2010 Rarities of the World continued...

VERY FINE. AN ATTRACTIVE USAGE OF THE SCARCE 1857 PERFORATED ONE-CENT TYPE IA.

With 2007 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE. A RARE BOOTLEGGED LETTER FROM FRANCE AND DELIVERED BY CARRIER IN NEW YORK CITY, PREPAID WITH THE DESIRABLE 1857 ONE-CENT TYPE IA.

Type Ia was produced by only 18 of the 20 bottom-row positions on Plate 4. This folded letter was carried privately aboard the Havre Line's Arago, which left Havre on May 4, 1859, and arrived in New York on May 17. It was postmarked the next day at the New York City carrier department.

With 1987 P.F. certificate (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 ONE-CENT TYPE II. ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE FROM TOP ROW OF PLATE 4.

This stamp is noteworthy for two important reasons. The first is that the top row of Plate 4, from which it originates, furnished the finest examples of Type II, with the full design at top (their counterparts from the bottom row are Type Ia stamps, displaying full bottom design). The second reason is that the Plate 4 was not evenly spaced to accommodate rows of perforations (see Neinken book, p. 279). This irregularity often resulted in perfs cutting into the designs of the top or bottom rows. The example offered here, showing the entire design, is a true condition rarity.

With 2006 P.F. and 2007 P.S.E. certificates (both graded XF 90, SMQ $3,400.00). Only three have graded higher to date, but the Population Report does not distinguish between the rarity of position or plate. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 ONE-CENT TYPE III, WHICH HAS BEEN GRADED XF-SUPERB 95 BY P.S.E.

Due to the narrow vertical spacing on this plate, stamps are most typically found with the perforations impinging on a portion of the design. The example offered here is centered so that the type characteristics are clearly visible.

P.S.E. encapsulated (XF-Superb 95, SMQ $14,900.00). None have graded higher to date. (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN INCALCULABLY RARE BLOCK OF TWELVE OF THE 1857 ONE-CENT TYPE IIIA FROM PLATE 4. THERE IS PERHAPS ONE OTHER AREA ON THE PLATE THAT WOULD YIELD A MULTIPLE OF THIS SIZE CONSISTING OF ONLY TYPE IIIA STAMPS.

Type IIIA stamps are defined as having the outer line broken at either top or bottom (but not both). Several positions which started out as Type IIIA became Type III as the plate wore away. Position 45 in this multiple is just such a position, meaning that to obtain a block of this size with all Type IIIA stamps it would have to come from an early impression. The only other position where a block of this size could also exist would also have to be from an early impression, and would include the stamps just to the right of this multiple (a block of fifteen is therefore technically possible but does not exist).

A review using Power Search found only one other block containing all Type IIIA stamps, which is a block of four offered in our 1978 Rarities sale. The block offered here comes to the market for the first time since our 1981 Rarities sale. Scott Retail as two blocks of four and two pairs with gum $37,500.00 Scott Retail as no gum singles does not even approach an adequate catalogue value but we quote it nevertheless (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A STUNNING USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 5-CENT RED BROWN. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT ISSUES TO OBTAIN WITH SUCH WIDE MARGINS AND IN SUCH PRISTINE CONDITION.

Due to the narrow spacing between stamps on the plate, the perforations often touch or go into the outer portion of the design on one or more sides. The example offered here, with perfect centering and unusually wide margins, is a true condition rarity.

With 1984 and 1999 P.F. and 2009 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95, SMQ $10,100.00). Only one has graded higher to date and only two others share this grade. This is also the highest grade we have ever offered in one of our auctions. (Image)

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VERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATED STAGECOACH COVER.

From the Turrill correspondence (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A STUNNING ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 12-CENT 1857 ISSUE IN THE FINEST CONDITION ATTAINABLE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE IMPRINT ON TOPPAN, CARPENTER, CASILEAR & COMPANY'S 12-CENT PLATE ONE.

Due to narrow spacing on the plate, most examples of this stamp (both used and unused) have perforations touching at least part of the outer frameline of the design. It is quite evident that this stamp does not fall into that category. There is a well-defined margin on each side, which is more typical of the later Plate 3 printing (Scott 36b) where the subjects were spread slightly farther apart on the plate. This stamp, with its fresh original gum, clear margins all around, bright shade and imprint, is truly superb in every sense of the word.

Unlike its Plate 3 counterpart, which survived in unused multiples when the issue was demonetized in 1861, very few examples of 12c stamps printed from Plate 1 show part of the Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co. imprint. The Type I imprint was entered alongside Positions 40, 50, 60 and 70 on the right pane (and Positions 30/40/50/60 on the left pane). Plate 3 has a plate number, but no numbers were engraved on the two other 12c plates. We call the plate used to print stamps Plate 1, but the intriguing story behind these two plates will be found in James A. Allen's chapter, "The 1851 12c Imperforate (Scott U.S. #17): Plating Update and Additional New Findings," in The 1851 Issue of United States Stamps: a Sesquicentennial Retrospective. The stamp offered here comes from the position which would ordinarily show a plate number. The absence of a plate number was a significant point in Neinken's study of the 12c plates.

Ex Concord, "J & J" and Hoffman. With 1995 and 2006 P.F. certificates (XF 90). (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 12-CENT FROM PLATE ONE, WHICH HAS BEEN GRADED XF-SUPERB 95 BY P.S.E.

P.S.E. encapsulated (XF-Superb 95, SMQ $3,000.00). Only two have graded higher to date. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. A SUPERB ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 12-CENT 1857 ISSUE FROM PLATE 3.

The most recent scholarship regarding the Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co. plates used to print the 12c 1851-57 Issue is clearly articulated by James A. Allen in "The 1851 Imperforate (Scott U.S. #17): Plating Updated and Additional New Findings" (The 1851 Issue of United States Stamps: a Sesquicentennial Retrospective, U.S. Philatelic Classics Society). Traditionally, the 12c plates are identified as Plate 1 (from which all imperforate and some perforated stamps were printed), Plate 2 (evidently never used) and Plate 3 (which produced stamps that were only regularly issued with perforations). It is highly probable that Plate "3" was the first one made in 1851, but it was put aside and not used until 1859.

Plate 3 stamps (Scott 36b) are characterized primarily by uneven or broken outer framelines of the design. The subjects on Plate 1, which produced Scott Nos. 17 and 36, have even framelines that were extensively recut. Original-gum Plate 3 stamps with the centering and wide margins evident in this example are very scarce.

Ex Hansen. 2000 P.F. certificate no longer accompanies. P.S.E. encapsulated (OGph, XF-Superb 95, SMQ $3,900.00). Only one has graded higher to date. (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE PATRIOTIC COVER TO DR. HENRY C. ANGELL IN AUSTRIA. SENT VIA FRENCH MAIL AND FRANKED WITH STAMPS OF THE SOON-TO-BE-DEMONETIZED 1857-60 ISSUE AND THE NEW 1861 ISSUE.

Ex Matthies, Ishikawa and Gross. (Image)

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