Lot 1050
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1857, 1¢ blue, type Ia (19), Pos. 99L4, virtually perfectly centered allowing the type characteristics to be clearly visible, remarkably fresh with rich color, a razor sharp impression and brilliant paper. Light and unobtrusive town cancel. Extremely Fine and choice.
Scott $6,500
Expertization: 1998 P.F. Certificate for the "L" shaped block of three from which this was taken.
Provenance: Rubin
The type Ia stamps are the scarcest of the perforated 1¢ issues of 1857. The reason for this scarcity is due to the ten different plates employed by Toppan, Carpenter & Co. for its production. Given the 200 positions per plate, 2000 different positions resulted. Of those 2000 positions, only eighteen produced the type Ia stamps, these being on the bottom row of plate 4. This particular plate was in use for probably no more than six months, further reducing the population. From this already small number, the potential for a well centered example is significantly reduced by the design itself. Ashbrook, quoting Neinken, determines the height to be 26mm and the distance between the horizontal perforations to be 25 to 25½mm, thereby creating a situation where the perforations cut into the design at top or bottom, often obliterating the type characteristics.
To be able to clearly see the type characteristics on a perforated one cent type Ia, as on the example we offer here, is one of the great challenges for the collector of classic U.S. philately. To encounter this well centered #19 this lightly cancelled further adds to its merits.
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| Realized $13,000 |
