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The property described in this catalogue will be offered at public auction by Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. (“Galleries”) on behalf of various consignors and itself or affiliated companies. By bidding on any lot, whether directly or by or through an agent, in person, or by telephone, facsimile or any other means, the bidder acknowledges and agrees to all of the following Conditions of Sale.
- The highest bidder acknowledged by the auctioneer shall be the buyer. The term “final bid” means the last bid acknowledged by the auctioneer, which is normally the highest bid offered. The purchase price payable by the buyer will be the sum of the final bid and a commission of 15% of the final bid (“buyer’s premium”), together with any sales tax or use tax which may be due on the sale.
- The auctioneer has the right to reject any bid, to advance the bidding at his discretion and, in the event of a dispute between bidders, to determine the successful bidder, to continue the bidding or to reoffer and resell the lot in dispute. The Galleries’ record of the final sale shall be conclusive.
- All bids are per numbered lot in the catalogue unless otherwise announced by the auctioneer at the time of sale. The right is reserved to group two or more lots, to withdraw any lot or lots from the sale, or to act on behalf of the seller. The Galleries will execute bidding instructions on behalf of clients, but will not be responsible for any errors in the execution of such bids.
- Lots with numbers followed by the symbol ° are offered subject to a confidential minimum final bid (“reserve”), below which the lot will not be sold. The absence of the symbol ° means that the lot is offered without a reserve. In the absence of a reserve, the auctioneer has sole discretion to establish a minimum opening bid and may refuse an offer of less than half of the published estimate. Any lot that does not reach its reserve or opening bid requested by the auctioneer will be announced as “passed” and excluded from the prices realized lists after the sale. The Galleries may have a direct or indirect ownership interest in any or all lots in the sale resulting from an advance of monies or goods-in-trade or a guarantee of minimum net proceeds made by the Galleries to the seller.
- Any lot, the description of which is obviously incorrect, is returnable, but only if the lot is returned within 14 days of receipt. All disputed lots must be returned intact with the original packing material. The following lots may not be returned for any reason: Lots containing ten or more items; lots from buyers who have registered for the pre-sale exhibition or received lots by postal viewing, thereby having had the opportunity to inspect them before the sale; any lot described with “faults” or “defects” may not be returned because of any fault or defect. No illustrated lots may be returned because of centering, margins or other factors shown in the illustrations.
- Successful bidders, unless they have established credit with the Galleries prior to the sale, must make payment in full before the lots will be delivered. Buyers not known to the Galleries must make payment in full within three days from the date of sale. The Galleries retain the right to demand a cash deposit from anyone prior to bidder registration and/or to demand payment at the time the lot is knocked down to the highest bidder, for any reason whatsoever. In the event that any buyer refuses or fails to make payment in cash for any lot at the time it is knocked down to him, the auctioneer reserves the right to reoffer the lot immediately for sale to the highest bidder. Credit cards are not accepted as payment.
- If the purchase price has not been paid within the time limit
specified above, nor lots taken up within seven days from
the date of sale, the lots will be resold by whatever means deemed
appropriate by the Galleries, and any loss incurred from resale
will be charged to the defaulting buyer. Any account more than
thirty days in arrears will be subject to a late payment charge
of 1 1/2% per month as long as the account remains in arrears.
Any expenses incurred in securing payment from delinquent accounts
will be charged to the defaulter. A fee of $250.00 per check will
be charged for each check returned for insufficient funds.
- All lots are sold as genuine. Any lot accompanied by a certificate issued by The Philatelic Foundation within 5 years of the sale date or by Professional Stamp Experts since January 2004 is sold “as is” and in accordance with the description on the certificate. Such lots may not be returned for any reason, including but not limited to a contrary certificate of opinion. Buyers who wish to obtain a certificate for any item that does not have a P.F. or P.S.E. certificate (dated as above) may do so, provided that the following conditions are met: (1) the purchase price must be paid in full, (2) the item must be submitted to an acceptable expertizing committee with a properly executed application form within 21 days of the sale, (3) a copy of the application form must be given to the Galleries, (4) in the event that an adverse opinion is received, the Galleries retain the right to resubmit the item on the buyer’s behalf for reconsideration, without time limit or other restrictions, (5) unless written notification to the contrary is received, items submitted for certification will be considered cleared 90 days from the date of sale, and (6) in the event any item is determined to be “not as described”, the buyer will be refunded the purchase price and the certification fee up to $500.00 unless otherwise agreed.
- Until paid for in full, all lots remain the property of the Galleries on behalf of the seller.
- Agents executing bids on behalf of clients will be held responsible for all purchases made on behalf of clients unless otherwise arranged prior to the sale.
- The buyer assumes all risk for delivery of purchased lots and agrees to pay for prescribed shipping costs.
- The bidder consents that any action or proceeding against it may be commenced and maintained in any court within the State of New York or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, that the courts of the State of New York and United States District Court for the Southern District of New York shall have jurisdiction with respect to the subject matter hereof and the person of the bidder. The bidder agrees not to assert any defense to any action or proceeding initiated by Galleries based upon improper venue or inconvenient forum. The bidder agrees that any action brought by the bidder shall be commenced and maintained only in a Federal Court in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York or the State Court in the county in which Galleries has its principal place of business in New York. These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the substantive laws of the State of New York.
SCOTT R. TREPEL, Principal Auctioneer
Auctioneer’s License No. 795952
N.Y.C. Department of Consumer Affairs,
80 Lafayette Street, New York, N.Y. 10013
Telephone (212) 577-0111
Revised 9/2005
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Grading Terms, Abbreviations and Values
Used in Descriptions
Minor nicks, short edge tears, flap tears and slight reduction at one side are normal conditions for 19th century envelopes. Folded letters should be expected to have at least one file fold. Light cleaning of covers and small mends along the edges are accepted forms of conservation. Unusual covers may have a common stamp with a slight crease or tiny tear. These flaws exist in virtually all 19th century covers and are not always described. They are not grounds for return.
These flaws exist in virtually all 19th century covers and are not always described. They are not grounds for return. These flaws exist in virtually all 19th century covers and are not always described. They are not grounds for return.
Unless otherwise noted, the currently available Scott
Catalogue values are quoted in dollars with a decimal point. Other
catalogues are often used for foreign countries or specialized areas
and are referred to by their common name: Stanley Gibbons (SG), Dietz,
American Air Mail Catalogue (AAMC), Michel, Zumstein, Facit, etc.
Estimates are indicated with an “E.” and reflect our conservative
valuation in dollars. Reserves will never exceed the low end of the
estimate range; they will sometimes exceed Scott Catalogue value
for stamps in Extremely Fine condition.
Because of certain pricing inconsistencies in the
Scott Catalogue — for example, blocks that have no gum, the
absence of premiums for Mint N.H. items, etc. — we cannot guarantee
the accuracy of values quoted for multiples, specialized items and
collection lots. We generally try to be conservative, but buyers
may not return a lot because of a discrepancy in catalogue value
due to Scott pricing inconsistencies.
| Symbols and Abbreviations |
Block |
Cover |
FC Fancy Cancel |
E Essay |
h.r. Hinge remnant |
Mint N.H. |
Original gum |
Unused (no gum) |
TC Trial Color |
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Margin width, centering and gum are graded according to Scott Catalogue standards.
- Extremely Fine Gem (XF):
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The term "Gem" describes condition that is the finest possible for the issue.
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Extremely Fine (XF):
-
Exceptionally large margins or near-perfect centering.
-
Very Fine (VF):
-
Normal size margins for the issue and well-centered with the design
a bit closer to one side. “Very Fine and choice” applies
to stamps that have desirable traits such as rich color, sharp
impression, freshness or clarity of cancel.
-
Fine (F):
-
Smaller than usual margins or noticeably off center. Pre-1890 issues may have the design touched in places.
-
Very Good (VG):
-
Attractive appearance, but margins or perforations cut into the design.
-
Good (G) or Average (Ave.):
-
Cut into or perfs far into design and usually with slight faults. This condition is generally acceptable for rarities, scarce multiples or stamps used on unusual covers.
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Gum Categories |
Mint N.H. |
Original Gum |
No Gum |
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Mint
Never Hinged
Free from any disturbance |
Lightly
Hinged
Faint impression of a removed hinge over a small
area |
Hinge
Mark or Remnant
Prominent hinge spot with part or
all of the hinge remaining |
Part
o.g.
Approximately half or more of the gum intact |
Small
part o.g.
Approximately less than half of the gum intact |
No
gum
Only if issued with gum |
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Catalogue symbol |
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PRE-1890 ISSUES |
Pre-1890 stamps in these categories trade at a premium over Scott value |
Scott value for “O.G.” |
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Scott “No Gum”
Values thru No. 218 |
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1890-1935 ISSUES |
Scott “Never Hinged” |
Scott Value for “O.G.” (Actual
value will be affected by the degree of hinging) |
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1935 TO DATE |
Scott value for “Unused” |
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- Disturbed Original Gum:
- Gum showing noticeable effects of humidity, climate or hinging over more than half of the gum. The significance of gum disturbance in valuing a stamp in any of the Original Gum categories depends on the degree of disturbance, the rarity and normal gum condition of the issue, and other variable affecting quality. For example, stamps issued in tropical climates are expected to have some gum disturbance due to humidity, and such condition is not considered a negative factor in pricing.
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