United States Stamps continued...

ONE OF FOUR RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE 1867 ONE-CENT ALL-OVER GRILL ESSAY, WHICH IS UNLISTED IN SCOTT. THIS IS THE UPPER RIGHT STAMP FROM THE EX-STEEL, EARL OF CRAWFORD AND WORTHINGTON BLOCK OF FOUR.

The four recorded examples of the 1c A Grill essay come from the block of four that originated in the Charles F. Steel archive and was part of the Earl of Crawford and George Worthington collections. The grill has tiny "X" pyramidal points impressed into the back, which differs from the essay grill made of small squares (79-E15a/b), it is very similar to the issued A Grill. The 1c block and a 5c block with the identical grill were acquired by the Earl of Crawford from the archive of papers and stamps retained by Charles F. Steel, who patented the grilling device. For more information about the origins of the experimental A and C grills, please refer to Chronicle 134 and to our October 1998 catalogue of the Zoellner collection (also available in the Siegel Encyclopedia at www.siegelauctions.com/enc/1867.htm).

Two of the stamps from Steel's 5c block have actually been certified by the Philatelic Foundation as Scott 80, which indicates how similar these grills are to the issued A Grill (Scott 79, 80 and 81). We believe that the 1c and 5c A Grills from the Steel blocks deserve Scott Catalogue listings -- we would go so far as to put them at the front of the catalogue, not in the essay section. There is precedent for giving the 1c and 5c grilled stamps from the Steel blocks full Scott listings: the 4c Pan-American Invert and the 4c and 8c Bluish Paper stamps. None of them were issued at the post office, but nonetheless they are experimental stamps that reached the public through official channels. Whether or not Scott's editors concur with our view, collectors should consider the stamp offered here to be an integral part of classic U.S. philately.

Illustrated in the Evans book (p. 45). Ex Steel, Earl of Crawford and Worthington. From the C.W. Christian collection. With 2000 P.F. certificate. (Image)

VERY FINE. A CHOICE EXAMPLE OF THE 3-CENT C GRILL WITH ORIGINAL GUM.

With 1999 P.F. certificate (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. IN TERMS OF CENTERING AND MARGINS, THIS STAMP RANKS AMONG THE TOP FIVE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLES OF THE 2-CENT Z GRILL.

To form our assessment of this 2c Z Grill, we conducted a survey of approximately 100 auction catalogues for major United States collections sold over the past 60 years. The majority of these collections contained only used or very poor unused examples of 85B. Many accomplished collectors were never able to locate a sound, well-centered original-gum 2c Z Grill. Although the stamp offered here is indeed creased, its appearance far surpasses most of the known copies. In our September auction (Sale 814), a sound, Extremely Fine 2c Z Grill realized $24,000 hammer.

With 1987 P.F. certificate. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. AN OUTSTANDING STAMP THAT RANKS AMONG THE FINEST USED EXAMPLES OF THE 1868 2-CENT Z GRILL.

If one were to view this as an ungrilled 2c Black Jack, it would merit the highest rank among used examples. The plates used to print these stamps did not provide enough space between subjects for the large 12-gauge perf holes. Consequently, most Black Jack stamps have perfs touching the design on one or two sides. This scarcity of centered copies multiplies exponentially when the Z Grill is factored into the equation. Only a small quantity of 2c sheets were grilled during the period when the Z device was active -- after the D Grill, the Z is the rarest of Black Jack grilled stamps -- and discriminating collectors are well aware of the rarity of well-centered examples of 85B. This stamp is perfectly centered and has margin width that significantly surpasses the issue standard.

A nearly identical copy sold in our September sale for $11,500 hammer, a formidable demonstration of the rarity and desirability of well-centered 2c Z Grills in this condition.

With 1998 P.F. certificate (Image)

FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF THREE KNOWN USED BLOCKS OF THE 1868 2-CENT Z GRILL.

Unpriced as a block (Image)

AS FINE AS THIS EXTREMELY RARE STAMP EXISTS IN BLOCK FORM. ONE OF SIX KNOWN 3-CENT Z GRILL UNUSED BLOCKS.

The deep shade and very thin paper of this block are atypical of many 3c Z Grill stamps (including essays), but match at least two other unused blocks (ex Caspary). According to our production timeline on page 144 of the Zoellner sale, 3c sheets were first put through the Z Grill device in January (eku 1/25/68), then migrated to the D Grill device about one week later (eku 2/2/68). The 3c Z and D Grill stamps from this period are printed in a pale Rose shade on medium-thick paper, which did not take the grill very well. If our timeline is correct, the Z Grill was still functioning as late as March 17, 1868, and it is possible that some 3c sheets printed in a different shade on thinner paper were run through the Z Grill just before its conversion to the F Grill. Based on quantities delivered to the Stamp Agent and the time period of E Grill production, 3c sheets must have dominated the grilling devices in the February and March 1868. (Image)