United States Rarities continued...

EXTREMELY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 2-CENT 1869 RE-ISSUE.

With 1971 P.F. certificate (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. A RARE STAMP IN ANY CONDITION -- THIS 3-CENT 1869 RE-ISSUE RANKS AMONG THE VERY FINEST IN TERMS OF COLOR, CENTERING, FRESHNESS AND GUM.

Original sales figures show that among the 1869 Pictorial Re-Issues, the 3c and 90c stamps accounted for the smallest number of units sold (1,406 and 1,356, respectively). Overall, the 1869's were popular with stamp collectors, far outselling the 1851-60 and 1861-66 Re-Issue sets. However, the 90c stamp's high denomination and the availability of ordinary 3c stamps limited demand. Today, both are rare, and handling over the years has not been kind to most of the surviving examples. This 3c is remarkable not only for its centering (an unusual example of near-perfect centering), but its overall freshness, both on the face and back.

With 1999 P.F. and 2004 P.S.E. certificates (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 6-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL RE-ISSUE.

With 2004 P.S.E. certificate (XF 90, SMQ $3,800.00) (Image)

VERY FINE. ONE OF ONLY FOUR RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE 10-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL RE-ISSUE ON COVER.

All four covers were mailed by stamp dealers -- in this case by Scott Stamp & Coin Co. The 10c stamp correctly paid the registry fee.

Ex Juhring (Image)

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF THREE RECORDED COVERS BEARING THE 12-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL RE-ISSUE. ONE OF THE GREAT RARITIES OF THE ISSUE AND A NEW DISCOVERY OFFERED TO THE MARKET FOR THE FIRST TIME.

The 1869 Census book lists the two previously-recorded 12c 1869 Re-Issue covers: one to Hungary (offered in our auction of the Millard Mack collection, where it realized $47,500 hammer) and a cover to Germany bearing the 1c, 2c, 12c and 15c (the EDU, ex Sheriff and Coulter, where it realized $160,000 hammer). The cover offered here becomes the third recorded. The 25c postage pays the triple 5c U.P.U. rate plus 10c registry fee. (Image)

VERY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 15-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL RE-ISSUE.

With 2005 P.F. certificate (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE AND HANDSOME EXAMPLE OF THE 30-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL RE-ISSUE.

With 1997 P.F. certificate (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. A BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL UNUSED 90-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL RE-ISSUE.

With 2006 P.S.E. certificate inexplicably grading this stamp VF-XF 85 (in our opinion, a solid XF 90) (Image)

VERY FINE. A LOVELY ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 90-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL RE-ISSUE.

Ex Vineyard. With 1979, 1991 and 2004 P.F. certificates, none of which mentions the inclusion (Image)

VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A SCARCE EXAMPLE OF THE 90-CENT 1869 RE-ISSUE IN SOUND USED CONDITION.

With 1985 P.F. certificate (Image)