Sale 1326 — 2024 Rarities of the World
Sale Date — Thursday, 27 June, 2024
Category — 1869 Pictorial Issue and Re-Issue
2c Brown (113). Used with four 10c Brown (161), tied by four strikes of "N. York Steamship Feb. 18" (1875) circular datestamp on cover from Cuba to Barcelona, Spain, via the United States, originated with two Cuba, 1875, 50c Blue Green, Coat of Arms (50), also tied by the New York datestamp, red "New York Paid All Feb. 18" circular datestamp, red "PD" handstamp alongside crayon "10" and red "Wfr" handstamp, endorsed at bottom with Feb. 13, 1875 date, Cuban stamps with small faults, 10c Bank Note stamps with some minor gum toning and one with clipped corner, minor edgewear
VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE AND COLORFUL CUBA-UNITED STATES DUAL FRANKING, INCLUDING THE 2-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE, ON A COVER FROM CUBA TO SPAIN VIA THE UNITED STATES.
Ex Allemany. With 2024 P.F. certificate.
2c Brown, Without Grill (113b). Original gum, rich color, attractive centering and margins
VERY FINE. A RARE SOUND ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 2-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE WITHOUT GRILL.
We have offered about a dozen singles, plus a rejoined block of four, since 1993. Most examples of this stamp are significantly off center, with perfs in on one side.
Ex Przybyl. With 2010 P.F. certificate.
30c Ultramarine & Carmine, Without Grill (121a). Original gum, h.r., deep rich colors, wide margins
VERY FINE AND CHOICE ORIGINAL GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 30-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE WITHOUT GRILL.
With the reclassification of certain copies of Scott 121a as the 30c 1869 double-paper essay, the rarity of stamps that will receive current certificates as Scott 121a has increased significantly. This stamp shows the sharper impression of Scott 121a on normal paper.
Ex Waterhouse and from our 1979 Rarities sale.
90c Carmine & Black, Without Grill (122a). Original gum, small h.r., deep rich colors and proof-like impressions
VERY FINE AND CHOICE. AN EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 90-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE WITHOUT GRILL. ONLY 26 EXAMPLES HAVE BEEN CERTIFIED AS GENUINE BY THE PHILATELIC FOUNDATION.
Our recent review of the records of The Philatelic Foundation found 26 certified examples. Several have not been seen in some time and need to be reexamined. Only 14 have either part or full original gum and only eight of these original-gum stamps are certified as sound.
90c Carmine & Black, Without Grill (122a). Original gum, bright colors, tiny corner crease at top left, accompanying certificate also states "three perfs at right top repunched"
VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 90-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE WITHOUT GRILL. ONLY 26 EXAMPLES HAVE BEEN CERTIFIED AS GENUINE BY THE PHILATELIC FOUNDATION.
With 1998 P.F. certificate.
3c Ultramarine (114). Tied by perfect strike of Running Chicken fancy cancel of Waterbury Conn. (Rohloff A-11) on small cover to Henry S. Chase in Washington Conn., matching "Waterbury Ct. Feb. 21" circular datestamp, 1870 docketing in purple ink and curious manuscript note by sender at top of cover: "Up in a balloon boys", stamp with bottom left corner torn off before use, very trivial toning
AN EXTREMELY FINE STRIKE OF THE WATERBURY RUNNING CHICKEN FANCY CANCELLATION, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS AND RECOGNIZABLE OF ALL FANCY CANCELS.
This fancy cancel is reportedly based on a popular return address imprint of the period showing a freshly hatched chick chasing a fly ("If you don't catch 'em in five days" etc.). This cover was part of the Chase correspondence, discovered in 1985, which brought the total number of known covers to four examples, plus one front.
Ex Houser. The Chase correspondence find is described in an article in the Nov. 1985 Chronicle, p. 272. The cover is also illustrated in an article in Nov. 2011 Chronicle "Inside the Nick Kardasis 1869 Collection". 1990 P.F. certificate no longer accompanies.
24c Green & Violet (120). Choice centering and wide margins, red Leaf cancels applied at New York (probably on Supplementary Mail), Extremely Fine and striking, with 2003, 2007, 2012 and 2017 P.F. certificates
30c Ultramarine & Carmine (121). Block of twelve, bright colors, typical cork cancels for a multiple but several are relatively lightly cancelled, also trace of red cancel at top right, top left stamp with some perf faults at left, bottom left pair light crease
VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A BLOCK OF TWELVE IS THE LARGEST RECORDED MULTIPLE OF THE 30-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE.
The largest recorded unused multiple of Scott 121 (the normal issue) is a block of six. The largest recorded used multiple is a block of twelve, of which three or four are known. SCV $9,600 as two blocks of four and two pairs.
90c Carmine & Black (122). Part original gum described on accompanying certificate as "o.g.", small h.r., deep rich colors, unusually wide and balanced margins
EXTREMELY FINE. A STUNNING ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 90-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE.
The 90c 1869 Pictorial is widely admired for its beautiful engraving and dignified portrait of Abraham Lincoln. However, collectors have been frustrated in their efforts to acquire choice examples of this issue. Used 90c stamps are typically heavily cancelled, because the high denomination was cause for postal clerks to thoroughly obliterate any chance for re-use. Naturally, the significant monetary value of 90c in 1869 limited the number of unused stamps that would be saved for future collectors.
With 1972 P.F. certificate.
15c-90c 1869 Pictorial Inverts, Plate Proofs on Card (120aP4, 121aP4, 122aP4, 129aP4). Large margins, rich colors on bright cards
EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL SET OF 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE INVERT PLATE PROOFS. ONLY ONE SHEET OF 100 OF EACH WAS PRODUCED.
The card proof sheets of 100 of the four inverted high values of the 1869 Pictorial issue were prepared for and displayed at the Atlanta International Cotton Exposition in 1881. They were printed in response to the publicity surrounding the actual inverted stamps that began to appear in the 1870’s. The sheets were somehow acquired by James A. Petrie of Phillipsburg, New Jersey, at the close of the exposition. Petrie claimed that he rescued the inverts along with the trial color card proof sheets (the "Atlanta" trial color proofs) just before they were to be burned. For some years he tried to sell his find and in 1895 he began to advertise them in the philatelic press, finding no takers. In 1903 he sold them to James Ludovic Lindsay, the 26th Earl of Crawford, one of the great collectors of stamps, essays, proofs and philatelic literature at the turn of the 20th Century. In November 1915 the Earl of Crawford’s collection was purchased by John A. Klemann of the Nassau Stamp Company in New York. It was Klemann who eventually cut up the sheets.
15c Brown & Blue, Ty. II, Center Inverted (119b). Deep rich colors, neat four-stroke pen cancel leaving the vignette in clear view, centered to left
FINE. A RARE SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE 15-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE INVERT WITH RICH COLORS AND SHARP IMPRESSIONS—FROM A NEW FIND.
Our census of Scott 119b at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/119b records three unused and 104 used copies (there are an additional three used examples of Scott 119c). Two of the used copies are in institutions — the Tapling Collection at The British Library and the Miller Collection at The New York Public Library. Only 13 are confirmed as fully sound. This sound example was discovered in the last few months. It was hinged to a page in a 19th century notebook, alongside a variety of inexpensive, faulty stamps, which must have been removed from covers by the collector. It becomes the 104th used single of Scott 119b.
Census no. 119b-CAN-104.
15c Brown & Blue, Ty. II, Center Inverted (119b). Light target cancel leaves frame and inverted vignette clearly visible, rich colors, small tear at left center, small closed tear at top right, two light diagonal creases, pulled perf at right (last not mentioned on accompanying certificate)
A FINE APPEARING USED EXAMPLE OF THE 15-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL INVERT.
Our census of Scott 119b at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/119b records three unused and 104 used copies (there are an additional three used examples of Scott 119c). Two of the used copies are in institutions — the Tapling Collection at The British Library and the Miller Collection at The New York Public Library.
Census no. 119b-CAN-58. Ex Curie and Hoffman. With 2004 P.F. certificate
1c Brown Orange, 1881 Re-Issue (133a). Top pane of 70 and bottom pane of 80, forming a complete reconstruction of the sheet of 150, both panes with full selvage and "NATIONAL BANK NOTE CO. NEW YORK" imprint and "No. 33" plate number, without gum as issued, deep rich color on both, top pane centering ranges from Fine to Very Fine, bottom pane centering is Fine and has some slightly compressed perfs between 4th and 5th horizontal rows and some other separations, light crease thru 8th vertical column, a few tiny perf faults below the bottom left stamp and few small thin spots
THE UNIQUE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE SHEET OF 150 FOR THE 1881 RE-ISSUE OF THE ONE-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE. ONLY ONE BOTTOM PANE OF 80 AND TWO TOP PANES OF 70 ARE KNOWN TO EXIST. ONE OF THE ICONIC MULTIPLES OF CLASSIC PHILATELY.
The 1c Buff 1875 Re-Issue on hard paper (Scott 123) was produced by National Bank Note Company from a new plate of 150 subjects, numbered 33. When American Bank Note Company took over the stamp contract, it used the National plate to print the soft paper 1c Re-Issue stamps—the 1c Buff with gum (Scott 133) and the 1c Brown Orange without gum (Scott 133a offered here). American divided the sheets into top panes of 70 and bottom panes of 80. This is a unique reconstruction of the complete sheet because the bottom pane of 80 included here is the only one known to exist. There is one other top pane of 70 known, which was offered in our 2005 Rarities sale. Even plate blocks of ten are extremely rare with only a few recorded. This reconstruction of the 150-subject sheet is an iconic rarity of the 1869 Pictorial Issue.
Illustrated in United States Postage Stamps of 1869 by Jon Rose (p. 14). Scott value $103,250 as two plate blocks and singles.