2010 Rarities of the World continued...

EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT ON BLUISH PAPER. SCARCE IN SUCH WONDERFUL CONDITION.

Ex Weill. With 1973 and 2009 P.F. certificates (XF 90 XQ), the XQ designation is used by the Philatelic Foundation to underscore the exceptional quality of the stamp. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS PHENOMENAL MINT NEVER-HINGED STAMP HAS BEEN GRADED SUPERB 98 BY P.S.E. -- THIS IS THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED TO DATE AND THE ONLY EXAMPLE TO ACHIEVE THIS DIFFICULT GRADE. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION THE FINEST EXAMPLE IN EXISTENCE.

During the early stages of production of the 1908-09 Washington-Franklin stamps, the Bureau tried to solve the problem of paper shrinkage that caused off-center perforations and resulted in a large number of unusable sheets. Armstrong notes that up to twenty percent of sheets had to be discarded. The first such experiments resulted in the Bluish Paper stamps (Scott 357-366). Rag cloth was added to the wood pulp mixture, but this did not have the desired effect and the experiment was discontinued.

With 2008 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98, SMQ $37,200.00). Apart from the 1c and 2c, this is the highest grade awarded to any Mint N.H. Bluish paper issue, and it is the only example to achieve this grade. The next-highest grade awarded to date is a 90. (Image)

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VERY FINE AND CHOICE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 8-CENT WASHINGTON ON BLUISH PAPER. RARE IN SUCH WONDERFUL CONDITION.

According to Johl (Vol. 1, page 175), the only source of the 4c and 8c Bluish stamps was the archives of the Post Office Department. Approximately 80 of each were traded for rare stamps missing from the archives. Our Levi records show perhaps three Mint N.H. examples, all of which are off center.

Signed in pencil "S.A." (Spencer Anderson), also blue "W.H.C." backstamp (Colson) and another small backstamp. P.S.E. encapsulated (OGph, VF 80, SMQ $24,000.00). (Image)

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FRESH AND FINE. A RARE USED EXAMPLE OF THE ONE-CENT ISSUE WITH 12 x 10 COMPOUND PERFORATIONS.

Our up-to-date census of Scott 423A is available at our website, at http://siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/423A/423A.pdf . In addition to some unused copies, we record a used total of 35 singles, five pairs, a block of four and three covers.

With 1992 P.F. certificate as a pair and 2007 P.S.E. certificate as a single (F 70, SMQ $12,100.00) (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARING EXAMPE OF THE RARE ONE-CENT ISSUE WITH 12 x 10 COMPOUND PERFORATIONS.

Our up-to-date census of Scott 423A is available at our website, at http://siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/423A/423A.pdf. In addition to some unused copies, we record a used total of 35 singles, five pairs, a block of four and three covers.

Census No. 423A-CAN-33. With 1971 A.P.S. certificate. Four others are also recorded with the Quincy Ill. precancel. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF THE FINEST KNOWN EXAMPLES OF THE RARE 1914 2-CENT PERF 12 x 10 ISSUE. ONLY 30 USED COPIES ARE RECORDED.

Our census of Scott 423B, available at www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/423B/423B.pdf , records 30 used and one unused example of this great rarity.

Census No. 423B-CAN-PCE-26. With 1985 and 2008 P.F. certificates (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A BEAUTIFUL MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT CARMINE IMPERFORATE ERROR.

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 2010 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98, SMQ does not price this issue, as a way of trying to dissuade people from breaking stamps out of multiples. (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A SCARCE EXAMPLE OF THE 9-CENT FRANKLIN PERF 10 AT TOP.

At a certain point, partway through this stamp in the sheet, the defective perforating wheel changed from gauge 11 to gauge 10 along one row. Our comprehensive census of Scott 509a, which includes all of the records of the Philatelic Foundation, contains 21 used copies and one unused example (offered in our Whitman sale).

With 2008 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE BLOCK OF FOUR CONTAINING ONE STAMP ENTIRELY PERFORATED 10 AT BOTTOM AND ANOTHER WITH TRANSITIONAL PERFORATIONS AT BOTTOM.

With 2010 P.F. certificate (Image)

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