2014 Rarities of the World continued...

FRESH AND EXTREMELY FINE. A RARE BLACK JACK AND 1869 PICTORIAL MIXED-ISSUE COVER TO SWATOW, CHINA, IN UNUSUALLY CHOICE CONDITION FROM THE WINGATE CORRESPONDENCE.

Ex Gibson. Illustrated in Rose book on p. 54. With 1990 P.F. certificate (Image)

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AN EXTREMELY RARE TWO-THIRDS BISECT OF THE 3-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE PAYING THE DROP RATE ON COVER.

The best known of the 3c 1869 bisects were used from Luray, Virginia, on tax notices. This use from Vermont on a regular envelope is extremely rare.

With 2013 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE. A COLORFUL AND RARE 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE FRANKING WITH THREE DENOMINATIONS CANCELLED BY PERFECT STRIKES OF THE NEW YORK CITY 8-PETAL ROSETTE FANCY CANCEL ON A COVER TO SPAIN FROM THE GOMEZ CORRESPONDENCE.

According to Hubbard, in 1869 the HAPAG line did not reapply for the British mail contract, but continued to carry U.S. mails. On January 1, 1870, HAPAG declined to renew the contract for U.S. mail due to inadequate compensation, but continued to carry mail under temporary arrangements. In the middle of April 1870, when this was sent, a new two-year contract was negotiated to carry U.S. mail. However, by July HAPAG withdrew their service because the Franco-Prussian War jeopardized their ships.

Other 1869 Pictorial combination covers are known addressed to Spain, but this is the first we have encountered with a distinctive fancy cancellation. (Image)

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VERY FINE. A SPECTACULAR THREE-COLOR 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE FRANKING WITH THE SCARCE 15-CENT TYPE I PAYING THE 34-CENT RATE TO PERU BY AMERICAN AND BRITISH PACKET.

The Davis correspondence, also known as the famous Portchester find (named for the New York town where many of the covers originated), provided a large number of high-value 1869 Pictorial Issue covers addressed to Lima, Peru. While a number of Davis covers are known with 15c Type II stamps, the Type I is extremely rare used to any foreign destination other than France. The PRA Census book records only two used to Peru, including the example offered here.

Illustrated in 1982 PRA Register (p. 75) and in Rose book (p. 112). (Image)

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VERY FINE. A PHENOMENAL COVER BEARING TWO COPIES OF THE 24-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE AND 1870 BANK NOTE STAMPS FOR THE TRIPLE 22-CENT RATE TO PERU. THIS COVER FROM THE DAVIS CORRESPONDENCE IS ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR OF ALL 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE COVERS.

The mixed-issue franking of 66c postage pays three times the 22c rate to Peru by American Packet and British Packet via Panama.

Ex Klein. (Image)

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VERY FINE. A MAGNIFICENT MIXED-ISSUE HIGH-DENOMINATION 1869 PICTORIAL FRANKING FOR THE 28-CENT RATE TO SPAIN -- ONE OF SEVEN RECORDED WITH THIS COMBINATION. A SPECTACULAR AND COLORFUL COVER FROM THE GOMEZ CORRESPONDENCE.

Ten 24c 1869 covers to Spain are recorded in the 1869 PRA census, but one of these (with 1c and 3c stamps, ex Ishikawa) has been declared a forgery, leaving nine genuine covers. The cover offered here and two others like it are not listed in the census, which brings the total to 12 known, including seven with this combination. (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN ATTRACTIVE USED EXAMPLE OF THE 15-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE.

Our recently-updated census of Scott 119b, available at our website at http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/119b/119b.pdf , records three unused and 97 used copies of Scott 119b (there are an additional three unused copies and three 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-18. Ex Allen (Harmer, Rooke sale of 1950) and last offered in our 1973 Rarities sale. With 2014 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARING USED EXAMPLE OF THE 24-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE.

Our census of 24c 1869 Inverts, recently updated at our website at http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/120b/120b.pdf , contains four unused, 83 used singles, one used pair, one on cover and the unique block of four, for a total of 94 copies of the perforated 24c Invert.

Census No. 120b-CAN-12. Ex Matthies. With 2014 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF SEVEN RECORDED UNUSED EXAMPLES OF THE 30-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL INVERT, AND ONE OF ONLY TWO OR THREE SOUND COPIES. ONE OF THE GREATEST RARITIES OF UNITED STATES PHILATELY.

Only seven unused examples of the 30c 1869 Pictorial Issue with inverted flags are known. Only one has original gum (recently sold in our auction of the Beverly Hills collection for $600,000 hammer). The other six have no gum. Of the seven unused copies, the original-gum example is sound, as is the example offered here. One other is potentially sound, but has not been seen since 1960. Therefore, it is possible that this and the original-gum example are the only two completely sound unused examples of the 30c 1869 Pictorial Invert.

Census No. 121b-UNC-02. Ex Colonel Stillwell (Siegel Sale 413, sold by order of U.S. Trust Co.). Acquired by the current owner in our 1975 Rarities sale. With 2014 P.F. certificate.

Click here for a census of the unused 30c 1869 Pictorial Issue Inverts: http://siegelauctions.com/2013/1052/30c_Unused.pdf (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. A GEM ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 30-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL, POSSESSING A WONDERFUL COMBINATION OF COLOR, FRESHNESS AND OUTSTANDING CENTERING.

The rarity of centered original-gum examples of the 30c 1869 with grill is somewhat obscured by the availability of off-center copies of the 30c with and without grill. If the scope were narrowed to Scott 121 only, and only grades of Very Fine or Extremely Fine were considered, we estimate that fewer than 15 examples would be counted. Among the qualifying stamps, this is among the finest available.

With 1988, 2003 and 2013 P.F. certificates, as well as 2013 P.S.A.G. graded certificate (OGph, VF-XF 85) (Image)

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VERY FINE. AN INCALCULABLY RARE MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 3-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL RE-ISSUE. THIS STAMP RANKS AMONG A SMALL HANDFUL OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MINT NEVER-HINGED CLASSIC PERFORATED STAMPS IN EXISTENCE.

Original sales figures show that among the 1869 Pictorial Re-Issues, the 3c accounted for the second-smallest number of units sold (1,406). Overall, the 1869's were popular with stamp collectors, far outselling the 1851-60 and 1861-66 Re-Issue sets. However, the availability of ordinary 3c stamps limited demand, which is why it is so rare today. Handling over the years has not been kind to most of the surviving examples. To encounter a Mint N.H. example of this issue is truly extraordinary, especially since there were never any multiples from which a never-hinged copy could be harvested.

Among great classic perforated United States stamps prior to the Columbian Issue, we can think of only a few other Mint N.H. stamps that would stand in the company of the 3c 1869 Re-Issue offered here. Incredibly, three are from the Alan Whitman collection. They are: the 1857 10c Type II (Scott 32, ex Whitman, Sale 968, lot 45); the 1860 90c Blue (Scott 39, ex Odeneal, Siegel Sale 941, lot 1026); the 1870 12c Bank Note Grilled Issue (Scott 140, ex Whitman, Siegel Sale 968A, lot 180); and the 1870 30c Bank Note Grilled Issue (Scott 154, ex Whitman, Siegel Sale 968A, lot 192). Honorable mention goes to the 7c I Grills from the Scarsdale and Laila collections and the 24c National Bank Note Issue from the Whitman sale.

With 2014 P.S.E. certificate. Unpriced in Scott as Mint N.H. (Image)

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