Siegel Sale 1000 continued...

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THE LARGEST RECORDED MULTIPLE OF THE 12-CENT 1857 ISSUE (PLATE ONE OR THREE) IN PRIVATE HANDS.

This is the only half-pane of the 12c 1857 Issue from either Plate 1 or 3 in private hands. A complete pane of 100, also from Plate 3, is owned by the Franklin Institute (Jefferys Collection).

Scott Retail as ten blocks of four and five pairs with gum. (Image)

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FINE-VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A STUNNING UNUSED BLOCK OF 25 OF THE 12-CENT 1857 ISSUE FROM PLATE 3. ONE OF THE LARGEST MULTIPLES EXTANT.

A pane of 100 is owned by the Franklin Institute (Jefferys Collection) and a half-pane from the DuPuy collection (also without gum) is offered in lot 1018. Apart from those two blocks we are unaware of any larger multiples.

With 1989 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail as four blocks of four, four pairs and a single with gum (Image)

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FINE-VERY FINE. AN OUTSTANDING 24-CENT 1860 BLOCK -- ONE OF THE LARGEST AND ARGUABLY THE FINEST MULTIPLE EXTANT.

Ex Caspary, Klein and Zoellner. Scott Retail for four blocks and two pairs (Image)

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VERY FINE. THIS IS THE LARGEST RECORDED MULTIPLE OF THE 1860 24-CENT ISSUE. A PHENOMENAL RARITY AND A WONDERFUL SHOWPIECE.

Ex Filstrup. Scott Retail as four blocks of four, two pairs and two singles (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCK OF NINE OF THE 30-CENT 1860 ISSUE. THIS IS ONE OF THE LARGEST UNUSED MULTIPLES IN EXISTENCE.

The largest recorded unused multiple is a horizontal block of 21, ex Zoellner. Apart from that, this is the largest multiple we have offered since keeping computerized records.

With 1987 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail as block of four, two pairs and a single (Image)

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VERY FINE. A RARE SOUND ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCK OF FOUR OF THE 30-CENT 1860 ISSUE. A DIFFICULT BLOCK TO FIND IN SUCH WONDERFUL CONDITION.

This block clearly demonstrates why it is so difficult to find this issue with choice centering. The narrow space between subjects on the plate makes it almost impossible for the perforations to clear the design on all four sides. This is one of the finest we have ever offered.

With 1981 P.F. certificate for block of eight. (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCK OF FOUR OF THE 30-CENT 1860 ISSUE.

Ex Lilly. (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THIS IS BY FAR THE LARGEST RECORDED MULTIPLE OF THE 30-CENT 1860 ISSUE, AND THE LARGEST RECORDED USED BLOCK OF ANY CLASSIC UNITED STATES STAMP. A REMARKABLE ARTIFACT.

This was originally a block of 53, which paid the postage on a bag of Gold Dust from Sacramento to Boston. The $15.90 rate corresponds to approximately 80 ounces of weight (at 10c per half-ounce).

Ex Ishikawa. Illustrated in Brookman. Scott Retail as ten blocks of four, two pairs and a single. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF THREE RECORDED ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCKS OF NINE OF THE 90-CENT 1860 ISSUE, WHICH IS THE LARGEST RECORDED MULTIPLE. AN IMPORTANT CLASSIC UNITED STATES BLOCK.

The 90c stamp was issued in 1860, along with the 24c and 30c values, all of which were needed to prepay high international letter rates established by various postal treaties. When supplies of current postage stamps were declared invalid in the South and ultimately demonetized by the Federal government, the 90c had been in use for only one year. Most unused multiples probably come from supplies recovered from Southern post offices.

There are three recorded original-gum blocks of nine of the 90c 1860 Issue, which survive as the largest recorded multiples following the division of the Caspary block of 21. The Caspary block (lot 817 in the 1956 sale) comprised Positions 43-49/53-59/63-69R, and it was still intact when it was part of the B. D. Phillips collection, which the Weills acquired for $4.07 million in 1968. Sometime after 1968 this block was divided into a block of nine from the center, two blocks of four from the bottom left and bottom right corners, and singles or pairs from the top left and top right corners. The block of nine (Positions 45-47/65-67R) remains intact in an important East Coast collection, and it is the finest block known (the center horizontal row is Mint N.H.). The bottom left block of four (53-54/63-64R) from the Caspary block was sold in the 1993 Ishikawa auction and shortly thereafter broken into singles by a dealer (the top right stamp from this block is Mint N.H.). The bottom right block (58-59/68-69R) from the Caspary block was last sold by the Siegel firm in our auction of the Alan B. Whitman collection (lot 54, realized $95,000 hammer) and remains intact.

The block of nine offered here was also in the 1956 Caspary sale (lot 816), where it was acquired by the Weills for B. D. Phillips. It appeared in the Siegel 1969 Rarities of the World sale, the first Rarities sale following the Weills' acquisition of the Phillips collection (this sale contained an array of stellar pieces from the collection). In March 1987 the block surfaced in Switzerland at a Corinphila auction, where it was acquired by Peter G. DuPuy.

The third recorded block of nine is offered in lot 1027 of this sale. We have been unable to trace its pedigree beyond the 1976 Siegel auction of the Rudolf Wunderlich collection of 1851-57's (Sale 484, lot 346). That block was acquired by Mr. DuPuy in an April 2000 general sale held by Shreves.

Ex Caspary and B. D. Phillips. With 1987 P.F. certificate which states that "it is genuine previously hinged". Scott Retail as block of four, two pairs and single (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF THREE RECORDED ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCKS OF NINE OF THE 90-CENT 1860 ISSUE, WHICH IS THE LARGEST RECORDED MULTIPLE. A SPECTACULAR 19TH CENTURY UNITED STATES BLOCK.

The 90c stamp was issued in 1860, along with the 24c and 30c values, all of which were needed to prepay high international letter rates established by various postal treaties. When supplies of current postage stamps were declared invalid in the South and ultimately demonetized by the Federal government, the 90c had been in use for only one year. Most unused multiples probably come from supplies recovered from Southern post offices.

There are three recorded original-gum blocks of nine of the 90c 1860 Issue, which survive as the largest recorded multiples following the division of the Caspary block of 21. The Caspary block (lot 817 in the 1956 sale) comprised Positions 43-49/53-59/63-69R, and it was still intact when it was part of the B. D. Phillips collection, which the Weills acquired for $4.07 million in 1968. Sometime after 1968 this block was divided into a block of nine from the center, two blocks of four from the bottom left and bottom right corners, and singles or pairs from the top left and top right corners. The block of nine (Positions 45-47/65-67R) remains intact in an important East Coast collection, and it is the finest block known (the center horizontal row is Mint N.H.). The bottom left block of four (53-54/63-64R) from the Caspary block was sold in the 1993 Ishikawa auction and shortly thereafter broken into singles by a dealer (the top right stamp from this block is Mint N.H.). The bottom right block (58-59/68-69R) from the Caspary block was last sold by the Siegel firm in our auction of the Alan B. Whitman collection (lot 54, realized $95,000 hammer) and remains intact.

The second surviving block of nine (offered in lot 1026 of this sale) was also in the 1956 Caspary sale (lot 816), where it was acquired by the Weills for B. D. Phillips. It appeared in the Siegel 1969 Rarities of the World sale, the first Rarities sale following the Weills' acquisition of the Phillips collection (this sale contained an array of stellar pieces from the collection). In March 1987 the block surfaced in Switzerland at a Corinphila auction, where it was acquired by Peter G. DuPuy.

The third recorded block of nine is the block offered here. We have been unable to trace its pedigree beyond the 1976 Siegel auction of the Rudolf Wunderlich collection of 1851-57's (Sale 484, lot 346). This block was acquired by Mr. DuPuy in an April 2000 general sale held by Shreves.

Ex Wunderlich. Scott Retail as block of four, two pairs and a single (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCK OF FOUR OF THE 90-CENT 1860 ISSUE.

Ex Waterhouse. With 1991 P.F. certificate (Image)

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