United States Stamps continued...

EXTREMELY FINE. POSITION 7R1E -- THE SEVENTH STAMP IN THE RIGHT PANE OF PLATE 1 EARLY -- IS THE ONLY ONE OF THE 1,000 POSITIONS USED TO PRINT IMPERFORATE ONE-CENT STAMPS THAT SHOWS THE COMPLETE DESIGN (TYPE I). ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE WITH THE BLUE RICHMOND CIRCULAR DATESTAMP. A MAGNIFICENT EXAMPLE OF THE RAREST AND MOST DESIRABLE CLASSIC IMPERFORATE UNITED STATES STAMP.

The unpublished census compiled by Jerome S. Wagshal contains at least 98 unduplicated records of Scott 5. There are probably no more than ten examples existing outside of the Wagshal census population. Therefore, the 1c 1851 Type I is the rarest of all United States stamps issued regularly prior to the 1868 Grills.

Because of the significance attached to the outer portions of the 1c 1851 design, rare types that have been carefully cut apart, so as not to impinge on any part of the design, are extremely desirable. The narrow spacing between stamps in the sheet and the users' indifference to the outlying ornamentation during separation are factors that contributed to the great rarity of four-margin examples. The example offered here comes from the "Warner strip" of Positions 7-9R1E, which was cut apart with a view towards preserving the margin of this stamp. Examples of Position 7R1E (Scott 5) with large right and bottom margins, where there was very little space between it and the adjoining stamps, are true rarities. In fact, using the census data, it may be argued that this stamp is among the two or three finest sound examples known.

Ex Caspary. With 1976 P.F. certificate (Image)

VERY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE ONE-CENT IMPERFORATE STAMP FROM ONE OF THE POSITIONS THAT YIELDS THE MOST COMPLETE TYPE Ib DESIGN.

Type Ib was produced only as an imperforate stamp. Six positions on Plate 1 Early furnished stamps qualifying as Type Ib -- Positions 3-6R and 8-9R -- distinguished by the complete design at top and nearly complete design at bottom. When first entered on the plate, these six positions (as well as 7R1E) had the complete design at top and bottom. However, unlike 7R, small portions of the bottoms were burnished away. Positions 6R and 8R had less of the bottom erased than the other Type Ib positions, and for this reason they are more desirable examples of the type.

All Type Ib stamps are very scarce, and the two best examples (6R and 9R) are rare. These top-row positions usually have an ample top margin, but frequently the margins are close or cutting into the sides or bottom, such as the example offered here. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE ONE-CENT IMPERFORATE TYPE Ia.

Stamps printed from Plate 4 were issued in April, May and briefly in June 1857 before perforations were introduced. The relatively small number of imperforate Plate 4 stamps issued during this period explains the rarity and desirability of any of the imperforate stamp types produced from this plate (Ia, Ic, II, III and IIIa). The extremely rare Type Ia, showing the full design at bottom, was furnished only by 18 of the 200 subjects on Plate 4 (the remaining two bottom-row positions were sub-type Ic).

With 1968 P.F. certificate (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM EXAMPLE OF THE ONE-CENT IMPERFORATE TYPE III SHOWING CLEAR AND EASILY RECOGNIZABLE BREAKS AT BOTH TOP AND BOTTOM. AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE OF THE TYPE.

With 1994 P.F. certificate (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. A FRESH AND LIGHTLY-CANCELLED EXAMPLE OF THE RARE TYPE III WITH WIDE BREAKS AT TOP AND BOTTOM.

As noted in the Scott Catalogue, examples of Type III with wide breaks in both outer lines are worth substantially more than the Scott value quoted. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE OF THE ONE-CENT IMPERFORATE TYPE IIIa WITH OUTER LINE BROKEN AT TOP AND COMPLETE AT BOTTOM.

With 1984 P.F. certificate (Image)