2006 Rarities of the World continued...

EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1873 10-CENT CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY ISSUE.

With 1989 P.F. certificate (Image)

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE BLOCK OF TEN OF THE 1873 10-CENT CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY ISSUE.

Scott Retail as two blocks of four and a pair. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM EXAMPLE OF THE 1873 12-CENT CONTINENTAL -- ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT BANK NOTE ISSUES TO OBTAIN IN THIS OUTSTANDING CONDITION.

With 1992 P.S.E. certificate. With 2001 P.F. certificate. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE 1873 15-CENT CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY ISSUE WITH ORIGINAL GUM.

With 2002 P.F. certificate (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS IS THE FIRST ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1873 15-CENT CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE ISSUE ON RIBBED PAPER WE HAVE OFFERED SINCE KEEPING COMPUTERIZED RECORDS.

With 1989 P.F. certificate (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. AN OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 30-CENT 1873 CONTINENTAL PRINTING. A SUPERB STAMP IN EVERY RESPECT.

Lost among the 1870 National Grilled and Ungrilled Issues, 1875 Continental and 1880 American Bank Note Special Printings, and the 1879 and 1888 American Issues is the 30c 1873 Continental printing. Scott 165 is distinguished from its National counterpart by shade and the shape of the perforations, and from its 1879 American counterpart by paper. Many philatelists -- even intermediate and advanced collectors -- have difficulty classifying Scott 165. When it comes to naming the most elusive Bank Note stamps in choice original-gum condition, the 30c 1873 is often overlooked. However, go to any serious collection and look for this stamp, and most of the time it is missing or represented by something that compromises quality. The 30c 1870 is frequently found filling the space for Scott 165. The 30c Continental is extremely rare in any original-gum condition that approaches this example. Blocks have always been rare -- for example, Caspary did not have one, Lilly had one well-centered block of four and an off-center block of six -- which means that singles could not be harvested from multiples. Our analysis of the rarity of this stamp is confirmed by the $21,000 hammer realization for a superb example in our 2000 Rarities sale. We hope that collectors who still have a tendency to overlook the 30c Continental will be awakened to its rarity in Extremely Fine original-gum condition by our comments and recent realizations.

With 1979 and 2000 P.F. certificates (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. EASILY ONE OF THE FINEST ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLES OF THE 30-CENT 1873 CONTINENTAL PRINTING IN EXISTENCE. A SUPERB STAMP IN EVERY RESPECT.

Among the various Bank Note issues, the 30c 1873 Continental printing deserves special note. The 30c Continental is extremely rare in any original-gum condition that approaches this example. Blocks have always been rare -- for example, Caspary did not have one, Lilly had one well-centered block of four and an off-center block of six -- which means that singles could not be harvested from multiples.

Ex Drucker. With 1988 and 2003 P.F. certificates (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. AN EXCEPTIONALLY CHOICE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THIS 1873 CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY HIGH VALUE.

With 1986 P.F. certificate (Image)