US Stamps Value Scott 296: 1901 4c Pan American Exposition: Electric Automobile in Washington. Page 2

4c Pan-American (Scott 296). Top imprint and plate no. 1145 block of six, pressman’s initials at top, rich colors, some perf separations, Fine

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Apr 2015, Sale 1096, Lot 523

4c Pan-American, Center Inverted (Scott 296a). Rich color, intense vignette impression and shifted with wheels into brown frame, large part original gum with hinge remnants, two tiny picked-out inclusions at top (noted on certificate), tiny thin spot in area of hinge removal (not noted on certificate) FINE CENTERING. A VERY ATTRACTIVE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 4-CENT PAN-AMERICAN INVERT. The 4c stamp portrays an electric automobile, known at the time as the “Electric Vehicle Service,” as depicted on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad brochure from which the engraving was made. In the background one can see the dome of the Capitol. One of the two men seated at the front was Samuel B. Hege, B&O’s passenger agent, so this stamp actually depicts a living person in violation of the law. The 4c Pan-American Invert was a special printing and not regularly issued. Examples were distributed through two official channels, and the gum on the majority of stamps without “Specimen” overprint was disturbed. In fact, because the stamps were removed from mounting paper, they are generally thinned or have seriously disturbed gum. Based on the centering of this stamp, absence of “Specimen” overprint, and the shifted vignette, we believe this stamp comes from “Sheet 1 Left” as diagrammed in our catalogue for the “Beverly Hills” collection (Siegel Sale 1052, pages 52-53). With 1987 P.F. certificate stating “genuine with part o.g. and with two removed inclusions at top”

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Apr 2015, Sale 1096, Lot 533

4c Pan-American, Center Inverted (Scott 296a). Block of four, rich color and sharp vignette impression, few small pieces of hinge used to rejoin or reinforce some perf separations, tiny perf thins and minute tear at right of bottom right stamp FINE-VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE BLOCK OF FOUR OF THE 4-CENT PAN-AMERICAN INVERT. ONLY SEVEN BLOCKS ARE RECORDED. This block shows the wheels of the automobile in the vignette touching the surrounding brown frame. Based on the centering of this block, absence of “Specimen” overprint, and the shifted vignette, we believe this block comes from “Sheet 1 Left” as diagrammed in our catalogue for the “Beverly Hills” collection (Siegel Sale 1052, pages 52-53). A review of our Levi records located seven blocks of four. One has not been seen since the 1944 Col. Edward H. R. Green auction and has probably been broken into singles, and another has not been seen since 1970. One of the well-centered blocks (with thin spots) realized $325,000 hammer in our sale of the Alan B. Whitman collection (Sale 968B). Ex Lilly.

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Apr 2015, Sale 1096, Lot 534

1901, 4¢ Pan-American. Top margin plate “1145” block of 6 with imprint and siderographer’s initials, o.g., never hinged, rich vibrant colors on bright fresh paper, beautifully centered throughout, Very Fine to Extremely Fine, ex Drucker. Scott No. 296; $3,500. A WONDERFULLY CHOICE NEVER HINGED PLATE BLOCK OF THE 4¢ PAN-AMERICAN ISSUE.

Schuyler J. Rumsey Philatelic Auctions, Apr 2015, Sale 60, Lot 2892

1901, 4¢ Pan-American. Top margin plate number “1145” single, o.g., never hinged, excellent color and centering, Extremely Fine and choice, a lovely gem, with 2000 P.S.E. certificate. Scott No. 296; $170.

Schuyler J. Rumsey Philatelic Auctions, Apr 2015, Sale 60, Lot 2773

4c Pan-American (296). Mint N.H. block of 15 in 5 x 3 format, choice centering throughout, rich color, Very Fine-Extremely Fine , Scott Retail as singles

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Feb 2015, Sale 1092, Lot 1254

4c Pan-American (Scott 296). Mint N.H., pretty colors, unusually choice centering, Extremely Fine, with 2014 P.F. certificate (XF 90)

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Feb 2015, Sale 1092, Lot 1253

1901, 4¢ Pan-American, center inverted, overprinted “Specimen” (Scott 296aSE), top margin (straight edge) single, well centered within nice margins, so uncommon for this; cancellation at left applied by favor or fraudulently so as to hide specimen overprint, Fine to Very Fine appearance, 2014 P.S.E. certificate. Scott $11,500 as unused. Estimate price $5,000 – 7,500.

Daniel Kelleher Auctions, Jan 2015, Sale 663, Lot 1588

United States 1901 Pan-American Issue 1901 4c deep red brown & black, top right corner imprint and plate no. block of ten, n.h. and post office fresh, fine-v.f.

Cherrystone Auctions, Jan 2015, Sale 201501, Lot 171

4c Pan-American, Center Inverted, Specimen Overprint (Scott 296aS). Clear strike of “Specimen” handstamp reading down at left, with plate no. 1145 and portion of plate letter imprint in black at bottom (from the left pane), h.r. in selvage only, warm rich color, completely sound FINE. ONE OF FOUR RECORDED PLATE NUMBER AND PLATE LETTER SINGLES OF THE 4-CENT PAN-AMERICAN INVERT. ONLY THIS EXAMPLE HAS THE “SPECIMEN” OVERPRINT. The production and distribution of the 4c Pan-American Invert occurred under extraordinary circumstances. After the 1c and 2c Inverts were discovered, rumors of a 4c Invert caused the Post Office Department to order a special printing of 4c Inverts to retain as specimens. It was reported that two sheets of 200 were printed, for a total of 400 stamps; however, as we shall describe further on, at least four plate impressions were made. It appears that only the lower halves of the sheets were finished with gum and perforations. If the reported quantities are correct, 203 4c Inverts were released with or without the small “Specimen” overprint. Some examples, both with and without the overprint, were given away by Third Asst. Postmaster General Edwin C. Madden. When postal authorities learned of the practice, they destroyed 194 copies and put one pane of 100 into the official archives. At a later date, 97 of these were traded for rarities missing from the archives. We have been studying this fascinating Invert “Special Printing” for several years and have recorded imprint and plate number examples of the 4c Pan-American Invert from the bottoms of four different sheets of 100, each comprising left and right panes of 50 (six of the eight panes are represented by at least one bottom-margin position). The sequence of vignette plate letters in the bottom selvage, which were normally printed in the top selvage, can be used to identify Left or Right pane positions. These letters were applied each time the vignette plate was used, and the 4c Invert has the longest sequence of letters we can find on any 4c Pan-American, presumably because the plate was used for the last time to make the Invert “Special Printing” after the regular stamps were printed. There are at least 48 separate entries of the two or three-letter initials on the 4c Invert vignette plate. For the purpose of identification, we will refer to these four sheets as S1, S2, S3 and S4 (Left/Right for each). From S1 Left we record three singles with plate letters and the unique plate block of four with the imprint and plate number. None of the S1 Left imprint stamps have a “Specimen” overprint. From S1 Right we record the imprint and plate number strip of four sold in the Cunliffe auction by Spink-Shreves. It, too, does not have a “Specimen” overprint. From S2 we record only one imprint and plate number single, from the Right pane and without overprint, ex Odeneal (Siegel Sale 941, lot 1207). From S3 we record an imprint and plate number single from the Left pane (Siegel Sale 745, lot 717) and another from the Right pane, neither with overprint. Finally, from S4 we record the imprint and plate number single offered here, from the Left pane and with “Specimen” overprint, ex Green and Cunliffe. Ex Colonel Green and Cunliffe. With 1996 P.F. and 2009 P.S.E. certificates.

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2014, Sale 1090, Lot 1433

4c Pan-American (Scott 296). Bottom imprint and plate no. 1145 block of six, barest trace of hinge, rich colors, remarkably well-centered, usual few light natural gum creases, Extremely Fine, an outstanding plate block

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2014, Sale 1090, Lot 1430

1901, 4¢ Pan-American (Scott 296), o.g., very lightly hinged, lovely fresh stamp with excellent centering, Extremely Fine, 1979 P.F. and 2014 P.S.E. certificate graded XF-90. SMQ $95 in the grade of XF-90. Scott $70. Estimate $75 – 100.

Daniel Kelleher Auctions, Dec 2014, Sale 661, Lot 263

USA (Scott 296) 1901 PAN-AMERICAN 4? BROWN & BLACK (BOTTOM PLATE) Bottom plate and imprint block of 6 (plate #1145). Choice plate, fresh, very fine. Original gum, lightly hinged (five stamps NH). Cat value $2100.

Regency-Superior, Nov 2014, Sale 108, Lot 1280

U.S.; General Issues, 1901, 4¢ Pan-American, block of 4, #296. “creased lightly at right”, n.h., Fine, APEX (2010) cert. Scott $680. Estimate price $130.

Harmer-Schau Auction Galleries, Nov 2014, Sale 103, Lot 121

4c Pan-American, Center Inverted (296a). Disturbed original gum, margins to touched at bottom, thin spot at upper right and tiny perf tear at top left FINE APPEARING ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 4-CENT PAN-AMERICAN INVERT. The 4c stamp portrays an electric automobile, known at the time as the “Electric Vehicle Service”, as depicted on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad brochure from which the engraving was made. In the background one can see the dome of the Capitol. One of the two men in the front is Samuel P. Hege, so this stamp actually depicts a living person in violation of the law. The 4c Pan-American Invert was a special printing and not regularly issued. Examples were distributed through two official channels, and the gum on the majority of stamps without “Specimen” overprint was disturbed. In fact, because the stamps were removed from mounting paper, they are generally thinned or have seriously disturbed gum. The Scott Catalogue value is for a stamp with slightly disturbed gum.

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Nov 2014, Sale 1084, Lot 3692