US Stamps Prices Scott Catalog 122: 90c 1869 Pictorial Abraham Lincoln. Page 15

o 1869, 90¢ carmine & black (122), precisely centered within large even margins, bright color and detailed impression, canceled by attractive red cork cancel, fresh and Extremely Fine to Superb. SSV $9,000 without premium for red cancel. Scott value $700+ AN OUTSTANDING GEM WITH EXCEPTIONAL CENTERING AND EYE APPEAL THAT CAN SCARCELY BE IMPROVED UPON. Expertization: 2005 P.F. Certificate graded XF-Superb 95.

Matthew Bennett International, Sep 2011, Sale 338, Lot 1804

o 1869, 90¢ carmine & black (122), exceedingly well centered, bright colors and paper, neat cork cancel, fresh and Extremely Fine. SMQ price $4,100. Scott $2,250 A GEM USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1869 HIGH VALUE. Expertization: 2001 P.F. and 2007 P.S.E. Certificates, latter graded XF 90.

Matthew Bennett International, Sep 2011, Sale 338, Lot 1805

U.S.; General Issues, 1869, 90¢ Carmine & Black, #122. O.g., fresh color, Fine. Scott $12,000. Estimate $2,500-3,000.

Harmer-Schau Auction Galleries, Aug 2011, Sale 90, Lot 1287

o U.S.; General Issues, 1869, 90¢ Carmine & Black, #122. Used, upper left perf tip added, otherwise Fine. Scott $2,250. Estimate price $400-500.

Harmer-Schau Auction Galleries, Aug 2011, Sale 90, Lot 1289

1869, 90¢ carmine & black (Scott 122), neat cancel; light crease, Very Fine. Scott $2,250.

Daniel Kelleher Auctions, Jul 2011, Sale 625, Lot 760

1869, 90¢ carmine & black (Scott 122), beautiful example with a light cancellation, fabulous centering and nicely balanced margins, completely sound and choice, Extremely Fine, 1983 and 2010 P.F. certs. Scott $2,250.

Daniel Kelleher Auctions, Jul 2011, Sale 625, Lot 759

United States 1869 Pictorials 1869 90c carmine and black, well centered with wide margins, beautiful color and sharp impression, h.r., expertly reperforated at right, otherwise v.f. example of this rare stamp, with 2007 PFC

Cherrystone Auctions, Jun 2011, Sale 201106, Lot 39

o U.S.; General Issues, 1869, 90¢ carmine & black, #122. Used, light cancel, Average to Fine. Scott $2,250. Estimate $600.

Harmer-Schau Auction Galleries, Mar 2011, Sale 89, Lot 175

o 1869, 90¢ carmine & black (122), bright and well centered with somewhat weak impression of the left side of the design, two tiny shallow thin spots; fresh, Very Fine appearance. Scott $2,250 Expertization: 2003 PSE Certificate noting only the weak impression.

Matthew Bennett International, Mar 2011, Sale 337, Lot 2586

1869, 90¢ carmine & black (122), block of eight composed of two rejoined blocks of four, fresh, rich color, disturbed o.g., centered to the left with some addional reinforced or rejoined perforations. Scott value $230,000 ++ AN IMPORTANT MULTIPLE OF THIS HIGH VALUE AND A FINE EXHIBITION PIECE. Expertization: 1984 PF Certificate for the bottom block. Provenance: Lafayette. The largest known, naturally occurring multiples are two recorded blocks of six. However, given the exact match of centering and identical gum condition, one could easily postulate that these two blocks had actually been a block of eight sometime in the past.

Matthew Bennett International, Mar 2011, Sale 336, Lot 1186

1869, 90¢ carmine & black (122), bright color and delicate, prooflike impression with a perfectly centered vignette and full original gum; fresh, Fine and quite handsome. Scott price $12,500 A MOST HANDSOME EXAMPLE OF THIS HIGH VALUE WHICH IS VERY RARELY OFFERED IN THIS PREMIUM MINT CONDITION. Expertization: 2001 PF Certificate.

Matthew Bennett International, Mar 2011, Sale 336, Lot 1185

90c Carmine & Black (Scott 122). Brilliant colors and crisp impressions, virtually face-free strike of red Leaf cancel used on New York Supplementary Mail, trace of black cancel at top VERY FINE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 90-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE CANCELLED BY A BRIGHT RED CANCEL. A review using Power Search found several examples of this issue with a red cancellation. However, the number of sound stamps with perfs clear of the design on all sides is less than a half-dozen. With 1997 P.F. certificate.

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Mar 2011, Sale 1004, Lot 183

90c Carmine & Black (122). Vertical block of six, original gum, clearly-defined grills, rich colors and detailed impressions, long and full perforations all around EXTREMELY FINE. THIS IS BY FAR THE FINER OF THE TWO RECORDED ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCKS OF SIX OF THE 90-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE, WHICH IS THE LARGEST RECORDED INTACT MULTIPLE. THIS BLOCK IS THE ONLY ONE WITH FULL ORIGINAL GUM. THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE CASPARY AND EUBANKS 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE COLLECTIONS AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CLASSIC UNITED STATES BLOCKS EXTANT. The contract for the 1869 Pictorial Issue was awarded to National Bank Note Co. in February 1869 by the outgoing Johnson administration (Grant was inaugurated March 4, 1869). Three of the ten stamps had traditional portraits: the 1c Franklin, 6c Washington and 90c Lincoln. The other values represented a radical departure from the portraiture of all previous issues, depicting scenes of fast communication and historical events. Contemporary critical review was unexpectedly negative. While preceding issues had been current for 7 to 10 years and the 1870 Bank Note issue lasted 18 years, not even a year was given to the 1869 Pictorial Issue. For the 90c, the portrait of Lincoln was admired, but the “prison bars” behind his head were criticized. The 90c stamps were intended to be used on heavy domestic packages or on multiple-rate mail to foreign destinations. Given the high cost of the stamp (equivalent to $14.33 in today’s money), the 90c 1869’s were not bought in any quantity to be stored and used later, as was the case with lower-denomination stamps. With the reduction in many foreign treaty rates, the 90c could only be used on multiple-rate letters. The short lifespan of the 1869 Pictorial Issue closed the window of opportunity for the public to buy the 90c Lincoln stamps at the post office. Only one 90c on cover is recorded: the famous “Ice House” cover, sold by the Siegel firm for $375,000 hammer. There are two recorded unused blocks of six, the largest recorded unused multiples: 1) full original gum, sound, the block offered here, ex Caspary, Kapiloff and Joseph, and 2) traces of original gum, slightly dry print at right, right center stamp small thin spot, perfs strengthened and rejoined, ex Hind, Bechtel, Zoellner and Ainsworth (now in the Gross collection). There is also a reconstructed unused block of eight (ex Lafayette). Ex Caspary, Kapiloff and Joseph. With 2010 P.F. certificate. Unpriced in Scott Catalogue as a block of six

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Mar 2011, Sale 1004, Lot 182

90c Carmine & Black (Scott 122). Deep rich colors, wide margins, cork cancel, Very Fine, with 1979 P.F. certificate

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Mar 2011, Sale 1004, Lot 184

90c Carmine & Black (Scott 122). Well-centered, wide bars cancel as often seen on this value, tiny orange pencil mark at extreme bottom right (registry mark?), Very Fine, with 1985 P.F. certificate

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Oct 2010, Sale 997, Lot 5480