2012 Rarities of the World continued...

EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE $5.00 1902 ISSUE.

With 2010 P.S.E. certificate (OGph, XF-Superb 95, SMQ $4,400.00) (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE RARE ONE-CENT 1908 HORIZONTAL COIL.

With 1977 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED PRE-FIRST DAY USE OF THE JAMESTOWN EXPOSITION ISSUE. A PHENOMENAL RARITY AND OFFERED TO THE MARKET FOR THE FIRST TIME. FROM A NEW DISCOVERY.

The Jamestown Exposition was held from April 26 to December 1, 1907 in Norfolk Va., to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. The Exposition opened on a Friday with great confusion -- only a fifth of the electric lights could be turned on and only 14 of the 38 principal buildings were ready.

Fewer than fifteen First Day covers are known for all three values of the Jamestown Issue, including ten of the 1c. The existence of the pre-first day offered here was unknown until recently, the three cards used on the same day with the same Exposition machine cancel, prior to the opening of the Exposition, offer wonderful supporting evidence and are rarities in their own right. (Image)

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FINE-VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE BLOCK OF FOUR -- THE LARGEST RECORDED MULTIPLE OF THE 4-CENT ON BLUISH PAPER. THIS IS THE FIRST BLOCK WE HAVE OFFERED IN DECADES. ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL 20TH CENTURY MULTIPLES.

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.

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. Given the failed experimental nature of the paper mixture, it is no surprise that virtually all copies are off-center to some extent.

Our Levi records contain a half-dozen blocks of four (none larger), but several of these may have been broken up -- the Levi records on three are from the 1950's and 1960's.

Ex "Country Gentleman" (Siegel Sale 422, November 29, 1972) and offered to the market for the first time since that sale. With unfolded 1973 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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FINE. AN EXTRAORDINARILY RARE BLOCK OF FOUR -- THE LARGEST RECORDED MULTIPLE OF THE 8-CENT ON BLUISH PAPER. ONE OF THE GREAT RARITIES OF 20TH CENTURY UNITED STATES PHILATELY.

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.

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. Given the failed experimental nature of the paper mixture, it is no surprise that virtually all copies are off-center to some extent.

Our Levi records contain five blocks of four, of which three have centering similar to the one offered here. We have no record of one after 1956 so we cannot confirm whether it is intact.

Ex "Country Gentleman" (Siegel Sale 422, November 29, 1972) and offered to the market for the first time since that sale. With unfolded 1973 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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FINE-VERY FINE. AN ATTRACTIVE AND SCARCE PLATE BLOCK OF NINE OF THE 15-CENT ON BLUISH PAPER.

Scott Retail as plate block of six and three singles. (Image)

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VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A BEAUTIFUL MINT NEVER-HINGED PLATE BLOCK OF THE 2-CENT LINCOLN ON BLUISH PAPER.

We have offered only three other Mint N.H. plate blocks since 2005 and two of the three were off center (Image)

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