Lot 299 1901, 4¢ Pan-American, center inverted (296a), block of four, beautifully centered with rich color, slightly disturbed original gum, though much less so than normally found, some reinforced and rejoined perforations, small tear lower left stamp, otherwise Very Fine to Extremely Fine. Scott $400,000 CERTAINLY ONE THE FINEST OF ONLY ABOUT A HALF DOZEN BLOCKS BELIEVED TO EXIST. Expertization: photocopy of 1968 PF Certificate. Provenance: Col. Green, Y. Souren, Lilly, Zoellner The 4¢ Pan-American invert, unlike the 1¢ and 2¢ was printed intentionally and was never intended for release to the public. While up to 100 examples were distributed unofficially, many of these were overprinted "Specimen". Another group of about 100 were later traded to philatelists for other stamps needed for the collection of the National Museum. This second group came from a sheet that had been stuck down to a backing sheet by the Post Office Department when they decided to make it part of their archives. This is why the large majority of non-Specimen overprints have disturbed gum. There are probably fewer than ten mint examples with the perforations clearing the design, that still maintain their full undisturbed original gum, making these examples the rarest of all the 20th century inverts in similar quality The Scott Catalogue value for the 4¢ Invert, like that of the 2¢ is for "examples with full original gum that is slightly disturbed.

Lot 384 Airmail, 1918, 24¢ carmine rose & blue, center inverted (C3a), position 89, bright, fresh and well centered; disturbed original gum, small thin spot and light crease, Very Fine appearance. Scott $450,000 ONE OF THE MOST HANDSOME EXAMPLES OF THIS RENOWNED U.S. ERROR EXTANT. Expertization: 1991 & 2012 PF Certificates. Provenance: Maffeo, Barden

Realized $184,000

Lot 298 1901, 2¢ Pan-American, center inverted (295a), reconstructed block of four, nicely centered with full original gum showing traces of hinge removal, neatly rejoined along the perforations; F.-V.F. Scott $220,000 as singles Expertization: 1980 PF Certificate. Provenance: Zoellner The block was reassembled by the Weill Brothers of New Orleans after reacquiring the four singles from the heirs of a previous owner who had broken the block to give a single to each of his four children.

Lot 156 o 1869, 24¢ green & violet, center inverted (120b), a lovely used horizontal pair, remarkably well centered and fresh with neatly struck rosette cancels that allow the inverted vignettes to be clearly visible, Very Fine and choice. Scott $115,000 EASILY THE FINER OF ONLY TWO RECORDED PAIRS AND ONE OF JUST THREE RECORDED MULTIPLES OF THE 24¢ PICTORIAL INVERT. Expertization: with 1970 PF and 2007 PSE Certificates and bearing the light handstamp of Pemberton, Wilson & Co., well-known 19th century stamp English stamp dealers. Provenance: Zoellner Given that the large majority of 24¢ inverts are faulty, the fact that both stamps in this pair are sound is simply miraculous.

Realized $83,375

Lot 293 1901, 1¢ Pan-American, center inverted (294a), rich color, nicely centered, tied by neat strike of "Bessemer Ala. Aug 2 1901" duplex c.d.s. on small cover addressed to Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Hendrick in Bessemer; stamp with a tiny, completely unnoticeable repair at lower right, otherwise Very Fine. Estimate 100,000 - 150,000 A WORLD CLASS INVERTED CENTER RARITY, THE EARLIEST OF ONLY THREE RECORDED COVERS BEARING THE ONE-CENT PAN-AMERICAN INVERT. Expertization: 1999 PF Certificate. Provenance: Seybold, Atwood, Weill Bros., Skinner, "Aristocrat" Exhibited at the Collectors Club of New York as one of the ten most important items in U.S. Philately. The display was titled, "Aristocrats of Philately". The three recorded covers are: 1. August 2, 1901, Bessemer, Alabama local use — The example offered here — Bessemer was where the initial discovery of the 1¢ Invert was made. Featured on the front cover of the "Aristocrat" Collection catalogue, Matthew Bennett International Sale 316, May 22, 2007. 2. August 24, 1901 Oakland, California to Paris, France bearing a 1¢ Invert and a normal 4¢ paying the 5¢ rate 3. January 9, 1903, St. Louis philatelic usage with normal 1¢ mailed long after the invert had been recognized. According to the 1937 revised Johl-King book (p. 7), "The first known copies of this error were discovered at Bessemer, Alabama, by the Carrel Jewelry Company on some circulars just prior to mailing them. When they realized the find they had made they lost no time in removing the stamps from the circulars and thus saved them for Philately." It is not known if the Carrel Jewelry Company had purchased the entire sheet, or whether this stamp originates from another source within Bessemer.

Realized $115,000

Lot 8 o 1851, 1¢ blue, type I (5), position 7R1E, bright and fresh with wide side margins and a neat, centrally struck grid cancel; top and bottom well clear to just barely touching at upper and lower right, tiny natural paper flaw at bottom; a choice Very Fine example of this classic rarity. SMQ $165,000. Scott $75,000 for Fine ONE OF THE FINEST KNOWN EXAMPLES OF THIS RARE STAMP, COMPLETELY SOUND AND WITH ITS TYPE CHARACTERISTICS PLAINLY VISIBLE. Expertization: 2006 PF and 2007 PSE Certificates, the latter graded VF 80. The origin of the various types of the 1¢ 1851 arose from the last-minute discovery that the engraved design for the stamp was simply a bit too tall to fit onto the standard printing plate then being used by Toppan, Carpenter. Consequently, the plate maker had to erase a bit of the top, the bottom or both from each subject on the plate in order to make enough room for all 200 subjects. It was these erasures that created the types we know today. A solitary position, 7R1E, escaped the erasing process. Hence it became the only one, of a total of 1,000 positions on the five plates used to print the imperforate 1¢ 1851 stamps, to retain its entire design as originally envisioned. Perfectionists among us who insist on only sound, fully four-margin used singles may never own a Scott #5. A survey of the Wagshal census reveals that no such example exists. Every used off-cover single listed is either touching on at least one point or has a fault, or, most often, suffers from both conditions.

Realized $69,000

Lot 238 1882 Special Printing, 5¢ gray brown (205C), choice centering with beautifully balanced margins, handsome, rich color and a prooflike impression; without gum as issued, fresh and Extremely Fine. SMQ $100,000. Scott $80,000 A SUPERB EXAMPLE OF THIS EXCEEDINGLY RARE SPECIAL PRINTING, OF WHICH ONLY 21 HAVE BEEN CERTIFIED BY THE PHILATELIC FOUNDATION. Expertization: 1949, 2003 PF, 2005 PSE Certificates, the last graded XF 90. Provenance: Lilly, Chapin

Realized $63,250

Lot 228 1880 Special Printing, 3¢ blue green (194), fresh and well centered with intense color and impression; without gum as issued, Very Fine and choice. Scott $125,000 A REMARKABLE EXAMPLE OF THE EXCEEDINGLY RARE 3¢ AMERICAN SPECIAL PRINTING. WITH ONLY 14 CERTIFIED BY THE PHILATELIC FOUNDATION, NINE OF WHICH ARE POORLY CENTERED AND/OR WITH FAULTS, THIS IS CLEARLY ONE OF FINEST EXAMPLES EXTANT. Expertization: 1948, 1967, 1992 & 2004 PF Certificates. Provenance: Lilly, Kantor, Lessin, Hinrichs, Whitman The 3¢ Special Printing by the American Bank Note Co. is one of the rarest of all U.S. stamps. Among the special printings, only the Continental Bank Note Co.'s 5¢ Taylor, with ten known examples, is more rare.

Realized $126,500

Lot 216 1875 Special Printing, 2¢ carmine vermilion (180), beautifully centered with choice, truly vivid color and a strong prooflike impression; without gum as issued, exceptionally fresh and Extremely Fine. SMQ $110,000. Scott $77,500 AN EXTREMELY FINE GEM EXAMPLE OF THIS IMPORTANT SPECIAL PRINTING IN THE FINEST QUALITY OBTAINABLE—OF THE 22 EXAMPLES CERTIFIED BY THE PF, THERE MAY BE TWO OTHERS THAT RIVAL THIS STAMP, BUT NONE FINER; AND THIS IS THE HIGHEST PSE-GRADED EXAMPLE. Expertization: initialed by Spencer Anderson with 2001 PF and 2009 PSE Certificates, the latter graded VF-XF 85. Provenance: Minervino

Realized $83,375

Lot 89 1861, 3¢ pigeon blood pink (64a), virtually perfectly centered with bright color on fresh paper and full original gum, Extremely Fine and choice. SMQ $85,000. Scott $50,000 THERE ARE FEW SURVIVING MINT EXAMPLES OF THIS RARE SHADE. THE PRESENT STAMP MAY WELL BE THE FINEST OF THAT SMALL NUMBER. Expertization: 2001 PF, 2000 & 2007 PSE Certificates, the last graded XF 90. This example is the only mint pigeon blood pink to have been graded by any expertizing body. Our review of the Philatelic Foundation's online archives turned up three mint singles—one Fine, o.g. and two off-center and faulty.

Realized $41,688

Lot 229 1880 Special Printing, 6¢ dull rose (195), wonderfully fresh and quite well centered with rich color and a strong impression; without gum as issued, Very Fine and choice. Scott $90,000 ONE OF THE THREE OF FOUR FINEST OF THE FEWER THAN 30 RECORDED EXAMPLES IN TERMS OF CENTERING AND OVERALL QUALITY—AN OUTSTANDING GEM FROM THE BILL AINSWORTH COLLECTION. Expertization: H.F. Colman handstamp, 1971 APS and 1972 & 2012 PF Certificates. Provenance: Ainsworth

Realized $54,625

Lot 296 1901, 4¢ Pan-American, center inverted (296a), extraordinarily well centered for the 4¢ invert with exceptionally bright and fresh colors and full original gum, Extremely Fine and choice. SSV $750,000. Scott $75,000+ AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE STAMP IN SOUND, WELL CENTERED CONDITION WITH FULL, UNDISTURBED ORIGINAL GUM, THIS IS, IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, THE FINEST 4¢ PAN-AMERICAN INVERT EXTANT. THERE IS ONLY ONE OTHER EXAMPLE GRADED XF 90 (BY PSE) AND THERE ARE NONE HIGHER. Expertization: 2002 & 2012 PF Certificates, the latter graded XF 90. Provenance: Drucker, Gorham The 4¢ Pan-American invert, unlike the 1¢ and 2¢ was printed intentionally and was never intended for release to the public. While up to 100 examples were distributed unofficially, many of these were overprinted "Specimen". Another group of about 100 were later traded to philatelists for other stamps needed for the collection of the National Museum. This second group came from a sheet that had been stuck down to a backing sheet by the Post Office Department when they decided to make it part of their archives. This is why the large majority of non-Specimen overprints have disturbed gum. There are probably fewer than ten mint examples with the perforations clearing the design, that still maintain their full undisturbed original gum, making these examples the rarest of all the 20th century inverts in similar quality The Scott Catalogue value for the 4¢ Invert, like that of the 2¢ is for "examples with full original gum that is slightly disturbed.

Realized $71,875

Lot 237 1880 Special Printing, 2¢ scarlet vermilion (203), exceptionally well centered with absolutely stunning color; without gum as issued, couple slightly nibbed perfs; wonderfully fresh and Extremely Fine. Scott $140,000 A HANDSOME EXAMPLE OF THE 2¢ SCARLET VERMILION AMERICAN SPECIAL PRINTING, ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL THE BANK NOTE SPECIAL PRINTINGS WITH ONLY ABOUT 20 RECORDED, THIS BEING AMONG THE BEST CENTERED OF THOSE 20. Expertization: 1938 APS, 1989 & 2004 PF Certificates. Provenance: Hinrichs, "Laila"

Realized $97,750

Lot 294 1901, 2¢ Pan-American, center inverted (295a), virtually perfectly centered amid remarkably large margins with strong color for this frequently pale invert; full original gum, tiny, virtually unnoticeable trace of a prior natural inclusion above left "2" (noted only on the 2006 certificate); fresh and choice, Extremely Fine. Scott $55,000+ ONE OF THE BEST CENTERED EXAMPLES OF THIS RARE INVERT AND ONE OF THE FEW WITH FULL ORIGINAL GUM. Expertization: 1964, 1989, 2000 & 2006 PF Certificates. Provenance: Gorham The 2¢ is the rarest of the regularly issued Pan-American Inverts with probably no more than 200 being issued. This supposition is based on the fact that two shades of the error exist, meaning that at least two panes of 100 were released; also upon the current estimate that approximately 150 examples have survived, including about a half dozen used singles and two mint blocks (one rejoined). Scott also states that "almost all unused examples…have partial of disurbed gum" and values the stamp accordingly.

Realized $28,750

Lot 226 1880 Special Printing, 1¢ dark ultramarine (192), exceedingly well centered with large, beautifully balanced margins, deep, vibrant color and a sharp impression; without gum as issued, trivial pulled perf at lower left, still Extremely Fine. Scott $75,000 AN EXTREMELY FINE EXAMPLE OF 1¢ 1880 SPECIAL PRINTING WITH OUTSTANDING CENTERING AND MARGINS. THERE ARE FEWER THAN 30 RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THIS CLASSIC U.S. RARITY. Expertization: 1999 & 2008 PF Certificates. Provenance: Scott

Realized $23,000

Lot 82 1861, 5¢ brown, First Design (57), centered with near mathematical precision with deep, distinctive color and impression, full, intact perforations and part original gum; fresh and choice, Extremely Fine. Scott $35,000 ARGUABLY THE FINEST OF THE 35 RECORDED 5¢ FIRST DESIGNS, ONLY A FEW OF WHICH HAVE ANY ORIGINAL GUM AND ALMOST NONE OF WHICH ARE COMPLETELY SOUND AND WELL CENTERED. Expertization: 1971, 1993 & 2001 PF Certificates. Provenance: Floyd, Minervino

Realized $32,200

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