Lot 1412 P 1871-72 Second and Third issue plate proofs on card (R103-R131P4 & R134-150P4), 2nd issue complete to the $50, less the $1.50, 3rd issue complete, all in full sheets. The sheets vary in size from 210 of the 1¢ & 2¢ 3rd issue to 54 of the $25 & $50 2nd issue and the $20 3rd issue. Each sheet has two imprints in opposite margins: on Jos. R. Carpenter and plate number on one side, "Willcox's Chameleon Paper"on the other; all sheets also have alignment notches in the other two margins; occasional edge toning plus a few light stains affecting the top row of the $50 2nd issue and a few right 60¢ 3rd issue stamps in the right vertical row (including both foreign entries), otherwise mostly fresh and Very Fine. A Unique set. Scott value for singles and blocks with no premium for plate blocks. Scott $115,460 ++ Provenance: Joyce

Unsold

Lot 1317 1909, 10¢ yellow coil (356), guide line pair, nicely centered with bright and fresh color, strong intact perforations, original gum, never hinged. F.-V.F. SMQ $ 52,500. Scott $55,000 AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE LINE PAIR IN NEVER HINGED CONDITION. Expertization: 2006 P.F. Certificate graded F-VF 75. The SMQ price is based on a recent auction realization for another never hinged line pair with a F-VF 75 certificate.

Unsold

Lot 1011 1851, 1¢ blue, types I-Ib-Ib (5-5A-5A), horizontal strip of three, positions 7-9R1E, large margins virtually all around with adjacent stamps visible at bottom, clearly displaying the key bottom ornaments, slightly in at upper left left with position 8 having a light crease, beautiful plate one early printing in bright shade, tied by manuscript "X" cancellations on 1851 cover from "Buckeystown, Md. Novermber 17th" (manuscript postmark) to Johnsonville, Ohio, Very Fine. Estimate 30,000 - 40,000 A RARE MULTIPLE CONTAINING THE MOST DESIRABLE POSITIONS ON PLATE ONE EARLY. Expertization: Signed by Stanley B. Ashbrook, 2006 P.F. Certificate. There are only six recorded horizontal strips of three on cover. The example offered here has been off the market since the 1950s when it was purchased from the Weill Brothers.

Realized $48,875

Lot 1152 1861, 1¢ indigo, First Design (55), quite well centered, top perforations slightly into oval as on virtually all examples, intense color and a strong impression, original gum, minute perf tear at top. Very Fine appearance. Scott $30,000 Expertization: clear 1948 P.F. Certificate. Provenance: Greene One of fewer than ten that exist with original gum.

Unsold

Lot 1145 1860, 24¢ gray lilac (37), mint block of 12 (3x4), remarkably bright and fresh with a strongly etched impression and full original gum (position 8 in the block is never hinged). F.-V.F. A handsome and exceedingly rare large multiple. Scott $27,000 as two blocks & two pairs. Expertization: 1993 P.F. Certificate.

Unsold

Lot 1037 Wells Fargo & Co., 1862-64, 10¢ brown (143L7), large to oversized margins including partial upper left corner sheet margin, tied by blue "Wells Fargo & Co., Virginia City, N.T., Nov 21" oval on 3¢ entire (U35) with Wells Fargo printed frank, from the Crittenden correspondence to San Francisco. An outstanding and extremely rare cover in immaculate exhibition quality. Estimate 20,000 - 30,000 Expertization: photocopy of 1981 P.F. Certificate. This cover was featured on the cover of the October 1981 Frajola auction of the famous Crittenden correspondence. It includes the original enclosure, a letter from Alexander P. Crittenden to his wife Clara.

Unsold

Lot 1173 o 1867, 2¢ black, D. grill (84), incredibly well centered with a finely detailed impression, bright crisp paper, a full defined grill and an unusual blue cork cancel of large dots. A choice Extremely Fine gem, unpriced with blue cancel. Scott $5,000+ A STUNNING EXAMPLE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT OF THIS BLACK JACK ISSUES TO LOCATE IN THIS PREMIUM QUALITY. Expertization: 1980 and 2005 P.F. Certificates, the former for a horizontal pair.

Realized $14,375

Lot 440 o 3¢ 1852-57 Color Study, comprehensive study done by David Watt based upon the Amonette color chart in the preceding lot. Consists of nearly 1,500 stamps in two large deluxe stockbooks. All are 1852-57 shades ranging from a mid-1852 orange brown to 1857 yellow browns. All are plated, many by Dr. Chase, with more than 1,000 coming from plates 1L, 2L and 3, the rest being from plate 4 (175), plate 5L (95) and plates 6, 7 & 8 (50+ of each). Includes a Fine "plum" identified by Dr. Amonette, who has added notes here and there on the scarcer shades, both agreeing and disagreeing with Watt's findings. Also includes a beautiful 4-margin 58L8 identified by Amonette and Wilson Hulme as "pinkish (with a trace of yellowish rose red)" in 2002, but recently annotated by Amonette as "not pink" [an indication of just how difficult assigning shades can be]. Dr. Watt states that "Among my entire collection, these two albums consumed the most time and were put together with the most care. With very, very few exceptions, stamps were selected with black cancellations (Bill [Amonette] recommends against blue or red cancels in a color collection), no pen cancellations, four margins and soundness." This in-depth study is a fascinating and valuable collection, not to mention an outstanding accomplishment by Watt, that will provide someone with many, many hours of pleasure and form a basis for much further study of this very challenging field. Estimate 15,000 - 20,000

Realized $26,450

Lot 318 Cleveland, Ohio, Bishop's City Post, 1854, blue (10LB1), four full to close margins, uncancelled on cover paying the carrier rate to the mails in combination with 1851 3¢ dull red (11), faulty, tied by "Cleveland O. Feb 21" c.d.s. on cover to West Jefferson, Ohio, reverse with pencil note "West Jefferson is in Madison Co not Marion, Please inform your correspondent", a Very Fine and rare combination usage. Estimate 15,000 - 20,000 ONE OF ONLY SIX RECORDED BISHOP'S BLUE STAMP USAGES, ONLY THREE OF WHICH ARE IN COMBINATION WITH THE 1851 3¢. Provenance: Skove Henry S. Bishop was appointed by the Postmaster General as contract "Post-Man" for Cleveland on December 21, 1853. Advertisement of operations appeared on January 16, 1854. Rates were 1¢ to carry a letter to the post office and 2¢ for delivery of letter. The non-denominated stamp was used to show payment for either collection of mail (1¢ charge) or card delivery outside the mail. The latest recorded use of a Bishop's City Post stamp is August 1854.

Realized $13,800

Lot 1113 o 1¢ blue, type Ia, wide setting (19 var.), well centered with the oversized bottom margin characteristic of this rare setting, bright color and paper, cancelled with a single pen stroke, small thin spot at upper right. Choice Extremely Fine appearance. Scott $10,000 for normal setting AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE OF THIS EXCEEDINGLY RARE VARIETY OF THE ALREADY RARE PERFORATED TYPE IA. Expertization: 2005 P.F. Certificate stipulating "wide setting". The reliefs used in the bottom row of plate 4 produced types Ia and Ic, the designs of which were taller than the reliefs in the middle rows (the relief used for rows 2-9 had the tops and bottom of the designs partially burnished away to accommodate the new perforating machines). It is theorized that when it was discovered that it was virtually impossible to perforate the sheets from plate 4 without cutting off a portion of the design of the bottom row stamps, the wheel that punched the bottom horizontal row of perforations was moved slightly farther from the adjacent wheel, resulting in what is referred to as the "wide setting" variety. This must have occured on a very small print run (or perforating run) because only a miniscule number of examples have ever come to light.

Realized $5,175

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