Sale 1376 — The Monterey Collection of Superb United States 19th and 20th Century Stamps
Sale Date — Wednesday, 22 April, 2026
Category — Revenues
$2.00 Probate of Will, Bicolor Plate Essay on Bond, Ty. XVII Ovpt. (Turner Essay Plate 67, Ty. XVII). Sheet of four with "ENGRAVED BY JOS. R. CARPENTER PHILADELPHIA" imprint at bottom, Orange & Black with Green overprint, top stamps with the overprint in vignette, bottom stamps with overprint in frame only, Very Fine and rare, this essay uses the $2.00 First Issue design in the Second Issue two-color format, the additional overprint was designed to prevent re-use, the Smithsonian National Postal Museum's collection contains a set of four different colors but with the overprint chemically removed, we offered a set of three sheets in other colors in our sale of the Bleckwenn collection (Sale 1304, lot 1045), ex Cunliffe
$50.00 U.S.I.R., Bicolor Plate Essay on Bond, Ty. XVIII Experimental Ovpt. (Turner Essay Plate 68, Ty. XVIII). Sheet of four with "ENGRAVED BY JOS. R. CARPENTER PHILADELPHIA" imprint at bottom, Orange & Black with Green overprint in vignette horizontal at top and vertical at bottom, tiny hinge thin is immaterial and just a hint of oxidation at edges, still Very Fine and unique in this color, this essay uses the $50.00 First Issue design in the Second Issue two-color format, the additional overprint was designed to prevent re-use, the Smithsonian National Postal Museum's collection contains one in Purple & Black and we offered a group of three sheets in different colors in our sale of the Bleckwenn collection (Sale 1304, lot 1046), ex Cunliffe
$1.90 Foreign Exchange, Purple, Imperforate (R80a). Large to huge margins all around, bright color, blue "Bank of New York Jun. 9, 1863" oval datestamp with date in manuscript, faint horizontal crease
EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. A BEAUTIFUL LARGE-MARGINED EXAMPLE OF THE RARE $1.90 FOREIGN EXCHANGE IMPERFORATE — ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE CANCELLED SOLELY BY THE BLUE HANDSTAMP.
It is believed that of the 9,000 examples originally issued imperforate, 312 were returned for perforating. It is not known how many were used, but it is a very scarce stamp today. No multiples are known of this issue.
Ex Cunliffe. With 2008 P.F. certificate.
$2.50 Inland Exchange, Purple, Imperforate (R84a). Horizontal pair, large margins on all of right stamp, left stamp large margins to just in at left, deep rich color, neat June 19, 1863 manuscript cancels, right stamp tiny tear in margin only at lower right is utterly minute but mentioned on certificate
FINE-EXTREMELY FINE. ONLY TWO PAIRS OF THE $2.50 IMPERFORATE INLAND EXCHANGE FIRST ISSUE REVENUE ARE RECORDED, AND A PAIR IS THE LARGEST RECORDED MULTIPLE. THE OTHER KNOWN PAIR IS ON A DOCUMENT.
This is one of only two recorded pairs of this issue, which is the largest recorded multiple. The other pair is on an 1864 document and has a pre-use vertical crease. It was last offered in our sale of the Bleckwenn collection in 2023 (Sale 1304, lot 1301).
Ex Joyce and Cunliffe. With 2008 P.F. certificate.
$3.50 Inland Exchange, Blue, Imperforate (R87a). Horizontal pair, full margins all around, deep rich color, manuscript cancel, left stamp faint diagonal crease
EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. A PAIR IS THE LARGEST RECORDED MULTIPLE FOR THIS ISSUE. ONLY TWO HORIZONTAL AND TWO VERTICAL PAIRS ARE RECORDED IN THE CURTIS CENSUS. ONE OF THE GREAT RARITIES OF FIRST ISSUE REVENUES.
The Curtis Collection website records no blocks, and only four pairs — two horizontal and two vertical. There was a third horizontal pair we offered in our 1993 sale of the Sheriff collection, but Curtis does not record this pair so we are not sure if it is intact or not.
Ex Cunliffe. With 2008 P.F. certificate.
$200.00 U.S.I.R., Green & Red, Imperforate (R102a). Complete sheet of eight, ample margins to just touching on Pos. 1 and 3, neat manuscript cancellations on each stamp of Chicago and Great Eastern Railway, dated "N.Y. May 11/65", faint horizontal crease across the tops of Pos. 5-6
VERY FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF ONLY THREE RECORDED COMPLETE SHEETS OF THE IMPERFORATE $200.00 FIRST ISSUE REVENUE.
All three recorded sheets have the margins trimmed at sides, probably due to limited space on the documents to which they were affixed. The three sheets are:
1) Manuscript cancels, used in New York, May 11, 1865, ex Joyce, Zoellner (most recently Sale 1224, lot 247)
2) Manuscript Chicago and Great Eastern Railway cancels, New York May 11, 1865, faint horizontal crease, 1974 Rarities Sale and ex Cunliffe, the sheet offered here
3) "Cal. P.R.R. Co., Vallejo, Apr. 25, 1867" double-circle datestamps, light creases from document, ex Joyce, Curtis (Sale 1089, lot 385)
From our 1974 Rarities sale and ex Cunliffe. With 2008 P.F. certificates. SCV $30,000 as two blocks of four.
2c Blue & Black, Center Inverted (R104a). Choice centering, bright colors, neat "1/4/1872" manuscript cancel, certificate notes "small natural inclusion crop out at center", utterly trivial
EXTREMELY FINE. A MAGNIFICENT EXAMPLE OF THE 2-CENT SECOND ISSUE INVERT, SCOTT R104a.
The ex Joyce, Zoellner and Tolman (this example) stamps are consecutively dated in manuscript by the same user (12/27/1871, 1/2/1872 and 1/4/1872, respectively).
Ex Tolman, With 2006 P.S.E. certificate. The Scott listings must be in error as this is now priced higher with a cut cancel than a manuscript or handstamp cancel. Scott was $6,000 in 2023 so we are using that value here.
$200.00 Red, Green & Black, Second Issue, Trial Color Proof on India, "Small Persian Rug" (R132TC1ae). On 91 x 121mm card with full imprints at sides, two small security punches in design as found on examples with imprints, trivial toned speck at right not mentioned on certificate
VERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE TRIAL COLOR PROOF OF THE $200.00 "SMALL PERSIAN RUG" ISSUE. ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE WITH THE FULL IMPRINTS AT SIDES.
These colors are the only multicolor trial color printing for the $200.00 Small Persian Rug and very few are known.
With 2008 P.F. certificate. The Scott Catalogue prices this at $2,500, but notes "full-size proofs on full-size card bring substantial premiums above the catalogue values listed". For the issued stamp, only two are known showing the full imprint (one is offered in lot 864).
200.00 Blue, Second Issue, Trial Color Proof on India, "Small Persian Rug" (R132TC1ag). 49 x 76mm off card, wonderful depth of color
EXTREMELY FINE. A UNIQUE TRIAL COLOR PROOF OF THE $200.00 "SMALL PERSIAN RUG" ISSUE.
The single-color trial color proofs in Blue, Orange and Green are each believed to be unique. This Blue has a spectacular striking appearance.
Ex Joyce.
$200.00 Red, Blue & Black, Second Issue, "Small Persian Rug" (R132). Excellent centering with balanced margins and complete sheet margins surrounding the entire design and with full imprints at sides, deep rich colors and crisp impressions, manuscript "E.C. July 7th 1872" cancellation, stamp retains its full original gum
EXTREMELY FINE GEM. ONE OF TWO RECORDED FULL SHEET-MARGIN EXAMPLES OF THE CELEBRATED $200.00 "SMALL PERSIAN RUG". A SPECTACULAR STAMP.
The initials "E.C." on the stamp belong to Erastus Corning Jr. The Kingsley book illustrates the other full sheet-margin example, which is ex Zoellner and Dr. Haikel (most recently Sale 1334, lot 136), and states it was purchased along with a $500 and a $50 stamp to pay the tax on the will of Erastus Corning, Sr., who passed away Apr. 9, 1872. The stamps were not applied but were kept with the document. That example remained with the family for more than 100 years before coming on the market for the first time in 1985. When we last offered that stamp in our 2024 sale of the Dr. Haikel collection, we described it as unique, based on the Kingsley book and our Zoellner sale description, but there are in fact two examples with full sheet margins.
With 2007 P.F. certificate (XF 90). Scott value of $8,500 for an ordinary stamp has little relevance to this spectacular "full sheet" example.
$500.00 Yellow, Green & Black, Second Issue, Trial Color Proof on India, "Large Persian Rug" (R133TC1ae). On 125 x 173mm card and with full imprints at sides, deep rich colors, security punches at top and bottom in center lathework above and below denominations as found on all examples with imprints, card with immaterial shallow thin under top right corner of the India paper from prior mounting, not affecting the India paper
VERY FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE LARGE DIE TRIAL COLOR PROOF OF THE $500.00 "LARGE PERSIAN RUG". ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE WITH THE IMPRINTS AT SIDES. A MAGNIFICENT SHOWPIECE.
We are aware of only one other in this color with the imprints, the card of which is slightly smaller and was last offered in our 2025 Rarities sale (Sale 1357, lot 218). The Scott Catalogue prices this at $5,000, but notes "full-size proofs on full-size card bring substantial premiums above the catalogue values listed". For the issued stamp, four were traditionally reported with the imprint, but our census contains only three, none of which has selvage at top or bottom.
Ex Cunliffe.
$500.00 Light Green, Light Brown & Black, Second Issue, Trial Color Proof on Bond, "Large Persian Rug" (R133TC1bf). Stamp size, intense colors and detailed impressions, colors order swapped from the full-size example offered in the previous lot, with green on the outside border
VERY FINE. A MAGNIFICENT AND RARE TRIAL COLOR PROOF OF THE $500.00 "LARGE PERSIAN RUG" ISSUE ON BOND PAPER. VERY FEW ARE KNOWN.
Illustrated in the Kingsley book on p. 43. With 2008 P.F. certificate calling this "Red, Green & Black" based on our 2008 auction description — but Light Green, Light Brown & Black more closely describes this and is consistent with the Scott listing for bond paper.
$500.00 Blue, Scarlet & Black, Second Issue, Trial Color Proof on Bond, "Large Persian Rug" (R133TC1bg). Stamp size, deep rich colors and detailed impressions
VERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE TRIAL COLOR PROOF ON BOND OF THE $500.00 "LARGE PERSIAN RUG". VERY FEW ARE KNOWN.
With 2008 P.F. certificate.
$500.00 Red Orange, Green & Black, Second Issue, "Large Persian Rug" (R133). Well-centered with sheet margins with full imprints at sides and original gum, deep rich colors and sharp proof-like impressions, two manuscript "X" cancels thru both denominations and neat "E.C. July 7, 1872" (Erastus Corning) manuscript cancel on vignette
EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF ONLY THREE OR FOUR REPORTED $500.00 "LARGE PERSIAN RUG" STAMPS WITH SHEET MARGINS AND IMPRINTS.
Only 210 were issued, and it is safe to say that most examples are faulty to some degree. A document exists from July 24, 1874, detailing the purchaser of each. Our census at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/R133 contains 87 examples, including only three with imprint selvage at the sides (despite the reported total of four such examples). There are no examples known with selvage on all sides. The initials "E.C." on this stamp belong to Erastus Corning, from whose estate the Large and Small "Persian Rug" imprint examples originate. According to Dr. Thomas Kingsley, the stamps were purchased by Mr. Corning's estate to pay the tax on his will, but the stamps were never attached to the will (this is why they retain their original gum).
Census no. 1-2. With 2007 P.F. certificate. Scott value of $17,500 is for an ordinary example without regard to the imprint selvage.