Sale 1334 — The Dr. George Haikel Collection: Stamps and Covers of Exceptional Beauty and Rarity
Sale Date — Tuesday, 12 November, 2024
Category — Trans-Mississippi Issue
8c Violet Brown, Trans-Mississippi (289). Mint N.H., rich color and sharp proof-like impression on crisp white paper, framed by ultra-wide balanced margins on all sides
EXTREMELY FINE GEM EXAMPLE OF THE 8-CENT TRANS-MISSISSIPPI ISSUE, GRADED SUPERB 98 BY P.S.E. ONLY TWO GRADE HIGHER AND THREE OTHERS SHARE THIS DESIRABLE GRADE.
Collectors in pursuit of superb 19th Century commemorative stamps are well aware of the challenge in locating the 8c Trans-Mississippi with wide margins and choice centering. An examination of 8c multiples will reveal the fact that the space between horizontal rows was narrower than the space between vertical columns. Wide top and bottom margins that match the sides could only occur when the horizontal perforations were misapplied to a row, thereby impinging on the space allocated to the rows above and below. It is therefore extremely difficult to obtain in higher grades.
Ex "Scarsdale". With 2001 P.F. certificate. With 2004 and 2024 P.S.E. certificates (Superb 98). Only two grade higher (at 100, we have not offered one since 2012) and three others share this desirable grade. This is the first in this grade we have offered since our 2012 Merlin sale.
8c Violet Brown, Trans-Mississippi, Vertical Pair, Imperforate Horizontally (289a). With right selvage, original gum, lightly hinged, deep rich color, wide margins, few natural gum creases as almost always, pencil notation in selvage has been erased but leaves minor indentation
EXTREMELY FINE. A DESIRABLE PAIR OF THE 8-CENT TRANS-MISSISSIPPI IMPERFORATE HORIZONTALLY, WITH WIDE SHEET SELVAGE AT RIGHT, FROM THE McCOY STRIP.
According to the Neil-Rosenthal book (pp. 115-118), one pane of 50 was discovered by Robert Watts, a stamp clerk at one of the sales windows at the Philadelphia General Post Office, who found it between the wrapping paper of a bundle of stamps. He sold it for double face value ($8.00) to Herman Lewis, a locksmith in Philadelphia. Lewis soon sold it to William S. F. Pierce, who broke it into three pieces: a vertical strip of ten with sheet margin and full arrow at right, a vertical block of 20 containing both plate blocks, and a vertical block of 20 with natural straight edge at left.
The strip of ten was reportedly sold for $15 and was taken to Europe when the owner moved there. It returned to the U.S. in the 1930s, when it was broken. Ethel McCoy owned the vertical strip of four with arrow, and the pair offered here was part of that strip. The vertical block of 20 with straight edge at left was sold to Arthur E. Tuttle, a Philadelphia stamp dealer, who retailed them for $10 per pair. The block of 20 with both plate numbers was retained by Pierce, who later sold the top and bottom plate blocks to Albert Batchelder of the New England Stamp Co. for $175.
Ex McCoy and Hall. With 1992 and 2015 P.F. certificates. Illustrated as part of the McCoy strip in the Brookman book on page 181.
10c Gray Violet, Trans-Mississippi (290). Bottom "BUREAU, ENGRAVING & PRINTING" imprint and plate no. 620 block of four, original gum, lightly hinged, choice centering throughout, few minor perf separations sensibly reinforced
EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL ORIGINAL-GUM IMPRINT AND PLATE NUMBER BLOCK OF FOUR OF THE 10-CENT TRANS-MISSISSIPPI ISSUE.
Ex Wampler. With 1998 P.F. certificate.
50c Sage Green, Trans-Mississippi (291). Mint N.H. bottom "BUREAU, ENGRAVING & PRINTING" imprint and plate no. 603 block of four, deep rich color, proof-like impression, choice centering throughout, few minor perf separations at right not noted on certificate
EXTREMELY FINE. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION ONE OF THE FINEST PLATE BLOCKS OF THE 50-CENT TRANS-MISSISSIPPI ISSUE. IT IS NEVER HINGED, BEAUTIFULLY CENTERED, AND IN AN EXCELLENT STATE OF PRESERVATION.
For many years after the Trans-Mississippi Issue, it was customary to collect Bureau plate blocks in units of four. Only a few 50c Trans-Mississippi plate blocks of six have survived. We have offered three in that format and each had centering or condition issues, including perfs into design or gum creases. 50c Trans-Mississippi plate blocks of four are almost as rare in superb condition. This is the first in Mint N.H. condition we have offered since 1994 or in any of our Rarities sales, and the records of the P.F. do not contain another.
Ex Wampler. With 1998 P.F. certificate.
$1.00 Black, Trans-Mississippi (292). Mint N.H., beautifully centered, deep intense shade and proof-like impression on fresh paper
EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A HIGHLY DESIRABLE CENTERED, MINT NEVER-HINGED $1.00 TRANS-MISSISSIPPI.
With 1992 P.F. and 2024 P.S.E. certificates (XF 90). Only 11 grade higher and 13 share this desirable grade. These are surprisingly low population numbers for the most popular United States commemorative stamp.
$1.00 Black, Trans-Mississippi (292). Mint N.H. wide top "BUREAU, ENGRAVING & PRINTING" imprint and plate no. 606 pair, remarkably detailed impression and beautiful centering
EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A STUNNING MINT NEVER-HINGED IMPRINT AND PLATE NUMBER PAIR OF THE $1.00 TRANS-MISSISSIPPI ISSUE. EXCEEDINGLY RARE IN SUCH SUPERB CONDITION.
We have offered only three top and two bottom position imprint and plate number pairs in Mint N.H. condition since keeping computerized records. We have offered no plate blocks of any size in Mint N.H. condition. These are extremely low population numbers.
Ex Dr. Morris (acquired by Dr. Haikel in the 1996 sale). With 1989 and 1996 P.F. certificates.
$1.00 Black, Trans-Mississippi (292). Mathematically perfect centering with Jumbo margins, intense shade and proof-like impression, neat strike of circular datestamp leaves entire design clearly visible
EXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS STUNNING USED EXAMPLE OF THE $1.00 TRANS-MISSISSIPPI ISSUE HAS BEEN GRADED GEM 100 JUMBO BY P.S.E.—THIS IS THE HIGHEST GRADE POSSIBLE ON THE GRADING CHART, AND THIS STAMP IS THE ONLY $1.00 TRANS-MISSISSIPPI TO ACHIEVE THIS ULTIMATE GRADE. A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHAT IS WIDELY REGARDED AS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL UNITED STATES COMMEMORATIVE STAMP EVER ISSUED.
The $1.00 Trans-Mississippi is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful designs in U.S. philately. According to Brookman, the picture is supposed to portray cattle in the American West and is labelled "Western Cattle In Storm" at bottom. However, the subject of the original painting by J. A. MacWhirter, who specialized in romantic landscapes and first exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy at the age of 14, was of cattle in the West Highlands of Scotland.
The dollar-value Trans-Mississippi stamps are rarely found with centering that would qualify for a high numerical grade, but in used condition they are further handicapped by heavy registry cancels, which almost invariably knock points off the final grade.
With 1999 P.F. and 2012 and 2024 P.S.E. certificates (Gem 100 Jumbo). This is the only dollar-value stamp of either the Columbian or Trans-Mississippi issues to be awarded the highest grade possible of Gem 100 Jumbo in any category (used, hinged or Mint N.H.). Among the lower denominations, only one 1c and one 2 in Mint N.H. condition have been graded Gem 100 Jumbo; no others in any category have achieved this grade.
$1.00 Black, Trans-Mississippi (292). Showing full guideline at top, tied by indistinct strikes of registry oval cancel, purple "Registered/Oct. 25 1900/Englewood Station,/Chicago Ill." four-line datestamp on oversize buff cover with "Photograph, Don't Crush or Bend" printed corner card design at top left to Charlottenburg, Germany, handstamp of return address for a physician, New York registry label, manuscript and handstamped registry numbers, range of backstamps including New York (Oct. 29) and receiving (Nov. 7), the latter struck five times, four intact red wax seals on back, minor edgewear
VERY FINE. A RARE AND DESIRABLE USE OF THE $1.00 TRANS-MISSISSIPPI ISSUE ON A REGISTERED COVER TO GERMANY.
Perhaps 20 covers are known with the $1.00 Trans-Mississippi Issue, including approximately 14 with single frankings. This was mailed by Dr. J. A. Schmidt, a Chicago physician and stamp collector.
Ex Rosenthal. Illustrated in the Neil-Rosenthal book (p. 149). With 1994 P.F. certificate.
$2.00 Orange Brown, Trans-Mississippi (293). Mint N.H. wide bottom "BUREAU, ENGRAVING & PRINTING" imprint and plate no. 613 pair, deep rich color, choice centering
EXTREMELY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE MINT NEVER-HINGED IMPRINT AND PLATE NUMBER MULTIPLE OF THE $2.00 TRANS-MISSISSIPPI ISSUE. A PHENOMENAL RARITY.
Imprint and plate number multiples of the Trans-Mississippi dollar-value stamps are very rare, even in the format most often seen—a pair with the imprint on one selvage tab and the number on the other. Collectors at the start of the 20th century preferred pairs showing the imprint and plate number. A few wanted blocks of four, but the symmetry of a block of six with the imprint in the center selvage tab was not appreciated until much later. By then, most panes and imprint multiples had been reduced to pairs and a small number of blocks of four.
Our search of the records of The Philatelic Foundation plus Power Search found very few Mint N.H. imprint and plate number multiples. We were able to locate two plate blocks of four in Mint N.H. condition (one hinged in selvage from bottom position, the other with top plate position and perfs into design at top). We were also able to locate two other plate number pairs in Mint N.H. condition (one each from top and bottom positions, each with perfs close to design on one side). The example offered here is the finest we could find.
With 1974, 1981 and 1991 P.F. certificates.