WORLDWIDE continued...
BELGIAN CONGO continued...
| Lot |
Symbol |
CatNo. |
Lot Description |
CV or Estimate |
| 1025 |
  |
18a |
 #18a, 1895 10c Greenish blue and black, Center Inverted, perforated 14, a showpiece mint block of four of this very scarce inverted center error, quite likely the
only extant, extraordinarily well centered, strong colors on fresh paper, o.g., h.r.'s, some of which are sensibly reinforcing separated perforations, just the faintest suggestion of toning on a few perforation tips at top, very fine; one of
the most important rarities of the Belgian Congo; signed and each with position number (21-24) noted on the reverse (Michel #21K; €8,800+) (Image) |
$9,000.00+
SOLD for $32,500.00
Will close during Public Auction |
| 1026 |
|
18a var. |
 #18a var., 1895 10c Greenish blue and black, Center Inverted, perforated 15, while all the standard reference catalogs list the inverted center of the issue, none
differentiate between the various perforations found on the basic stamp, this is largely due to the fact that virtually all of the known stamps with inverted centers are found perforated 14, the stamp offered here from the Cunliffe collection is
one of only fifteen stamps recorded being perforated 15, in addition to being the only mint example known and is listed in the Sellinger catalog as such, centered a bit to top right, rich colors, o.g. which is just slightly disturbed, fine;
this stamp has not made an appearance on the auction market in years; an essential stamp for the most advanced collection of either Belgian Congo or inverted center stamps of the world; ex-Hirdler (Michel #21K var.). (Image) |
Est. $3,000-4,000
SOLD for $5,250.00
Will close during Public Auction |
| 1027 |
|
29 var. |
 #29 var., 1898 3.50fr Red and black, imperforate, Center Inverted, a handsome top right corner sheet-margin single of this rare variety which is unlisted in the
major catalogs, four large to huge margins, bright colors, large part o.g., minor natural pre-printing paper crease at right center, overall very fine; the only example of this we have seen and can find no other examples offered at auction (Michel
#24 var.). (Image) |
Est. $1,000-1,500
SOLD for $6,250.00
Will close during Public Auction |
| 1028 |
|
30a var. |
 #30a var., 1898 10Fr Yellow green and black, imperforate, Center Inverted, an extraordinarily rare example of this striking variety, while the Scott catalog lists
this stamp with an inverted center (which is one of the great rarities of the world, as only three are recorded and Scott prices it at $25,000.00), none of the major catalogs list the same inverted center in imperforate form on gummed stamp paper, as
is the example offered here, with four large margins all around, strong fresh colors and impressions, large part o.g., very fine (Michel #25K var.). (Image) |
Est. $1,000-1,500
SOLD for $6,500.00
Will close during Public Auction |
| 1029 |
 |
197 var./219 var. |
 #197 var./219 var., 1950 30c-2.50F UPU miniature sheets, six different examples of these handsome sheets from the 1942 Pictorial series, each with special marginal
overprints paying tribute to the UPU, and all with inverted marginal overprints, as well as being in colors not normally issued, o.g., n.h., one sheet with minor marginal stain spots, very fine.
(Image) |
Est. $400-500
SOLD for $4,250.00
Will close during Public Auction |
BELGIUM
| Lot |
Symbol |
CatNo. |
Lot Description |
CV or Estimate |
| 1030 |
|
139a |
 #139a, 1920 65c Town Hall at Termonde, Center Inverted, a wonderfully fresh and choice example of this great rarity, strong rich colors and impressions on bright
paper, well centered, full o.g., small h.r., very fine.As with many famed inverted centers, the story as to how the errors came about and were placed into circulation is an integral part of fascination with them. This famous rarity of Belgium -
the only inverted center stamp of the country - is no exception. We quote from "Linn's Philatelic Gems 2" which wonderfully details the story. "The stamps went on sale August 5 (1920) as planned. Eight days later, a clerk at the Ghent Central Post
Office began breaking up a sheet in the normal manner to sell individual stamps to customers. Nine stamps from this sheet were sold to a hotel bellhop. Several other customers purchased the 65c stamps and affixed them to letters. Then Hye de Crom
purchased one of the Termonde stamps. He noticed something unusual about it. The Town Hall was upside down. The clerk had been selling stamps from a sheet with inverted centers without realizing it. Knowing the potential value of these major errors,
de Crom returned to the window to buy more stamps from the sheet. He succeeded in purchasing 16 inverts in all - the last three rows of the sheet and a copy from the first row. The other copies of this remarkable error probably were used on mail and
later destroyed.Adding further to the story of the particular example offered here, Willy Balasse, a famous collector/dealer in Brussels, purchased this exact invert in the fabulous Josiah K. Lilly sale conducted by Robert A. Siegel Auction
Galleries in 1967. He subsequently sold it to Robert Cunliffe who has kept it in his collection for four decades. An exciting opportunity to acquire one of the great rarities of the world and one of the keys to an important collection of Inverted
Centers - with only 16 copies thought to exist. Lightly signed in pencil on the reverse by Willy Balasse (Michel #124F; €90,000). (Image) |
$67,500.00
SOLD for $130,000.00
Will close during Public Auction |
BOLIVIA
| Lot |
Symbol |
CatNo. |
Lot Description |
CV or Estimate |
| 1031 |
|
C1a |
 #C1a, 1924 10c Vermilion and black air post, Center Inverted, handsome top sheet-margin mint single, centered to right (virtually all examples of this error are
centered to one side or the other), but actually possessing the finest centering of any example we have offered in our auctions, deep rich colors, o.g., lightly hinged, very fine; only 50 examples with the center inverted were printed. (Image) |
$2,500.00
SOLD for $1,050.00
Will close during Public Auction |
| 1032 |
|
C6 var. |
 #C6 var., 1924 2B Black brown and black air post, imperforate, Center Inverted, right sheet-margin horizontal pair, large to huge margins all around, deep luxuriant
colors and detailed impressions on fresh paper, o.g., never hinged, left stamp with minor gum stain entirely in huge top margin, very fine and exceedingly choice; this is the only value from the 1924 air post series that is known both imperforate and
with inverted center; only 25 issued were issued thus; two expert's handstamps on reverse (Michel #135MK). (Image) |
Est. $2,000-3,000
SOLD for $2,400.00
Will close during Public Auction |
BRAZIL
| Lot |
Symbol |
CatNo. |
Lot Description |
CV or Estimate |
| 1033 |
O |
109a |
 #109a, 1891 100r Blue and red, Head Inverted, specialized group of four mint or unused examples, two used and three on individual covers, all collected for their
shades and the different perforation sizes found on the issue, the three usages on cover all appear to be commercial mail, one of which is an interesting 40r postal card used to Bayonne, France with two additional adhesives, one being the 100r with
inverted center, couple of unused stamps without gum or part o.g., trivial flaws to one or two stamps, overall a fine and desirable group (Michel #97ak, 97bk). (Image) |
Est. $500-750
SOLD for $2,700.00
Will close during Public Auction |
| 1034 |
|
C73A |
 #C73A, 1948 20c, 40c and 1.20r President Eurico Gasper Dutra souvenir sheet of three, with frame inscriptions inverted, without gum as issued, with control number
"2106" on reverse (which also happens to be inverted), fresh and very fine; an extremely rare inverted error, as according to the Sanabria catalog only five such error souvenir sheets exist (Sanabria #112a). (Image) |
Est. $500-750
SOLD for $2,300.00
Will close during Public Auction |
| 1035 |
 |
|
 1912 "Rio Grande do Norte" Red and black revenue stamp, Center Inverted, printed by Waterlow & Sons, imperforate, without gum as are all known examples, four very large
margins, extremely fine; very rare, only 12 copies are known according to the Sellinger catalog. (Image) |
Est. $300-400
SOLD for $325.00
Will close during Public Auction |
| 1036 |
|
|
 1912 "Rio Grande do Norte" Red and black revenue stamp, Center Inverted, as previous lot, printed by Waterlow & Sons, imperforate, without gum as are all known
examples, an impressive top right corner sheet-margin block of four, large margins, some light bends and wrinkles, along with some faint soiling, still very fine and rare, only 12 copies are known according to the Sellinger catalog. (Image) |
Est. $1,000-1,500
SOLD for $1,900.00
Will close during Public Auction |
BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA
| Lot |
Symbol |
CatNo. |
Lot Description |
CV or Estimate |
| 1037 |
|
58i |
 #58i, 1898 1p Vermilion and blue "Cheque Stamp", setting I, embossed Center Inverted, without gum as issued, position 6, a marvelous appearing example of this
immensely rare stamp, wonderfully bright and fresh, frame lines complete all around, just the faintest trace of a thin speck, plus a minute natural cut to paper at top right corner from a strongly impressed frame line, in addition sometime from its
last appearance at auction in the Harmers "Inverted Centres" sale of February 25, 1963, there has been an amazingly expert restoration of a small facial thin within the center oval by the letters "PRO" of "PROTECTORATE", in fact if one had not seen
the photograph of the stamp in the Harmers catalog, the repair is so expert that it might have remained undetected, very fine appearance; in fact, of the mere fifteen examples of this rarity known to exist, this still is among the finest
appearing, as nearly all have faults much more severe than the Cunliffe example; of the original fifteen recorded examples (the top row of one sheet), it is known that at least two pairs were extant (positions 11 and 12) which is in the Royal
collection and the end pair (positions 14 and 15) which may or may not remain intact as it has not been seen in decades; a highly important stamp to the serious collector of British Africa, not to mention a key stamp for the dedicated collector of
Inverted Centers of the world (S.G. #54b; £27,000). (Image) |
$30,000.00
SOLD for $16,000.00
Will close during Public Auction |
BULGARIA
| Lot |
Symbol |
CatNo. |
Lot Description |
CV or Estimate |
| 1038 |
O |
7a |
 #7a, 1881 5s Black and orange, Background Inverted, an especially choice example of this very rare 19th century error, which only exists used, strong fresh
colors, unusually well centered for this typically tightly margined stamp, neatly cancelled, very fine; only a small number are known to exist; signed P.Y. Karaivanoff and accompanied by his 1961 certificate (Michel #7K; €3,000). (Image) |
$1,750.00
SOLD for $5,000.00
Will close during Public Auction |
| 1039 |
|
12a |
 #12a, 1882 3s Orange and yellow, Background Inverted, an incredibly rare mint example of this error, being the first mint example we have ever seen offered at
auction, as most references in various handbooks and catalogs on Bulgarian stamps have suggested that this error only existed used, and only nine used examples have been recorded, bright vivid colors, well centered, full o.g., lightly hinged,
very fine; recently listed and priced in Scott as mint at a very conservative $2,500.00, while used (which is more "common") is priced at $4,000.00, we believe a new catalog value will be established for a mint example following the final realization
of this rarity; 1966 PF certificate (Michel #14K; €3,600 for used). (Image) |
$2,500.00
SOLD for $17,000.00
Will close during Public Auction |
| 1040 |
O |
12a |
 #12a, 1882 3s Orange and yellow, Background Inverted, a brilliantly fresh used example of which approximately only nine used copies are believed to exist,
radiant colors on bright paper, attractively centered, neat portion of c.d.s. postmark, very fine; signed P.Y. Karaivanoff and accompanied by his 1961 certificate (Michel #14K; €3,600). (Image) |
$4,000.00
SOLD for $3,750.00
Will close during Public Auction |
| 1041 |
O |
97a |
 #97a, 1911 50s Ocher and black, Center Inverted, well centered, fresh colors, neat portion of 1913 c.d.s. of Philippople (as found on all existing examples), a very
fine and choice example of this rarity, of which only 30 examples are thought to exist, all of which are used; 1956 RPS certificate (Michel #86K; €7,500). (Image) |
$2,700.00
SOLD for $9,000.00
Will close during Public Auction |
| 1042 |
|
1367 var. |
 #1367 var., 1964 2s Olympic Games, Olympic Rings and Denomination Inverted, an extremely rare example of this error which, despite its existence being well known for
quite some time, remains unlisted in the major auction catalogs, fresh colors, centered to bottom as all known examples are found, o.g., n.h., fine; an important stamp for the Olympics specialist and for the Inverted Centers of the world collector;
1987 V.P. Karaivanoff certificate (Michel #1489 var.). (Image) |
Est. $1,000-1,500
SOLD for $800.00
Will close during Public Auction |
CANADA
| Lot |
Symbol |
CatNo. |
Lot Description |
CV or Estimate |
| 1043 |
P |
Unitrade #1P |
 Unitrade #1P, 1851 3p Red, plate proof on card, gem horizontal strip of four, with huge margins all around, showing large portion of "(Ra)wdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson,
New York" imprint, which is inverted, beneath right pair, extremely fine and exceedingly handsome. (Image) |
C$1,200.00+
SOLD for $1,050.00
Will close during Public Auction |
| 1044 |
|
387a |
 #387a, 1959 5c St. Lawrence Seaway, Center Inverted, a handsome mint example of this popular and famous inverted center, well centered within large margins,
rich colors on bright paper, o.g., n.h. (just the slightest trace of a fingerprint in one corner, which is endemic to most examples as many were originally found and handled by non-collectors), mild diagonal bend at top left, overall very fine
(Unitrade C$16,000.00). (Image) |
$12,000.00
SOLD for $6,500.00
Will close during Public Auction |
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