2001 P.F. certificates (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. EASILY ONE OF THE FINEST ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLES OF THE 5-CENT 1856 ISSUE. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT FACE-DIFFERENT DESIGNS TO OBTAIN IN SUCH SUPERB CONDITION.

The 5c stamp was issued in 1856, five years after the 1c, 3c and 12c values and one year after the 10c were issued. It was typically used to pay the 5c shore-to-ship rate for mail sent overseas and also in multiples for the 10c transcontinental or 15c U.S.-French treaty rates.

With the exception of some rare types of the 1c and 10c, such as Scott Nos. 5 and 16, the 5c stamp is the most difficult denomination to obtain with four margins in sound and original-gum condition. As the stamp offered here demonstrates, the spacing between stamps was very narrow. We measured the gap between the stamp and the portion of the adjoining design, and the space is only one millimeter wide. This left little margin for error when separating the stamps, and it explains why so few examples are known with four margins. When other factors such as gum, color and impression are taken into consideration, the rarity and beauty of the stamp offered here may be fully appreciated.

With 2000 P.F. certificate. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. THIS IS AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE SUPERB UNUSED EXAMPLE OF THE 1855 10-CENT TYPE I IMPERFORATE, WHICH ARGUABLY CANNOT BE FOUND WITH ORIGINAL GUM IN THIS GRADE.

A thorough search of past auction catalogues and our computerized sale records failed to produce an original-gum example of the 1855 10c Type I imperforate (Scott 13) in condition equivalent to the superb quality of this example. In fact, the Type I imperforate unused stamps are almost invariably found without gum. The previous existence of strips (unused, no gum) creates the potential for perhaps three or four stamps in sound Very Fine or Extremely Fine condition. This scarce stamp is extremely desirable because the defining characteristic of the type -- the full bottom right shell -- is fully visible within the large bottom margin.

With 1971, 1994 and 2004 P.F. certificates (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS STAMP IS WIDELY REGARDED AS THE FINEST ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT TYPE II 1855 ISSUE IN EXISTENCE. A MAGNIFICENT CLASSIC STAMP IN ALL RESPECTS -- FRESHNESS OF GUM, SIZE OF MARGINS, COLOR, IMPRESSION AND OVERALL APPEAL.

The prepaid transcontinental rate was raised from 6c to 10c in April 1855, which prompted the Post Office Department to add a 10c value to the current series. Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Company produced one plate of 200 subjects for the imperforate issue, which was also used when perforations were introduced in 1857. Although the subjects were spaced further apart than they had been on the 1c, 3c and 12c plates, there were still variations in the designs. Four design types are recorded for the first plate (Plate 1): Type I with the full bottom shell (from the bottom row only), Type II with the top part of the design nearly complete, Type III with the design at top incomplete, and Type IV with recut lines at top and/or bottom.

Although the wider spacing on the 10c plate provided more room for separation, this extraordinary stamp has huge margins all around, each of which goes well beyond the mid-point between stamps.

Ex "Connoisseur" and Dr. Morris. With 1992 and 2002 P.F. certificates. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. AN UNCOMMONLY CHOICE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1855 10-CENT TYPE III IMPERFORATE. THIS IS EASILY ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES IN EXISTENCE.

The majority of sound unused examples of the 10c 1855 are without gum, and the few original-gum singles have faults. This superb original-gum stamp has extraordinary freshness and full balanced margins. It ranks among the best three or four examples by our firm during the past 13 years.

Ex "Angel." With 1985, 1991 and 2003 P.F. certificates. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A GORGEOUS ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 12-CENT 1851 ISSUE. AN EXCEEDINGLY DIFFICULT STAMP TO FIND WITH SUCH WIDE MARGINS AND IN SOUND ORIGINAL-GUM CONDITION.

The 12c 1851 plate was laid down with very little room between stamps -- just barely one millimeter, to be exact. For this reason, collectors have a difficult time finding stamps with large margins all around. The original-gum example offered here, with its unusually wide margins on all sides, is a true condition rarity.

With 1994 P.F. certificate (Image)