2006 Rarities of the World continued...

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. AN OUTSTANDING MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 50-CENT 1902 ISSUE.

The 1902-03 Regular Issue was a great improvement over the Bureau's first efforts in 1894 and 1895. Perforations tend to be cleaner, and centering better, but the large plate layout and perforating method still resulted in a large number of poorly centered stamps. Furthermore, stamps issued in choice condition seldom stayed that way, because the boom in stamp collecting that began with the Roosevelt administration caused hordes of hinge-bearing philatelists to mount stamps over and over again. For this reason, today's collectors have grown accustomed to paying many multiples of Scott value for Extremely Fine stamps in Mint Never-Hinged state. Anyone who has pursued this set can testify that the 50c is rarely encountered in such condition. The 50c 1902 offered here probably ranks among the ten highest-quality examples in existence.

With 2000 P.F. certificate (Image)

VERY FINE AND CHOICE MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE $5.00 1902 ISSUE.

The $5.00 1902 is one of the rarest of all 20th Century regular issues in Mint Never Hinged condition. Perhaps because collectors proudly hinged this dollar value in their albums, very few stamps seem to have escaped such a fate. Only blocks -- rarely well-centered and also often hinged -- have provided the few Mint Never-Hinged stamps that exist today.

With 1991 P.F. certificate (Image)

VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A GORGEOUS PAIR OF THE RARE 5-CENT 1908 VERTICAL COIL.

Armstrong notes that as of 1980 only 79 pairs had been certified as genuine by the Philatelic Foundation.

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

FRESH AND VERY FINE PAIR OF THE RARE 5-CENT 1908 VERTICAL COIL.

Armstrong notes that, by 1980, only 79 pairs had been certified by the Philatelic Foundation.

With 1975 P.F. certificate. With 1990 P.S.E. certificate. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE FOR THIS ISSUE. THIS MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT VERTICAL COIL IS A GREAT RARITY -- WE HAVE NOT OFFERED ANY IN THIS CONDITION IN OVER TEN YEARS.

The only other Mint N.H. example of this rarity we have offered since keeping computerized records was sold as part of a pair in our Sale 813, in June of 1999. That stamp had a backstamp, and so is not considered to be never hinged by some of today's collectors.

With 2003 P.F. certificate for pair. (Image)

VERY FINE AND CHOICE LIGHTLY-HINGED SINGLE OF THE RARE 5-CENT 1908 VERTICAL COIL.

With 1975 and 2000 P.F. certificates. (Image)

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

With 2000 P.F. certificate for pair. (Image)

FRESH AND FINE. A RARE STRIP OF FOUR OF THE ONE-CENT 1908 HORIZONTAL COIL.

Armstrong notes that by 1980 approximately 80 pairs had been certified by the Philatelic Foundation. There are probably less than six strips of four in existence.

Ex Klein. With 1966 P.F. certificate. (Image)

VERY FINE AND CHOICE PAIR OF THE 2-CENT 1908 HORIZONTAL COIL.

Armstrong notes that only 167 examples had been certified by the Philatelic Foundation as of 1980. The infrequency with which this coil appears at auction would indicate that it may in fact be rarer, and that Armstrong's census information may contain duplicate records. Issued on July 31, 1908, this was intended only to be used by private vending machine companies.

With 1961 P.F. certificate (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 1908 2-CENT HORIZONTAL COIL, SCOTT 322.

With 1997 P.F. certificate for pair (Image)