Sale 1310 — Outstanding United States Stamps, featuring The Dragonfly Collection
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 27-28 February, 2024
Category — 1922 and Later Issues
10c Orange, Imperforate Pair (562b). Vertical pair, Positions 83/93, large margins incl. sheet margin at bottom, unused (no gum) as are all known examples, vivid color
VERY FINE AND SCARCE. A DESIRABLE BOTTOM SHEET MARGIN PAIR OF THE IMPERFORATE 10-CENT 1923 ISSUE.
According to United States Stamps 1922-26 by Gary Griffith, noted dealer Philip Ward purchased a pane in 1925 in Oklahoma. Large areas were marked for destruction with a blue crayon — examples such as the pair offered here, not defaced by the blue crayon, are scarce.
Ex Whitman. With 2005 P.F. certificate.
1c Green, Rotary, Perf 11 (594). Perfectly centered, long full perfs all around, tied by "New York, N.Y. Sta. Y 1924" dateless machine cancel with "REGISTER OR INSURE VALUABLE MAIL" slogan in bars on unsealed circular-rate envelope with typewritten local address
EXTREMELY FINE GEM STAMP AND IMMACULATE COVER. THE FINEST EXAMPLE OF SCOTT 594 EXTANT ON COVER AND AMONG THE BEST-CENTERED OF ALL KNOWN COPIES OF THIS RARITY. AN IMPORTANT 20TH CENTURY COVER.
The 1c Green, Scott 594, is waste from a horizontal rotary printing used to make coils. At the beginning or end of a coil-stamp print run from the 170-subject rotary plates, some leading or trailing paper was produced that was too short for rolling into 500-stamp rolls. In 1919 the Bureau devised a plan to salvage this waste by perforating and cutting the sheets into panes. They were put through the 11-gauge flat-plate perforator in use at the time, giving the sheets full perforations on all sides. In 1923 coil waste from the new 1c and 2c rotary production was turned into stamps later classified as Scott 578-579 and 594-595. These were the last of the coil-waste issues. The existence of Scott 594 was not reported until four months after the final sheets were delivered, and the 1c Rotary Perf 11 was soon recognized as one of the rarest United States stamps.
The first major find of this stamp was made in 1934 by Ernest E. Fairbanks, who retrieved nine pairs (18 stamps, one or two damaged) on nine separate covers that were returned by the post office years earlier from a bulk mailing. All were postmarked at New York City on October 4, 1924. The nine Fairbanks covers were cut down into pieces, and today there are perhaps five or six of these pieces intact. Our census of Scott 594, available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/594, contains 100 used singles, 6 stamps in 3 used pairs, and 6 stamps on 5 covers (one with a pair) for a total of 112 used stamps. Another 19 unused stamps are recorded. Many have perforations cutting in on one or more sides, or have faults.
The stamp on this cover ranks among the four best-centered copies of Scott 594 that exist in any condition. It is the finest of the recorded on-cover uses and the only single franking on an envelope. The perfs cut into the top of the pair on the other known envelope.
Census no. 594-COV-01. Ex Ewing, Dr. Graves ("Argentum") and "Sirron". Signed by Gordon Usticke (Stanley Gibbons backstamp). With 1988 P.F. certificate.
2c Carmine, Rotary, Perf 11 (595). Mint N.H., bright color, attractive centering and margins, Very Fine, with 1991 P.F. certificate
2c Carmine, Joint Line Pair, Ty. I, II (599-599A). Type II at left, bright color, about Fine
3c Violet, Coil (600). Joint line pair, wonderfully well-centered with wide margins, neat wavy-line machine cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, a superb used line pair, ex Depew, with 2009 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98), this is highest grade awarded and the sole example at this lofty grade
2c Carmine Lake, Coil (606a). Joint line pair, perfectly centered with balanced margins, deep rich color in the distinctive Carmine Lake shade, bold mute oval cancel
EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB AND EXTREMELY RARE USED JOINT LINE PAIR OF THE 2-CENT 1923 VERTICAL COIL IN THE CARMINE LAKE SHADE. THIS SUPERB 98 LINE PAIR IS THE HIGHEST GRADED AND THE ONLY EXAMPLE ABOVE XF 90 IN THE P.S.E. POPULATION REPORT.
Ex Depew. With 2014 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98). This is the highest grade awarded to a used Scott 606a in any format. No other line pairs grade above 90 in the P.S.E. Population Report. Unpriced in Scott used.
2c Black, Harding, Imperforate (611). Pair, massive margins with portions of all adjoining stamps, light duplex cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2015 P.S.E. certificate (Gem 100 Jumbo)
2c Harding, Rotary, Perf 11 (613). Intense shade and impression, neat machine cancel leaves entire design clearly visible
FRESH AND VERY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE 2-CENT HARDING ROTARY PERF 11, WHICH IS ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL 20TH CENTURY ISSUES. ONLY 51 ARE RECORDED.
Warren G. Harding, the 29th President, died in San Francisco on August 2, 1923, during a cross-country "Voyage of Understanding". Several people suggested a Harding memorial stamp, printed in black, and it was rushed into production. The first flat plate printing (Scott 610) was issued on September 1, 1923, in his home town of Marion, Ohio, followed less than two weeks later by the normal Perf 10 rotary press printing (Scott 612) on September 12.
The 2c Harding Rotary Perf 11 stamp was discovered in 1938 by Leslie Lewis of the New York firm, Stanley Gibbons Inc. Gary Griffith presents his hypothesis in United States Stamps 1922-26 that rotary-printed sheets of 400 were first reduced to panes of 100 and then fed through the 11-gauge perforating machine normally used for flat plate sheets. This method explains the existence of a straight-edge on Scott 613. Production quality and quantity was very low, due to the rotary press stamps' natural tendency to curl, and the use of the flat plate perforator for the slightly different-sized rotary printing.
Our census of the 2c Harding Rotary Perf 11, available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/613 , records 46 used singles (one faintly cancelled, if at all), one used pair and the used strip of three, for a total of 51 stamps. Of the singles, 22 are confirmed as sound, but of these only six rate a grade of Very Fine or Extremely Fine. The example offered here, with balanced margins and in sound condition, is highly desirable.
Census no. 613-CAN-02. From our 1980 and 2019 Rarities sales. With 1995 and 2008 P.F. certificates.
2c Carmine Rose, White Plains Souvenir Sheet (630). Mint N.H. unusually choice centering essentially throughout, fresh and Extremely Fine
2c Carmine Rose, White Plains Souvenir Sheet (630). Cancelled and tied by multiple strikes of violet "New York Philatelic Station Oct. 18 1926" First Day circular datestamp on buff cover to Long Island City N.Y., the sheet itself is unusually choice and well-centered, with full untrimmed margins all around (most covers show a trimmed top margin), fresh and Extremely Fine, one of the finest White Plains sheet First Day covers extant, ex Ambassador Middendorf
1c Green, Perf 11 x 10-1/2, Vertical Pair, Imperforate Between (632b). Mint N.H., deep rich color on bright paper, wide margins and well-centered
VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A RARE MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE ONE-CENT COMPOUND PERF IMPERFORATE BETWEEN. VERY FEW ARE KNOWN, ESPECIALLY IN MINT NEVER-HINGED CONDITION.
According to Gary Griffith, this error was discovered in 1939 in Bergen N.Y. The find was reported as thirteen blocks of four and three pairs, but some were subsequently determined to have blind perfs and were disqualified.
Illustrated in United States Stamps 1927-32 by Gary Griffith and from his collection. Ex Floyd, Whitman and "Sirron". With 1996, 2009 and 2019 P.F. certificates.
2c Carmine, Ty. II (634A). Mint N.H., brilliant color, Very Fine, with 1998 P.S.E. certificate
1c-10c Kans., Nebr. Overprints (658-679). Mint N.H., fresh colors throughout and attractive centering, Very Fine
1c-10c Kans., Nebr. Overprints (658-679). Two First Day covers bearing complete sets of Kansas and Nebraska respectively, "Washington, D.C. May 1, 1929" duplex datestamps, fresh and Very Fine, also includes two matching covers for the 5c, all with trivial mount adherences on backs at corners
4c Yellow Brown, Kans. Ovpt. (662). Deep rich color on bright paper, impeccably well-centered with balanced margins, Extremely Fine Gem, ex Helton, with 2016 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98), only one example grades higher (at 98J)
3c Violet, Nebr. Ovpt. (672). Wide margins and precise centering, selvage at right, unobtrusive circular datestamp cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2018 P.F. certificate (Superb 98), by way of comparison, the highest graded used Scott 672 in the P.S.E. Population Report is 95
4c Yellow Brown, Nebr. Ovpt. (673). Excellent centering with balanced margins, rich color, lightly cancelled, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2012 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95), this is the highest grade awarded to a used Scott 673, with only four others equal
8c Olive Green, Nebr. Ovpt. (677). Mathematically perfect centering, brilliant color on fresh paper, lightly cancelled, Extremely Fine Gem, the perfect used 8c Nebraska and easily the finest we have ever encountered, with 2013 P.S.E. certificate (Gem 100), this is the highest grade awarded and it is shared by no others, the next highest used stamp grades 90