Sale 1293 — The Vaquero Collection of Errors, Freaks and Oddities Plus Other Eclectic Selections
Sale Date — Thursday, 28 September, 2023
Category — Air Post - 1918 24-cent Jenny Vignette Shifts
24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, Shifted Vignette (C3 var). Remarkable group of twelve unused stamps, each shows a significant vignette shift, including several Fast Plane with some showing wing of the plane almost to outer edge of vignette, some high-flying, some also shifted downwards with wheels touching frame, original gum, few possibly Mint N.H., two straight edge at bottom
FINE-VERY FINE. A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE A GROUP OF TWELVE EXAMPLES OF THE 1918 24-CENT AIR POST WITH SIGNIFICANT VIGNETTE SHIFTS, INCLUDING SEVERAL OUTSTANDING EXAMPLES OF FAST PLANES AND HIGH-FLYING PLANES.
These are all highly exhibitable. Ex Wagner.
24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, Grounded Plane Variety (C3 var). Original gum, single hinge mark, brilliant color, plane shifted significantly downwards with wheels well into "Cents", perfectly centered with wide margins
EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 1918 24-CENT FIRST AIR POST ISSUE GROUNDED PLANE VARIETY. THIS PHENOMENAL STAMP HAS BEEN AWARDED THE GRADE OF SUPERB 98 BY P.S.E. -- THIS IS EASILY THE FINEST WE HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED.
The true Grounded Plane stamps, in which the wheels of the plane break thru the top of "Cents", come from portions of three sheets. The discovery sheet was owned and broken up by J. Klemann of Nassau Stamp Company. A second sheet was discovered in 1946 and sold in the Thomas A. Matthews sale (H.R. Harmer, Nov. 4, 1964), where it was purchased by Georges A. Medawar, publisher of Sanabria Airmail Catalogue. In Linn's Stamp News of April 21, 1986, specialist Joseph R. Kirker Jr. published his research revealing a third source of this variety. The example offered here is especially low.
With 2006 P.S.E. certificate (OGh, Superb 98; this variety is unpriced in SMQ).
24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, Grounded Plane Variety (C3 var). Position 49 with horizontal guideline in bottom margin, Mint N.H., centered to top with three wide margins, wheels of plane shifted into top of "Cents", Fine and scarce in Mint N.H. condition, ex Price, Sanabria backstamp, with 2000 P.F. certificate
24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, Grounded Plane Variety (C3 var). Block of four showing guide line at bottom, vignettes shifted downward well into "Cents", original gum, lightly hinged, bottom right stamp with thin spot at right
VERY FINE. A RARE AND EXHIBIT-WORTHY BLOCK OF FOUR OF THE 1918 24-CENT FIRST AIR POST ISSUE GROUNDED PLANE VARIETY. FEWER THAN EIGHT BLOCKS ARE RECORDED.
The world's first regular government airmail service was inaugurated in the United States on May 15, 1918. Planes were scheduled to take off simultaneously from New York and Washington, D.C., each stopping at Philadelphia on the three-city relay route. The plane out of the nation's capital was piloted by Lieutenant George Boyle, who had limited flying experience, but whose future father-in-law was the well-connected head of the Interstate Commerce Commission. With a crowd of onlookers and dignitaries, including President Woodrow Wilson and the First Lady, the northbound flight took off from Potomac Park field, behind schedule and headed south. The young pilot, wondering why things on the ground did not look quite right, crashed the plane in a farmer's field in Maryland, and the mail was carried back to Washington on wheels for the next day's flight.
The Grounded Plane stamps, in which the wheels of the plane break through the top of "Cents", come from portions of three sheets. The discovery sheet was owned and broken up by John Klemann of Nassau Stamp Company. A second sheet was discovered in 1946 and sold in the Thomas A. Matthews sale (H. R. Harmer 11/4/1964), where it was purchased by Georges A. Medawar, publisher of Sanabria Airmail Catalogue. In Linn's 4/21/1986, specialist Joseph R. Kirker, Jr. published his research revealing the existence of a third source of this variety. All known sheets are from the first printing, which produced the world famous Inverted Jenny error. The first printing has selvage at bottom and left, and was trimmed to remove the top and right selvage; therefore, a plate block cannot exist.
Ex Hansen. With 2008 P.F. certificate.
24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, Fast Plane (C3 var). Mint N.H., with blue top plate no. 8493 selvage, plane shifted significantly causing some blue printing outside of the frame, wide margins
VERY FINE AND CHOICE. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST DRAMATIC EXAMPLES OF THE FAST PLANE VARIETY IN MINT NEVER-HINGED STATE.
The Philatelic Foundation has never published an article defining the criteria for certifying the Fast Plane variety, as they did for the Grounded Plane. The generally accepted definition is a stamp where the wings of the Jenny break clearly into the Carmine frame at left. Like the other shifts, there are degrees of displacement. The example offered here shows the wings of the plane shifted into the unprinted margin and is the fastest of the Fast Planes -- really it should be called Supersonic Plane.
24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, Fast Plane (C3 var). Mint N.H., with plane shifted significantly into the frame, faint natural gum bend not noted on certificate, Very Fine example of this variety, with 1989 P.F. certificate
24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, Fast Plane (C3 var). Original gum, rich colors, plane shifted well into unprinted margin at left with wing of plane almost touching perfs
VERY FINE AND CHOICE. THIS IS EASILY ONE OF THE FASTEST FAST PLANES IN EXISTENCE, WITH THE WING OF THE PLANE SHIFTED FAR OUTSIDE OF THE FRAME. A REMARKABLE SHOWPIECE THAT IS WITHOUT QUESTION one of THE MOST DRAMATIC WE HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED.
The Philatelic Foundation has never published an article defining the criteria for certifying the Fast Plane variety, as they did for the Grounded Plane. The generally accepted definition is a stamp where the wings of the Jenny break clearly into the Carmine frame at left. Like the other shifts, there are degrees of displacement. The example offered here shows the wings of the plane shifted into the unprinted margin and is the fastest of the Fast Planes -- really it should be called Supersonic Plane.
ADDENDA: This stamp is regummed. All of the known “fastest” fast plane singles come from one multiple without gum. This stamp is Position 36 in the sheet.
24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, Fast Plane (C3 var). Original gum, small hinge at upper right corner, bright colors, plane shifted well into unprinted margin at left
VERY FINE AND CHOICE. THIS IS EASILY ONE OF THE MOST DRAMATIC EXAMPLES OF THE FAST PLANE VARIETY IN EXISTENCE. A REMARKABLE SHOWPIECE THAT WOULD GO WELL WITH AN INVERTED JENNY TO DEMONSTRATE THE PRINTING DIFFICULTIES OF THE ISSUE.
The Philatelic Foundation has never published an article defining the criteria for certifying the Fast Plane variety, as they did for the Grounded Plane. The generally accepted definition is a stamp where the wings of the Jenny break clearly into the Carmine frame at left. Like the other shifts, there are degrees of displacement. The example offered here shows the wings of the plane shifted into the unprinted margin and is the fastest of the Fast Planes -- really it should be called Supersonic Plane.
24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, Fast Plane (C3 var). Unused (no gum), showing fast plane variety with plane shifted all the way to the perforations at left
VERY FINE. THIS IS EASILY ONE OF THE FASTEST FAST PLANES IN EXISTENCE, WITH THE WING OF THE PLANE SHIFTED FAR OUTSIDE OF THE FRAME. A REMARKABLE SHOWPIECE THAT IS WITHOUT QUESTION ONE OF THE MOST DRAMATIC WE HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED.
The Philatelic Foundation has never published an article defining the criteria for certifying the Fast Plane variety, as they did for the Grounded Plane. The generally accepted definition is a stamp where the wings of the Jenny break clearly into the Carmine frame at left. Like the other shifts, there are degrees of displacement. The example offered here shows the wings of the plane shifted into the unprinted margin and is the fastest of the Fast Planes -- really it should be called Supersonic Planes.
Ex Hansen. With 1994 and 2008 P.F. certificates.
24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, Fast and Low Plane (C3 var). Mint N.H., showing the plane's wing breaking the frameline at left and with wheels into frameline at bottom, Very Fine example of this variety showing the plane shifted out of alignment in two directions
24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, High Flying Plane (C3 var). Mint N.H. with top plate n. 8492 selvage, vignette shifted sharply upwards with blue ink of the wing well into label of frame and slightly into the "G" of Postage, Extremely Fine, a stamp of great visual appeal, with 2006 P.S.E. certificate describing this as "high flying plane variety" (XF 90 Jumbo; SMQ $250.00 with no premium for the variety)
24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, High Flying Plane (C3 var). Mint N.H., vignette shifted significantly upwards, bright colors, wide margins, Very Fine and choice, this example is shifted higher than most we have encountered, ex Hansen
24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, Slow Plane (C3 var). Mint N.H., rich colors, with plane shifted far to the right with tail well into frame, Very Fine, a surprisingly scarce variety
24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, Slow Plane (C3 var). Original gum, lightly hinged, with plane shifted significantly to right with tail touching edge of frameline, Very Fine and choice example of this surprisingly scarce variety