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Sale 273
The Robert L. Markovits Collection
of U.S. Official Stamps, 1873-1884
| State Department - Essays and Proofs |
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| Lot |
Photo |
Description |
Lot 3043 |
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E
State Dept., 1873, 3¢ mock-up essay, in black & gray (O59-E1), model of engraved vignette, numeral and value label on yellowish card, mounted on pencil and wash drawing of frame on white card, model of engraved vignette, numeral and value label on yellowish card, mounted on pencil and wash drawing of frame on 90 x 120 mm white card, signed by Joseph Claxton, designer of all of the official stamps Extremely Fine.
Estimate 3,000 - 4,000
THE UNIQUE ARTIST'S MODEL.
Provenance: Thomas F. Morris, Jr.
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Lot 3044 |
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E
State Dept., 1873, $2 mock-up essay, in black (O68-E1), model of engraved vignette mounted on watercolor drawing of adopted frame design, model of engraved vignette mounted on watercolor drawing of adopted frame design on 96 x 120 mm backing card signed by Joseph Claxton and Charles Skinner Very Fine.
Estimate 4,000 - 5,000
THE UNIQUE ARTISTS' MODEL.
Provenance: Thomas F. Morris, Jr.
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Lot 3045 |
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E
State Dept., 1873, $2 essay, in black (O68-E2), frame and value labels only, die on India, containing the complete frame for the $2 and value labels for the $5, $10 and $20, usual slight India paper flaws Very Fine.
Estimate 4,000 - 5,000
A DRAMATIC ESSAY AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES IN PRIVATE HANDS.
As so few of the $5-$20 values were to be printed, it was not necessary to make a complete frame die for each. After the $2 frames had been entered on the plate, the value tablet was burnished out and the appropriate value tablet re-entered on the plate. Slight shifts in the re-entry of the value tablet relative to the frame, along with selective retouching make it possible to plate each copy of the three higher values.
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Lot 3046 |
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E
State Dept., 1873, $2 green, plate essay on India on card (O68-E3), block of four frame and value label only, plate on India plate impression of the frame only in three positions with an impression of the vignette added to the fourth position at the upper left, the embossed impression of the lower right edge of the vignette plate is clearly visible on the other three, small punch lower left stamp some trivial India paper faults Very Fine.
Estimate 5,000 - 7,500
A SPECTACULAR AND UNIQUE ESSAY.
The background of this and of the following essay is unknown. Some have speculated that the vignette, in order to appear in one frame only, must have been masked off on the other positions. On examination, however, with the impression of the lower right corner of the plate clearly visible, an alternate explanation is that the vignette plate was positioned to fill in only the upper left frame. An examination of the $20 essay below shows that the impression of the bottom of the vignette plate ends exactly where it does on this one. Further confirmation comes from examining Markovits' $2 lower right corner margin single, lot 3086, where the impression of the edge of the plate clearly shows in the selvage and matches up exactly with the impression on these two essays.
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Lot 3047 |
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State Dept., 1873, $20 green, plate essay on India (unlisted) (O71-E var.), plate engraving of frame only, top half only in pair with completed plate proof, showing part of frame plate number, mounted on card small punch on essay, piece out of top of proof (both contemporary) Very Fine.
Estimate 3,000 - 4,000
ANOTHER DRAMATIC AND UNIQUE ESSAY.
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Lot 3048 |
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P
State Dept., 1873, 1¢-$20 complete, large die proofs (O57P1-O71P1), die sunk on cards, dollar values are hybrids as always, sizes are approximately 70 x 85-90 mm with full die sinkage couple with minor light stain not affecting design overall Very Fine.
Scott $1,480
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Lot 3049 |
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P
State Dept., 1873, 1¢-$20 complete, small die proofs (O57P2-O71P2), on India, mounted on gray cards from the "Roosevelt" album, a fresh set and Very Fine.
Scott $1,600
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Lot 3050 |
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P
State Dept., 1873, 1¢-$20 complete, small die proofs ("Panama-Pacific") (O57P2a-O71P2a), full margins, some minor light thinning as so often on these soft paper proofs Very Fine exceedingly rare and undercatalogued as only three to five sets are known to exist.
Scott $4,325
The Panama-Pacific proofs of the official stamps generally catalogue $275 each, yet are equally as rare as the Panama-Pacific proofs of the Bank Note issue with average catalogue value of $1,200 each.
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Lot 3051 |
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P
State Dept., 1873, $2-$20 high values, plate proofs on card (O68P4-O71P4), complete sheets of ten Very Fine not listed in Scott.
Estimate 6,000 - 8,000
QUITE POSSIBLY THE ONLY INTACT SET OF COMPLETE SHEETS AS ALL THE CARD PROOFS WERE BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN CUT UP.
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Lot 3052 |
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P
State Dept., 1873, $2 green & black, center inverted, plate proof on card (O68aP4), top plate no. 121 single with large margins on other three sides, fresh colors strengthened, vertical crease (virtually unnoticeable except in selvage) otherwise Very Fine most attractive and rare.
Scott $2,500
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Lot 3053 |
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P
State Dept., 1873, $2, $5 and $20 high values, centers inverted, plate proofs on card (O68aP4, O69aP4, O71aP4), each with generous margins a Very Fine set.
Scott $6,000
A SUPERB SET OF THESE RARE PROOF ERRORS; ONLY 10 SETS CAN EXIST.
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Lot 3054 |
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P
State Dept., 1873, $5 green & black, center inverted, plate proof on card (O69aP4), top plate no. 120 single with full margins on other three sides, bright colors strengthened, vertical crease (nearly invisible except in selvage) otherwise Very Fine a handsome example of this rare invert.
Scott $1,750
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Lot 3055 |
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P
State Dept., 1873, $20 green & black, center inverted, plate proof on card (O71aP4), bottom right corner margin single with inverted imprint Very Fine.
Scott $1,750
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Lot 3056 |
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P
State Dept., 1873, $2, $5 and $20 high values, centers inverted, plate proofs on card (O68aP4, O69aP4, O71aP4), the complete set of matching bottom half sheets of five with inverted imprints and plate numbers, one $2 tear, one $20 with hinge thins, each with vertical crease through middle stamp and selvage, expertly strengthened, all virtually unnoticeable and of little import on these unique items Very Fine.
Scott $30,000 + as singles
A MATCHLESS SET OF THE GREATEST IMPORTANCE, EACH STRIP BEING UNIQUE AND THE LARGEST KNOWN MULTIPLE OF ITS VALUE, DESTINED TO BE A SPECTACULAR SHOWPIECE IN EITHER AN OFFICIAL OR INVERTED CENTER COLLECTION.
Provenance: Earl of Crawford, Ackerman, Ehrenberg
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Lot 3057 |
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P
State Dept., 1873, $2 green & black, center inverted, plate proof on card (O68aP4), complete sheet of ten skillfully repaired tears, of no import on this unique item Very Fine.
Scott $17,500 catalog as singles
ANOTHER SPECTACULAR AND UNIQUE INVERTED CENTER MULTIPLE. THE ONLY INTACT SHEET OF ANY CLASSIC U.S. INVERT.
Provenance: Korf, Col. Green
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Lot 3058 |
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P
State Dept., 1873, $20 green & black, center inverted, plate proof on card (O71aP4), left margin block of four with inverted vignette plate "no. 123" Extremely Fine.
Scott $8,750
AN OUTSTANDING AND UNIQUE INVERTED CENTER SHOWPIECE.
Provenance: Griswold, Col. Green
This was the sound block from the otherwise defective sheet of ten sold in the Green sale.
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Lot 3059 |
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P
State Dept., 1873, $2-$20 high values, plate proofs on card (O68PS-O71PS), with blue handstamped "Specimen" overprints $2 creased otherwise Very Fine.
Estimate 1,000 - 1,500
For an explanation of this overprint see lot 3008.
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Lot 3060 |
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P
State Dept., 1873, 4 different large die trial color proofs (O58TC1//O67TC), four different on cards: O58TC1, O59TC1 and O67TC1 in black, plus O58TC1 in deep brown, generally 70 x 85 mm couple cards with minor light mounting thins still Very Fine.
Estimate 2,000 - 3,000
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Lot 3061 |
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P
State Dept., 1873, $2 orange red & slate blue, trial color large die proof on India (O68TC1), 33 x 48 mm fresh and Very Fine.
Scott $2,000
A GREAT RARITY AS THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE.
Expertization: 1999 P.S.E. Certificate.
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Lot 3062 |
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P
State Dept., 1873, $2 brown & black, "Goodall" trial color small die proof on India (O68TC), brown frame, black vignette, die sunk on 88 x 85 mm card fresh and Very Fine.
Scott $1,250
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Lot 3063 |
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P
State Dept., 1873, $2 scarlet & green, "Goodall" trial color small die proof on India (O68TC), scarlet frame, green vignette, die sunk on 87 x 87 mm card Very Fine.
Scott $1,250
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Lot 3064 |
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P
State Dept., 1873, $2 scarlet & black, "Goodall" trial color small die proof on India (O68TC), scarlet frame, black vignette, die dunk on 87 x 80 mm card Very Fine.
Scott $1,250
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Lot 3065 |
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P
State Dept., 1873, $2 scarlet & brown, "Goodall" trial color small die proof on India (O68TC), scarlet frame, brown vignette on 88 x 85 mm card Very Fine unlisted color.
Scott $1,250
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Lot 3066 |
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P
State Dept., 1873, $2 "Goodall" trial color small die proofs on India (O68TC [4]), four different unlisted colors, mostly on 90 x 87 mm cards, comprising red brown frame/green vignette, brown frame/black vignette, green frame/brown vignette, and violet frame/black vignette fresh Very Fine lot.
Scott $5,000 for listed colors
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Lot 3067 |
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P
State Dept., 1873, $2-$10 high values, "Atlanta" trial color proofs (O68TC-O71TC), complete set of 28 virtually all with generous margins, fresh colors, several with a minor mounting thin overall a Very Fine set.
Scott $28,000
AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE COMPLETE SET AS ONLY ONE SHEET OF 10 OF EACH COLOR COMBINATION WAS PRODUCED.
These proofs were prepared for the 1881 International Cotton Exhibition in Atlanta.
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