US Stamp Values Scott 8A: 1851 1c Benjamin Franklin. Page 7

1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (Scott 8A). Plate 4, wide break at top, huge margins all around including large portion of adjacent stamp at top, light town datestamps, beautiful Plate 4 color EXTREMELY FINE. A SUPERB EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 IMPERFORATE ONE-CENT TYPE IIIa. Ex Puliafito. With 1991 P.F. certificate

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2010, Sale 998, Lot 446

1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (Scott 8A). Position 63L4, large margins all around with wide break in outer line at top, deep rich color on bright paper, face-free strike of circular datestamp EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 IMPERFORATE ONE-CENT TYPE IIIa. The datestamp shows an integral “Paid”

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2010, Sale 998, Lot 447

1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (Scott 8A). Position 82L4 with wide break in outer line at top and with bottom line mostly worn away, large margins to just barely touched, detailed impression on crisp paper, light strike of circular datestamp, Very Fine and choice, a pretty stamp, this is a swing position which later in the life of the plate produced Type III stamps, this almost qualifies as Type III

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2010, Sale 998, Lot 448

1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (Scott 8A). Position 21R4, full to large margins except clear at upper right, early impression, intense shade, cancelled by circular datestamp, Very Fine and choice

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2010, Sale 998, Lot 449

1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (Scott 8A). Large to enormous margins with trace of adjoining stamp at top, deep rich Plate 4 color on bright white paper EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A GORGEOUS USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 IMPERFORATE ONE-CENT TYPE IIIa. With 1999 P.F. certificate

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2010, Sale 998, Lot 444

1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (Scott 8A). Position 79R4, large to huge margins all around, deep rich color and proof-like impression, neat strike of circular datestamp and also with trace of red transit cancel at lower left, wide break in outer line at top EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 IMPERFORATE ONE-CENT TYPE IIIa. With 1993 and 1999 P.F. certificates

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2010, Sale 998, Lot 445

1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (Scott 8A). Position 41L1, huge margins to full including part of adjoining stamps at top and bottom and also “penter, Casilier & Co., ANK NOTE E” portion of imprint at left, deep rich color and proof-like impression, neat strike of 7-bar grid cancel, tiny thin spot at top by “O” of “Postage” EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF THE FEW EXAMPLES KNOWN OF THE ONE-CENT 1851 IMPERFORATE FROM PLATE 4 SHOWING ANY PART OF THE IMPRINT. The Neinken book states “Stamps from Plate 4 showing part of the imprint are rare.”

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2010, Sale 998, Lot 424

1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (8A). Position 50R4 with very wide break in line at top, unused (no gum), huge margins all around with part of imprint at right, deep rich color and spectacular proof-like impression EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB AND EXTREMELY RARE UNUSED EXAMPLE OF THE TYPE IIIa IMPERFORATE ONE-CENT 1851 ISSUE WITH IMPRINT. The Neinken book states “Stamps from Plate 4 showing part of the imprint are very rare. Ashbrook states that he has never seen an imperforate vertical pair with the imprint…” (p. 277). There are probably fewer than six unused Type IIIa stamps that show any part of the imprint. With 1988 and 1994 P.F. certificates. Scott Retail with no premium for the imprint

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2010, Sale 998, Lot 422

1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (Scott 8A). Position 81L1E, double transfer, one inverted, this position shows a wide break in outer line at bottom (a rare Type IIIa with break at bottom instead of top), large margins all around, clear impression and light cancel shows the inverted transfer lines at left EXTREMELY FINE. A SUPERB EXAMPLE OF THIS RARE 1851 ONE-CENT IMPERFORATE PLATE VARIETY. ONE OF THE THREE INVERTED TRANSFERS AND ONE OF ONLY TWO TYPE IIIa POSITIONS ON PLATE ONE EARLY WITH THE BREAK IN THE BOTTOM LINE INSTEAD OF TOP. The inverted transfers on Positions 71L, 81L and 91L1E were made after the top row of the right pane of Plate 1 Early was entered from the Type I single-relief transfer roll. According to Richard Celler’s theory (see Siegel Encyclopedia at http://siegelauctions.com/enc/pdf/1c1851.pdf), the three inverted transfers were made from a Type I design 3-relief transfer roll as a sort of trial after the top row entries had been made and the plate was turned around 180 degrees. When another plate (“Plate 0”) had to be discarded, the siderographer returned to Plate 1 and erased the three inverted transfers before completing the plate with entries surrounding 3R to 10R. Positions 71L and 81L are double transfers. Position 91L was entered a total of three times, so it is a triple transfer, one inverted. When the plate was reworked in 1852, 71L and 81L were re-entered (but not 91L), making them all triple transfers, one inverted. Position 81L1E is interesting not only as one of the three inverted transfers, it is what Ashbrook and Neinken described as “The finest example of Type IIIA from the plate.” With 2001 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (XF 90, SMQ price $2,500.00)

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2010, Sale 998, Lot 5

1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (Scott 8A). Position 72L1E, medium-size break in top outer line, large margins, bright shade, tied by “Boston 11 Oct.” circular datestamp and small “Paid” grid cancel on buff cover to local street address, stamp very slightly creased along top from placement near edge, otherwise Extremely Fine, scarce use of Boston small “Paid” grid on local 1c 1851 cover

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2010, Sale 998, Lot 64

1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (Scott 8A). Plate 1E (unplated), clear break in top outer line, full to large margins, deep shade, used with 3c Dull Red, Ty. II (11A), straddle-pane margin at right, others ample to slightly in, bright shade, tied by “Montgomery Ala. Apr. 6” (1852) circular datestamp, bold strike of Montgomery “WAY” straightline handstamp on Apr. 3 blue folded letter from New Orleans to Boston, entered mails at Montgomery as a way letter, some very minor age spots, file fold at center, Very Fine, extremely scarce prepaid way letter with 1851 Issue, ex Gibson

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2010, Sale 998, Lot 65

1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (Scott 8A). Position 75R1E, break in top outer line, full to large margins, used with pair of 1c Blue, Ty. II (7), Positions 86-87R1E, ample to large margins, bright shade, tied by “Pittsburgh Pa. Mar. 21” circular datestamp on brown cover to Mrs. P. R. Spencer, Geneva O. with Chamberlin’s Commercial College corner card, backflap removed, slight edgewear, Very Fine, Platt Rogers Spencer was a reformed alcoholic and temperance and anti-slavery advocate who developed the style of penmanship known as Spencerian writing, which is beautifully executed on this cover

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2010, Sale 998, Lot 66

1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (Scott 8A). Position 96R1E with huge bottom sheet margin, large margins all around, clear break at top, neatly cancelled by red grid and part of “New York” circular datestamp, gorgeous Plate 1 Early shade EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A MAGNIFICENT USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 ONE-CENT TYPE IIIa IMPERFORATE FROM PLATE ONE EARLY. THIS TYPE IS EXCEEDINGLY RARE WITH A SHEET MARGIN. Looking at the distribution of types on Plate 1 Early (Neinken book, page 66), it is apparent that only three bottom-row positions can be Type IIIa (all others are Type II). Two are “swing” positions: Type II before the plate wore and Type IIIa after it wore enough to cause a break in the line (100L and 100R). Position 96R1E is a strong Type IIIa, and it comes from one of the five misplaced A Relief entries in the bottom row. Elsewhere around the perimeter of each pane, only six other positions offer the possibility of a Type IIIa sheet margin stamp (none in the top row). The stamp offered here, judged by statistical rarity and by its outstanding quality, is a marvelous example of the 1c 1851 Imperforate.

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2010, Sale 998, Lot 61

1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (Scott 8A). Position 51R1E with left straddle-pane margin and centerline, large margins all around, wide break in top outer line, bright shade EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A MAGNIFICENT USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 ONE-CENT TYPE IIIa IMPERFORATE WITH THE CENTERLINE FROM PLATE ONE EARLY. POSITION 51R1E IS ONE OF THE BEST EXAMPLES OF TYPE IIIa ON PLATE ONE EARLY. Plate 1 Early stamps showing the centerline are rare. According to the Neinken chart, only three of the centerline positions on Plate 1 Early are Type IIIa — 40L, 51R and 71R — and this position (51R) shows a wide break in the outer line at top. On Plate 1 Early there are strong Type IIIa positions with well-defined breaks in the top line, and there are weak positions that show a slight break. The Neinken book discusses the variation in Type IIIa positions on Plate 1 Early (page 73) and lists the following as the “best” examples of Type IIIa with the line broken at top: 40L, 53L, 33R, 35R, 51R, 55R, 72R and 75R1E. With 1987 P.F. certificate

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2010, Sale 998, Lot 62

1c Blue, Ty. IIIa (Scott 8A). Plate 4, full even margins, remarkably dark shade and proof-like impression, lightly cancelled by circular datestamp at lower left clear of Franklin’s portrait, trivial lightning-shaped internal crease flashes when drying but does not in any way affect the appearance of this beautiful stamp (and not mentioned on certificate), Very Fine and choice appearance, with 1988 P.F. certificate

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Oct 2010, Sale 997, Lot 5140