Sale 1297 — United States Stamps
Sale Date — Tuesday-Thursday, 31 October-2 November, 2023
Category — 1c 1857-60 Issue (Scott 18-24)
1c-90c 1857-60 Issue, Plate Proofs on India (24P3/39P3). Complete set of eight, large margins to clear, 10c and 24 mounted on cards, few faults, Very Fine appearance, a scarce complete set of the plate proofs on India paper, each with P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. I (18). Plate 12, C Relief, Mint N.H., deep rich color, radiant color on post-office fresh paper, choice centering for this difficult issue
VERY FINE AND CHOICE. AN ATTRACTIVE AND RARE MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 ONE-CENT TYPE I PERFORATED ISSUE.
Ex Whitman. With 1995 P.S.E. certificate. Scott value as hinged.
1c Blue, Ty. I (18). Plate 12, C Relief, unused (no gum), fresh color and choice centering showing full bottom plumes clearly, Very Fine, with 1982 and 2008 P.F. certificates (VF 80)
1c Blue, Ty. I (18). Plate 12, C Relief, deep rich color, choice centering, neat strike of blue circular datestamp cancel, fresh and Extremely Fine, ex Gorham, with 2011 P.S.E. certificate (XF 90)
1c Blue, Ty. I (18). Plate 12, C Relief, well-centered and rich color, neat target cancels, Very Fine, with 2017 P.F. certificate (VF 80)
1c Blue, Ty. Ia (19). Position 93R4, rich color on bright paper, neat Chicago circular datestamp cancel
A FINE AND ATTRACTIVE SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 ONE-CENT PERFORATED TYPE Ia.
Ex Curtis. With 2005 and 2017 P.F. certificates (latter F 70).
1c Blue, Ty. Ia (19). Position 93R4, wide-spaced perforations at bottom and top, rich color, neat single line pen cancel, tiny thin spot and corner crease at top right
VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 ONE-CENT TYPE Ia WITH WIDE-SPACED PERFORATIONS. EXAMPLES WITH WIDE-SPACED PERFORATIONS ARE EXTREMELY RARE AND DESIRABLE.
The exceptions to the normal cut-into condition of top-row and bottom-row Plate 4 stamps are those with wide-spaced perforations. It has been assumed for years that the pins of the bottom row of the perforator were reset to create more space, but some students of the 1851-57 Issue have begun to reexamine this aspect of Plate 4 production to seek alternative explanations for wide-spaced perforations. Whatever the cause, wide-spaced stamps are extremely rare and highly desirable, because they exhibit all of the features that define their respective types. Ashbrook states: “I consider perforated Type Ia stamps that are not touched by perforations as the rarest stamps in the 1857 perforated issue.” (Neinken book, p. 279). The Scott Catalogue contains a footnote to the basic price quotes: “Copies of this stamp exist with perforations not touching the design at any point. Such copies command very high prices.”
With 2023 P.S.E. certificate. Scott value as normal.
1c Blue, Ty. Ia (19). Bottom row of Plate 4, F Relief, brilliant color, ample margins to just in at bottom but intact perfs and narrow selvage help to show the complete plumes at bottom, manuscript "X" cancel, fresh and Fine example, with 1977 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. Ia (19). Position 97R4, rich Plate 4 color, centered to bottom left, lightened manuscript cancel, Fine, an attractive example of this scarce stamp, with 2019 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. Ia (19). Position 98R4, centered to bottom left, red New York Carrier Dept. circular datestamp, single nibbed perf at upper right, otherwise Very Good, a scarce stamp with the New York City Carrier Dept. cancel, with 2010 Richard Celler plating certificate, Scott value $9,700
1c Blue, Ty. II (20). Plate 12, Mint N.H., bright shade, three wide margins, fresh paper
VERY FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE PERFORATED ONE-CENT TYPE II. WE HAVE OFFERED ONLY NINE MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLES OF SCOTT 20 IN THE PAST 24 YEARS.
Of the nine unduplicated Mint N.H. singles contained in Power Search, two were Fine only. The example offered here, which clearly shows the bottom design complete at right, is desirable. Ex Hoffman. With 2004 and 2011 P.F. certificates. Scott value as hinged.
1c Blue, Ty. II (20). Position 8L4, deep rich Plate 4 color, unobtrusive blue circular datestamp cancel, Very Fine and choice, scarce from Plate 4, with 2022 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. II (20). Plate 12, intense color and proof-like impression, light cancel, choice centering, Extremely Fine, ex Hansen, with 2002 and 2008 P.F. certificates (VF-XF 85)
1c Blue, Ty. II, Major Plate Crack (20 var). Position 13L2, clearly showing the crack at lower left, rich color, circular datestamp cancel, Very Fine and choice example of this scarce and unusual variety, ex Gorham, with 2011 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. III (21). Position 53L4, well-centered with nicely balanced margins, single stroke pen cancel, Extremely Fine, with 1995 and 2013 P.F. certificates (VF-XF 85), Scott value as pen cancel
1c Blue, Ty. III (21). Plate 4, C Relief, rich color, margins to touched at right, indistinct cork cancel, Fine, with 2002 P.F. certificate
1c Blue, Ty. III (21). Plate 4, bright color, clear breaks at top and bottom, corner strike of circular datestamp, tear at bottom, otherwise Fine
1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (22). Plate 11, brilliant color and paper, gorgeous centering with well-proportioned margins, light cancel leaves entire design clearly visible
EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB USED EXAMPLE OF THE PERFORATED 1857 ONE-CENT TYPE IIIa, GRADED XF-SUPERB 95 BY P.S.E.
Plates 11 and 12 were probably made in June 1860, with less than six months left in Toppan Carpenter's contract. Stamps from these plates frequently have poor centering. The example offered here, with bright color, balanced margins and a light cancel, is truly remarkable.
Ex Merlin, "Natalee Grace" and Myerson. With 2005 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95). Only two grade higher (both 95J).
1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (22). Plate 11, rich color, choice centering with particularly wide margins, neat strike of circular datestamp
EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 PERFORATED ONE-CENT TYPE IIIa GRADED XF 90 JUMBO BY P.S.E.
Ex Helton. With 2013 P.S.E. certificate (XF 90 Jumbo). There are very few high-grade Scott 22's with the Jumbo appellation (two 95J's and only this single 90J)a
1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (22). Plate 11, bright color, attractive centering and margins, light circular datestamp cancel, fresh and Very Fine, with 2011 P.F. certificate (VF 80)
1c Blue, Ty. IV (23). Recut once at top and bottom, unused (no gum), deep rich color on bright paper, unusually choice centering
EXTREMELY FINE UNUSED EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 ONE-CENT TYPE IV. SCARCE WITH SUCH CHOICE CENTERING.
The Plate 1 Late sheets on hand in 1857 were perforated on the new equipment, but the spacing between subjects and Toppan Carpenter's generally poor perforating skills resulted in the majority being off center.
Ex "Adventurer". With 2018 P.F. certificate (XF 90). By way of comparison, P.S.E. has graded only one original-gum example (at 90) and two with either no gum or disturbed gum (one at 90 described as slightly disturbed gum but with P.F. as original gum and one graded the lowest possible 10).
1c Blue, Ty. IV (23). Recut once at top and bottom, gorgeous color and well-centered, Very Fine, with copy of 1990 P.F. certificate for a pair, with 2012 P.F. certificate (VF 80)
1c Blue, Ty. Va (24 var). Plate 5, rich color and choice centering, neat grid of dots cancel, fresh and Extremely Fine, with 1978, 1993 and 2023 P.F. certificates (XF 90), with 2004 P.S.E. certificate (XF 90)
1c Blue, Ty. V (24). Wide margins and excellent centering, unobtrusive circular datestamp cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2018 P.S.A.G. certificate (XF-Superb 95)
1c 1851-57 Issue Accumulation from the Richard A. Champagne Stock. Stock pages with approximately 184 imperforate and 645 perforated 1c 1851-57 stamps arranged by plate number (and mostly identified by position), wide range of cancels, few multiples including imperforate strips of three, faults to be expected throughout but many appear Fine-Very Fine, a wonderful project with much of the difficult plating work already done