2009 Rarities of the World continued...

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF THE 2-CENT TYPE Ia IMPERFORATE IN EXISTENCE. AN OUTSTANDING RARITY AND ONE OF THE RAREST STAMPS OF 20TH CENTURY UNITED STATES PHILATELY.

Scott 482A, like its slightly more famous predecessor, Scott 314A, was issued imperforate by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and sold to the Schermack Company for use in its patented stamp-affixing machines. The Schermack "Sealer and Stamper" machine typically applied stamps one at a time, and, in most cases, the hyphen-hole perfs on one side would be cut off. Unlike Scott 314A, the release of imperforate sheets printed from the experimental Type Ia plates escaped the notice of contemporary collectors, and, therefore, has a very small survival rate.

Our census of Scott 482A (published in our Zoellner sale and available at www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/482A/482A.pdf ) records one pair (ex Zoellner), three covers, one unused single and 34 used singles for a total of 40 stamps.

Schermack Type III stamps are often cut into the design by the oblong perforations or miscut with one side of the perforated margin missing. This problem for collectors, which meant very little to contemporary users of the stamps, resulted from two consecutive events. First, the sheets were perforated with the Schermack holes, creating an opportunity for misalignment between the stamps. Second, when the strip of stamps was fed through the Schermack affixing machine, the cutting blade did not always align with the space between stamps. The stamp offered here is remarkable because the Schermack perforations just touch the design, and it was cut with margins well clear of the design and with Schermack perforations intact.

Census No. 482A-CAN-20. Ex Twigg-Smith and Scarsdale. 1989 and 2001 P.F. certificates no longer accompany. With 2009 P.S.E. certificate (XF 90, SMQ $170,000.00) (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF ONLY 40 RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THIS MAJOR 20TH CENTURY RARITY. ESPECIALLY RARE AND DESIRABLE WITH SUCH ENORMOUS MARGINS AROUND DESIGN.

Scott 482A, like its more famous predecessor, Scott 314A, was issued imperforate by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and sold to the Schermack Company for use in its patented stamp-affixing machines. The Schermack "Sealer and Stamper" machine typically applied stamps one at a time, and, in most cases, the hyphen-hole perfs on one side would be cut off. Unlike Scott 314A, the release of imperforate sheets printed from the experimental Type Ia plates escaped the notice of contemporary collectors, and, therefore, this stamp has a very small survival rate.

Our updated census of Scott 482A published in the Zoellner catalogue and available at our website at: http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/482A/482A.pdf records three covers, one unused single, a used pair and 34 used singles for a total of 40 stamps. Most examples are either cut well into the design or have the Schermack perfs trimmed away on one side.

Schermack Type III stamps are often cut into the design by the oblong perforations or miscut with one side of the perforated margin missing. This problem for collectors, which meant very little to contemporary users of the stamps, resulted from two consecutive events. First, the sheets were perforated with the Schermack holes, creating an opportunity for misalignment between the stamps. Second, when the strip of stamps was fed through the Schermack affixing machine, the cutting blade did not always align with the space between stamps.

Census No. 482A-CAN-22. Ex Drucker. With 1986 and 2003 P.F. certificates. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT IMPERFORATE ERROR IN A BLOCK OF 30.

During the course of production of the normal 2c plate No. 7942, three positions were noted to be defective. The plate was returned to the siderographer, who burnished out the three positions and mistakenly re-entered them using a transfer roll for the 5c stamp. The error passed unnoticed and the sheets were issued to the public Perf 10, Imperforate and Perf 11 (Scott 467, 485 and 505). The imperforate is by far the rarest of the three.

With 1982 P.F. certificate (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A RARE BLOCK OF THE ONE-CENT PERF 11 IMPERFORATE HORIZONTALLY.

With 2008 P.S.E. certificate. Scott Retail as two pairs (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS GORGEOUS EXAMPLE OF THE PERF 11 5-CENT ERROR HAS BEEN GRADED SUPERB 98 BY P.S.E.

With 2008 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98, SMQ $9,900.00). Only one has graded higher to date and only six others share this grade. (Image)

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FRESH AND FINE. A RARE SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE 6-CENT 1917 ISSUE PERF 10 AT BOTTOM. ONLY FIFTEEN USED AND TWO UNUSED ARE RECORDED IN OUR CENSUS, OF WHICH ONLY SIX ARE SOUND.

Our updated census of Scott 506a contains thirteen used copies certified as genuine by the Philatelic Foundation, plus two recent discoveries. Nine have faults ranging from pulled perfs to creases.

With 2009 P.F. certificate (Image)

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FRESH AND FINE. A RARE SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE 8-CENT 1917 ISSUE PERFORATED 10 AT TOP. ONLY SEVENTEEN ARE RECORDED IN OUR CENSUS.

Our comprehensive unpublished census of Scott 508c, which encompasses all of the records of the Philatelic Foundation plus our search of auction catalogues, contains only seventeen copies of this rarity. Of these, ten are sound or potentially sound (four of these have very low certificate numbers and need to be examined for condition). Of the seventeen, ten have precancels.

With 2009 P.F. certificate (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE PAIR OF THE RARE TYPE VII IMPERFORATE OFFSET STAMP.

Most Type VII stamps were used by private vending and affixing machine companies. However, unlike Scott 314A and 482A, a small supply of the imperforate 2c Type VII stamps reached the public.

With 2001 P.F. certificate (Image)

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FRESH AND FINE. A RARE MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 1923 ONE-CENT ROTARY PERF 11, SCOTT 544. PROBABLY FEWER THAN TEN EXIST IN MINT NEVER-HINGED CONDITION.

A small quantity of 1c Rotary Press stamps was perforated 11 at the end of 1922, using remainder sheets from the earlier experimental printings that were normally perforated in 10 gauge or 10/11 compound gauge. Its existence as a Perf 11 variety was discovered in 1936, and the stamp received its Scott Catalogue listing in 1938.

Most of the recorded copies of Scott 544 are off-center or have been damaged -- the result of poor production standards and mis-handling.

With 2009 P.S.E. certificate (F 70, SMQ $65,000.00). (Image)

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VERY FINE AND CHOICE. THE UNIQUE PLATE BLOCK CONTAINING TWO STAMPS PERF 10 AT BOTTOM AND ONE STAMP WITH TRANSITIONAL PERFS AT BOTTOM. ONLY TWO OTHER UNUSED EXAMPLES OF THIS PERFORATION VARIETY ARE KNOWN TO US. FROM A RECENT DISCOVERY AND OFFERED TO THE MARKET FOR THE FIRST TIME. THIS NOW BECOMES ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING PLATE BLOCK RARITIES OF THE 20TH CENTURY.

With 2009 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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VERY FINE AND SCARCE. A DESIRABLE BOTTOM SHEET-MARGIN PAIR OF THIS RARITY.

According to United States Stamps 1922-26 by Gary Griffith, noted dealer Philip Ward purchased a pane in 1925 in Oklahoma. Large areas were marked for destruction with a blue crayon -- examples such as the pair offered here, not defaced by the blue crayon, are scarce.

With 2009 P.F. certificate (XF 90 XQ) (Image)

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