Lot 199 Airmail, 1918, 24¢ carmine rose & blue, center inverted (C3a), position 48, very well centered with large margins, bright color and paper. Original gum. Small thinning that is truly negligible and unnoticable. Fresh and choice Very Fine appearance. Scott $275,000 AMONG THE BEST CENTERED AND MOST ATTRACTIVE EXAMPLES OF THE "INVERTED JENNY", THE MOST WIDELY ACCLAIMED OF ALL UNITED STATES ERRORS. Expertization: 1976, 1985 and 2006 P.F. Certificates.

Realized $235,750

Lot 77 1880 Special Printing, 3¢ blue green (194), well centered for this value, with vibrant color and prooflike impression. Without gum as issued. Tiny natural paper inclusion. Fresh and Very Fine. Scott $65,000 ONE OF THE FINEST OF ONLY 20 OR SO EXAMPLES BELIEVED TO HAVE SURVIVED. Expertization: 1988 and 2006 P.F. Certificates. The 3¢ American Bank Note Co. special printing is one of the rarest of the special printings and among the rarest of all United States stamps.

Realized $103,500

Lot 81 1880 Special Printing, 2¢ scarlet vermilion (203), brilliant color and finely etched impression. Without gum as issued. Fresh and Fine. Scott $70,000 WITH ITS CHARACTERISTIC "FIERY" COLOR AND COMPLETELY SOUND CONDITION, THIS 2¢ AMERICAN BANK NOTE CO. SPECIAL PRINTING IS ONE OF THE MOST DESIRABLE OF THE ONLY 20 OR SO RECORDED EXAMPLES. Expertization: 1992 and 2006 P.F. Certificates. Provenance: Lessmann, McNall

Realized $77,625

Lot 5 () 1857, 1¢ blue, type Ia (19), position 99L4, incredibly well centered with the perforations virtually clear of the design all around, rich plate 4 color and a finely detailed impression on bright paper. Unused. Extremely Fine and choice. Scott $17,500 QUITE POSSIBLY THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF AN UNUSED TYPE IA IN EXISTENCE CLEARLY SHOWING THE DISTINGUISHING TYPE CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPLETE ORNAMENTS AT THE BOTTOM AND A PARTIAL "BURNISHING" OUT OF THE DESIGN AT THE TOP. Expertization: 2006 P.F. Certificate. According to our review of Phiatelic Foundation records back to 1945, this is easily the finest unused example of the perforated 1¢ type Ia recorded. Those same records reveal NO exceptional mint examples with original gum. Type Ia was produced in only 18 positions, all in the bottom row of Plate 4. Perforations are typically cutting into the design at top and/or bottom because plates 1- 4 were not laid out with sufficient space between the stamps to accommodate perforations.

Realized $27,600

Lot 80 1880 Special Printing, 90¢ dull carmine (202), strong color and impression. Without gum as issued. Fresh and Fine. Scott $32,500 A PARTICULARLY DESIRABLE, COMPLETELY SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE 90¢ AMERICAN BANK NOTE CO. SPECIAL PRINTING, NO MORE THAN 50 OF WHICH ARE BELIEVED TO EXIST, WITH A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THOSE BEING FAULTY. Expertization: 1955, 1992 and 2006 P.F. Certificates.

Realized $21,850

Lot 153 1914, 50¢ violet (421), top margin plate No. 7040 block of six, nicely centered with vivid color and full selvage, original gum, never hinged, post office fresh and Fine to Very Fine. Scott $16,000 A RARE AND DESIRABLE PLATE BLOCK, PARTICULARLY WITH FULL TOP SELVAGE AND PRISTINE, NEVER HINGED ORIGINAL GUM. Expertization: 1997 and 2006 P.F. Certificates.

Realized $20,700

Lot 72 1875 Special Printing, 2¢ carmine vermilion (180), nicely centered for this with bright, truly vibrant color. Without gum as issued. Trivial, unnoticable tiny thin spot. Fine. Scott $60,000 ONE OF THE RAREST OF THE SPECIAL PRINTINGS WITH ONLY ABOUT 25 EXAMPLES RECORDED. Expertization: 1958 and 2006 P.F. Certificates. Provenance: "Ambassador", Mielstrup Illustrated in Brookman's United States Postage Stamps of the 19th Century, volume 2, page 248.

Realized $25,300

Lot 76 1880 Special Printing, 2¢ black brown (193), well centered with deep intense color. Without gum as issued. Very Fine. Scott $17,500 A CHOICE EXAMPLE OF THE 2¢ AMERICAN BANK NOTE CO. SPECIAL PRINTING, COMPLETELY SOUND AND MUCH BETTER CENTERED THAN MOST OF THE 50-60 COPIES BELIEVED TO EXIST. Expertization: 1992 P.S.E., and 1979, 1992, & 2006 P.F. Certificates.

Realized $24,150

Lot 211 Postage Due, 1879, 3¢ deep brown, Special Printing (J10), strong color and impression. Full original gum. Fresh and nearly Very Fine. Scott $19,000 AN EXCEPTIONAL, ORIGINAL GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 3¢ SPECIAL PRINTING, WIDELY CONSIDERED THE RAREST OF THE POSTAGE DUE SPECIAL PRINTINGS. Expertization: signed Bartels, 2006 P.F. Certificate. Although 436 examples were sold, apparently 100 of these were destroyed and most of the remainder never made it into the secondary market. The majority of the surviving J10s are faulty. This is perhaps the first sound example with original gum to be offered in several years.

Realized $26,450

Lot 65 1873, 6¢ dull pink (159), top margin imprint and plate No. 18 block of 14 with straight edge and split arrow at right, marvelous color and full original gum, very lightly hinged in the selvage and on one stamp only; small corner crease upper right selvage [not affecting the actual plate block], Fine to Very Fine. Scott $16,900 AN EXCEPTIONALLY FRESH AND CRISP EXAMPLE OF THIS VERY SCARCE PLATE BLOCK, ONLY TEN OF WHICH ARE RECORDED IN THE CHAPIN CENSUS.

Realized $14,950

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