Sale 1326 — 2024 Rarities of the World
Sale Date — Thursday, 27 June, 2024
Category — Special Delivery thru Parcel Post
10c Ultramarine, Special Delivery (E9, E11). Left imprint and plate no. 5520 blocks of eight, original gum, lightly hinged, bright colors, No. E9 with natural vertical gum skip on two, No. E11 with natural gum bends
FINE-VERY FINE. THE SIDE IMPRINT AND PLATE NUMBER BLOCKS OF EIGHT OF THESE SPECIAL DELIVERY ISSUES ARE EXTREMELY RARE. THESE ARE OFFERED TO THE MARKET FOR ONLY THE SECOND TIME SINCE OUR 1978 TODD SALE.
The side imprint and plate blocks are rarer than other positions for one simple reason: on the sides the imprint stretches across four stamps, rather than three. Therefore, in order to get the full imprint at sides, this issue needs to be collected as a plate block of eight.
Ex Todd and our 2009 Rarities sale. Both are listed but unpriced in Scott. Scott does list No. E9a as a side plate block of eight, for $6,500.
30c Deep Brown, Special Printing (J13). Original gum, radiant color and detailed impression
VERY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE 30-CENT POSTAGE DUE SPECIAL PRINTING.
It has been estimated that no more than 179 examples of the 30c Postage Due Special Printing reached the public. The vast majority of surviving original-gum examples are faulty.
With 1992, 2011 and 2015 P.F. certificates (VF 80).
30c Red Brown (J20). Mint N.H. top imprint and plate no. 332 block of twelve with half arrow at left, deep rich color, outstanding centering throughout, bright and fresh
EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB MINT NEVER-HINGED PLATE BLOCK OF THE 30-CENT 1884 POSTAGE DUE ISSUE. EASILY ONE OF THE FINEST PLATE BLOCKS IN EXISTENCE.
Scott value as Mint N.H. plate block of ten and two singles.
50c Carmine Lake (J58). Original gum, single hinge mark at top, rich color on bright paper
VERY FINE. THE 1914 50-CENT POSTAGE DUE IS THE RAREST OF THE REGULARLY ISSUED POSTAGE DUE STAMPS.
Scott No. J58 has the highest catalogue value of any regularly issued Postage Due stamp. Only the 1c-3c Special Printings, Scott Nos. J8-J10, catalogue higher. This stamp is a key to an important collection of the Postage Due issues.
With 1979, 1995 and 2005 P.F. certificates.
$2.00-$20.00 State Department, Plate Proofs on Card, Centers Inverted (O68P4a, O69P4a, O71P4a). Top sheet margin singles, huge margins, $20.00 with part green plate number, deep rich colors
EXTREMELY FINE SET OF SHEET MARGIN SINGLES OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT DOLLAR-VALUE PLATE PROOFS WITH INVERTED CENTERS.
According to research by Robert L. Markovits, only two sheets of ten of each of the $5.00 and $20.00 State Department Invert proofs were produced, along with a single sheet of the $2.00. The $10.00 was not produced as an invert proof. Therefore, the complete set consists of three proofs.
$5.00 State (O69). Quartered cork cancel, remarkably well-centered but reperfed at top
VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE GENUINELY USED EXAMPLE OF THE 5-DOLLAR STATE DEPARTMENT ISSUE.
Ex Markovits and Curtis. With 2004 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates.
$10.00 State (O70). Cancelled by light blue Department of State "Received" oval datestamp, small corner crease and a few short perfs, Fine appearance, ex "Golden Oak", with 2002 P.F. certificate
$10.00 Green & Black, State, Specimen Ovpt. (O70S). Without gum as issued, bright color and detailed impressions, well-centered with attractive margins, a few negligible toned specks in lettering at top
VERY FINE. A PHENOMENAL EXAMPLE OF THE $10.00 STATE DEPARTMENT SPECIAL PRINTING WITH AN IMPECCABLE PROVENANCE. THIS EXAMPLE WAS PART OF THE SET PURCHASED FROM THE THIRD ASSISTANT POSTMASTER GENERAL'S OFFICE BY PAUL LIETZOW OF GERMANY, AND WAS BOUGHT BY ROBERT LEWENTHAL IN 1953. ONLY EIGHT WERE SOLD AND OUR CENSUS CONTAINS ONLY FIVE, OF WHICH THREE ARE SOUND.
Paul Lietzow was a German collector/dealer who displayed his collection in one of the first philatelic exhibitions in Germany. The first was held in April 1870 and featured one person's collection. Lietzow exhibited his collection in July 1877 in Berlin for the benefit of wounded soldiers. His collection at the time comprised 6,200 stamps housed in six large volumes, quite an achievement for the time. In 1880 and 1882 he published handbooks on philately, one of which was a precursor to the Scott Catalogue. The idea of exhibitions and handbooks was to increase the appeal of stamp collecting, which was widely seen as suitable only for schoolboys and not worthy of serious pursuit.
Lietzow was an enthusiastic purchaser of high-denomination stamps through the Special Printing program. He is the only purchaser of the $36.00 (two), $48.00 and $60.00 Newspaper Special Printings, and also purchased two each of the $9.00 and $12.00 values. The Combs book notes the Lietzow set of dollar-value State departments was purchased by Lewenthal from a German dealer in 1953. They were offered as single lots and then as a set in the 1978 Simmy's auction of the Lewenthal collection, where they were acquired by Leonard Sheriff. They were offered individually in the 1993 Siegel Sheriff sale, where they were dispersed to different buyers.
Only eight of the $10.00 State Department Special Printing were sold. Our census, available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/O70S, contains five stamps. Of those, only three are sound, including the stamp offered here (despite trivial toned specks).
Census no. O70S-UNC-03. Ex Lietzow, Lewenthal, Sheriff and Markovits. Illustrated on p. 29 of U.S. Departmental Specimen Stamps by W. V. Combs.
1c Intense Black, 1894 Issue (PR90). Detailed impression, neat strike of target cancel
FINE. A RARE USED EXAMPLE OF THE ONE-CENT 1894 UNWATERMARKED BUREAU NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS ISSUE. ONLY FIVE USED EXAMPLES HAVE BEEN CERTIFIED BY THE PHILATELIC FOUNDATION, AND THIS IS THE ONLY SOUND EXAMPLE.
Of the five certified used examples of PR90, only this example is without faults. Most have multiple faults. With 2007 P.F. certificate. SCV $5,000.
12c Pink, 1894 Issue (PR95). Bright color, small quartered cork handstamp cancel leaves design fully visible, completely sound
VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE SOUND AND CENTERED USED EXAMPLE OF THE 12-CENT 1894 NEWSPAPER ISSUE, SCOTT PR95.
Fewer than a dozen used examples of Scott PR95 have been certified by The Philatelic Foundation, including some with manuscript cancels. Nearly all have faults. We have offered only one other sound example in 30 years—it has a similar cancel, but is not nearly as well centered.
With 2008 A.P.S. certificate. With 2008 and 2017 P.F. certificates.
12c Pink, 1894 Issue (PR95). Radiant color, neat strike of Providence R.I. double-oval handstamp, tiny thin spot in margin at lower right
VERY FINE APPEARANCE. FEWER THAN A DOZEN USED EXAMPLES OF THE 12-CENT 1894 NEWSPAPER ISSUE, SCOTT PR95, HAVE BEEN CERTIFIED AS GENUINE BY THE PHILATELIC FOUNDATION.
With 2007 P.F. certificate.
24c Pink, 1894 Issue (PR96). Choice centering, two strikes of violet handstamp cancel leaves design clearly visible, color slightly faded, small corner crease at bottom right
VERY FINE centering. A RARE USED EXAMPLE OF THE 24-CENT 1894 NEWSPAPER ISSUE, SCOTT PR96. ONLY FOUR ARE CERTIFIED BY THE PHILATELIC FOUNDATION, AND NONE ARE SOUND.
The four examples certified by The Philatelic Foundation are: 1) quartered cork cancel, corner crease at top left (ex Gorham, Sale 1255, realized $5,500 hammer); 2) purple cancel, faint vertical bend/crease at center (ex Curtis, Sale 1094, realized $8,000 hammer); 3) target cancel, perfs in at top and left, corner crease and surface scuff, ex Collier; and 4) violet cancel, corner crease and color slightly faded, the example offered here.
With 2007 P.F. certificate.
$100.00 Purple, 1895 Unwatermarked Issue (PR113). Deep rich color, three wide margins, oval handstamp cancel, completely sound
VERY FINE AND CHOICE SOUND USED EXAMPLE OF THE $100.00 1895 UNWATERMARKED BUREAU ISSUE. VERY FEW ARE KNOWN USED.
The records of The Philatelic Foundation contain approximately 10-12 used examples. Most have faults.
With 2007 P.F. certificate.
50c Carmine Rose, Parcel Post (Q10). Bottom plate no. 6423 and "FIFTY" block of six from the bottom left pane, original gum, bottom stamps Mint N.H., top stamps narrow h.r., brilliant color and attractive centering
FINE-VERY FINE BOTTOM PLATE BLOCK OF SIX OF THE 50-CENT PARCEL POST ISSUE.
The Parcel Post issues were printed from plates of 180 which consisted of four panes of 45. According to Johl, the uniform color of the twelve denominations led to confusion on the part of postal clerks, who complained that they were forced to examine the stamps in detail to ensure they had the correct values. In response, on January 27, 1913, large capital letters were added to the margins near each plate number. At top and bottom the imprint is in the selvage next to the plate number; on the sides it is separated by a stamp with blank selvage.
75c Carmine Rose, Parcel Post (Q11). Mint N.H. left plate no. 6288 block of six, rich color and well-centered
VERY FINE AND SCARCE MINT NEVER HINGED PLATE BLOCK OF THE 75-CENT PARCEL POST STAMP.
As an indication of rarity, Scott Catalogue prices a Mint N.H. plate block at more than three times the price of six Mint N.H. singles.
$1.00 Carmine Rose, Parcel Post (Q12). Bottom plate no. 6262 block of six, original gum with a couple narrow hinge slivers, deep rich color and well-centered, few minor perf separations
VERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE BOTTOM PLATE BLOCK OF SIX OF THE $1.00 PARCEL POST.
This is the only Q12 plate block listed in Power Search with full bottom selvage. The "MLG" collection contained a narrow bottom plate block.