1c Blue, Ty. III (Scott 21). Position 66R4, rich color, choice centering, showing wide break in outer line at top (which is unusual for this position), neat strike of circular datestamp, Fine, a beautiful example of this position which is described in Neinken on p. 271 where he notes that early impressions barely show a break at top, this must be a late impression

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Mar 2011, Sale 1006, Lot 1155

1c Blue, Ty. III (Scott 21). Plate 4, beautifully balanced margins and proof-like impression on fresh paper, nicely complemented by red New York City carrier datestamp EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1857 ONE-CENT TYPE III, WHICH HAS BEEN GRADED XF-SUPERB 95 BY P.S.E. — PARTICULARLY DESIRABLE WITH THE RED CARRIER DATESTAMP. Due to the narrow vertical spacing on this plate, stamps are most typically found with the perforations impinging on a portion of the design. The example offered here is centered so that the type characteristics are clearly visible. P.S.E. encapsulated (XF-Superb 95, SMQ value $11,000.00). None have graded higher to date.

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Oct 2011, Sale 1014, Lot 1086

10c Carmine, Official Postal Savings (Scott O126). Top imprint, hollow star and plate no. 5613 block of six, barely hinged, Fine-Very Fine

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2010, Sale 991, Lot 1492

Postal Savings Official, 1910, 2¢ black (O125), bottom plate block of 6, o.g., hinge remnant, deep rich color, choice example of this undervalued multiple, Fine. Scott $700. Estimate price $200 – 300.

Daniel Kelleher Auctions, Sep 2013, Sale 639, Lot 479

1c Postal Savings (Scott O124). Mathematically perfect centering with Jumbo margins, bright color on fresh paper, oval registry cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, the perfect Official Postal Savings stamp, with 2011 P.F. and 2008 P.S.E. certificates (Gem 100 Jumbo, SMQ value $50.00 as 98, unpriced in higher grades), this is the only used example of any Official Postal Savings stamp to achieve this grade

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Oct 2012, Sale 1032, Lot 3693

Postal Savings Official, 1911, $1 ultramarine (Scott O123), o.g., never hinged, extremely bright color, handsome example of this tough stamp, Fine to Very Fine. Scott $450. Estimate $250 – 350.

Daniel Kelleher Auctions, Aug 2015, Sale 672, Lot 3003

Postal Savings Official, 1911, 50¢ dark green (Scott O122), o.g., never hinged, extremely intense color and sharp clear impression, Fine to Very Fine. Scott $375. Estimate price $200 – 300.

Daniel Kelleher Auctions, Aug 2015, Sale 672, Lot 3002

Postal Savings Official, 1910, 2¢ black (Scott O121), immaculate Post Office fresh example, right margin plate block of 6 with plate number 5503, star, and imprint, o.g., never hinged, Fine. Scott $350. Estimate value $150 – 200.

Daniel Kelleher Auctions, Oct 2012, Sale 632, Lot 1573

USA (Scott O120) 1879 WAR 30¢ ROSE RED SOFT PAPER Fresh, very fine, original gum, lightly hinged. Cat value $225.

Regency-Superior, Aug 2015, Sale 112, Lot 1209

12c War, Soft Paper (Scott O119). Mint N.H., exceptionally choice centering, rich color, Extremely Fine, with 2007 P.F. certificate (XF 90), P.S.E. does not even list or price this issue Mint N.H.

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Feb 2015, Sale 1092, Lot 1470

10c War, Soft Paper (Scott O118). Bottom left imprint and plate no. 79 block of 14, original gum, some reinforcement, minor thin in selvage below pos. 14 (not involving plate block of ten), otherwise Fine-Very Fine

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2010, Sale 1003, Lot 5487

6c War, Soft Paper (Scott O117). Cancelled by blue Indian Head fancy cancel and part of box of Fort Keough, Montana Terr., single short perf at left, Very Fine, ex Markovits

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Nov 2014, Sale 1085, Lot 4210

3c War, Soft Paper (Scott O116). Tied on piece by “Fort Snelling, Minn., Feb 28, 1884” circular datestamp, Very Fine strike

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2015, Sale 1100, Lot 119

War Dept., 1879, 2¢ rose red (O115), top margin imprint and plate no. block of 20, average centering, original gum, never hinged, fresh and about Fine. Scott $505

Matthew Bennett International, Mar 2012, Sale 344, Lot 4824

1c War, Soft Paper (Scott O114). Complete sheet of 100, with imprint and plate no. 48 at top and bottom, most stamps Mint N.H. incl. the imprint and plate nos., some hinge reinforcements along the middle and at sides, typical light edge wear and perf separation to be expected from a pane this size, otherwise Fine-Very Fine

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2014, Sale 1090, Lot 1680

United States – Officials 1879 Treasury, 90c brown, heavy h.r., nice color, horizontal crease, fine appearance, with 2015 PFC

Cherrystone Auctions, Jul 2015, Sale 201507, Lot 2231

Treasury Dept., 1879, 30¢ brown (O112), fresh and well centered with full, lightly hinged original gum, Very Fine. Scott value $2,400 ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT OF ALL THE OFFICIALS TO FIND WITH ORIGINAL GUM, ESPECIALLY IN TOP GRADES. Expertization: 1994 & 2009 PF Certificates.

Matthew Bennett International, Feb 2012, Sale 340, Lot 604

United States – Officials 1873 Treasury, 30c brown, unused without gum, well centered, small internal crease, otherwise v.f., with 2015 PFC

Cherrystone Auctions, Jul 2015, Sale 201507, Lot 2230

O111, 1879 10c Treasury, block of four, rich color, o.g., NH, a Fine and attractive multiple (Scott $2,300 as singles)

H.R. Harmer, Jun 2015, Sale 3007, Lot 3499

USA (Scott O110) 1879 TREASURY 6¢ BROWN SOFT PAPER Choice stamp, rich color and impression, fresh, extremely fine. Original gum, lightly hinged. Cat value $200.

Regency-Superior, Aug 2015, Sale 112, Lot 1204

3c Treasury, Soft Paper (Scott O109). Block of four with traces of plate no. and half arrow at top, natural s.e. at right, Star fancy cancels, some hinge reinforcement, small nick and some creasing, well-centered, very scarce block of which only three are believed to be known

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Nov 2014, Sale 1085, Lot 4202

3c Post Office, Soft Paper (Scott O108). Mint N.H. with top plate no. 41 selvage, huge Jumbo margins, intense shade and clear impression, Extremely Fine Gem, strikingly beautiful, with 2007 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95 Jumbo, SMQ value $155.00 as hinged 95 (unpriced Mint N.H.), unpriced in higher hinged grade)

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2009, Sale 975, Lot 2244

United States – Officials 1879 Justice, 6c bluish purple, h.r., nice color, pencil notation on gum, fine, with 2015 PFC<

Cherrystone Auctions, Jul 2015, Sale 201507, Lot 2229

24c Interior, Soft Paper (Scott O103). Unused (no gum), characteristic pastel shade, three extra wide margins, light crease and some negligible soiling, otherwise Fine, with 1970 P.F. certificate

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Nov 2013, Sale 1061, Lot 4190

Interior Dept., 1879, 24¢ vermilion (Scott O103), bottom right single, o.g., very lightly hinged (natural gum bend), extremely rare 24 cent soft paper Interior department issue with sensational color and impression, paper foldover during the printing process causing irregular perforations at right, a wonderful opportunity to acquire a very rare stamp at an economy price, Very Good, with 2004 P.F. certificate. Scott $4,500. Estimate price $500 – 750.

Daniel Kelleher Auctions, Aug 2015, Sale 672, Lot 3000

USA (Scott O102) 1879 INTERIOR 15¢ VERMILION SOFT PAPER Fresh, bright color. Well-centered, very fine, original gum, previously hinged. Cat value $400.

Regency-Superior, Aug 2015, Sale 112, Lot 1199

USA (Scott O101) 1879 INTERIOR 12¢ VERMILION SOFT PAPER Big stamp, fresh and bright, original gum, hinge remnant, fine to very fine. Cat price $230.

Regency-Superior, Aug 2015, Sale 112, Lot 1198

10c Interior, Soft Paper (O100). Mint N.H. block of four, bright color on fresh white paper, Fine, Scott Retail as Mint N.H. singles

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2015, Sale 1100, Lot 113

6c Interior, Soft Paper (Scott O99). Half sheet of 50 comprising of the top half incl. plate no. 56 and complete imprint, original gum, five stamps lightly hinged (incl. plate no. block) with the rest being Mint N.H., bright colors, some perf separations, pencil marking in top selvage and a trivial selvage crease at top left, Very Fine-Extremely Fine, we notice some superb examples in the block

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Nov 2014, Sale 1085, Lot 4190

Scott #O98, 3c Interior, on soft porous paper, top imprint and plate “No. 27” partial sheet of 60 being the top six rows with selvages, bright color, overall quite well centered with most stamps fine-very fine, perf. separation is present with some hinge reinforcement including in the plate block of ten, of the remaining 50 stamps 27 are never hinged, a scarce multiple; catalog value is for a plate block of ten, 23 hinged and 27 n.h. singles.

Spink Shreves Galleries, Jan 2015, Sale 150, Lot 266

o Interior Dept., 1879, 2¢ vermilion (Scott O97), top margin block of six with part plate number at left, cancelled by duplexes, bright color, some faults including internal tear Fine and scarce multiple. Estimate value $300 – 400

Matthew Bennett International, Sep 2011, Sale 338, Lot 2062

/ U.S.; Officials, Interior Dept., 1879, 1¢ Vermilion, Block of 8, #O96, o.g. (6), n.h. (2), light gum crease, fresh and Fine. Scott $2,900+. Estimate $500-700.

Harmer-Schau Auction Galleries, Aug 2015, Sale 106, Lot 2162

USA (Scott O95) 1879 AGRICULTURE 3¢ YELLOW SOFT PAPER Unused, no gum. Bright color, sound, fine to very fine. Cat price $240 for no gum

Regency-Superior, Aug 2015, Sale 112, Lot 1195

() U.S.; Official, Agriculture Dept., 1879, 1¢ Yellow, #O94. Ungummed, “small thin spot”, Very Fine appearance, PF (1985) cert. Scott $6,000. Estimate price $1,000-1,200.

Harmer-Schau Auction Galleries, Feb 2012, Sale 92, Lot 1344

1c Agriculture, Soft Paper (Scott O94). Without gum as issued, gorgeous vibrant color, well-centered, wide margins VERY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE ONE-CENT AGRICULTURE AMERICAN BANK NOTE PRINTING ON SOFT PAPER. AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT STAMP TO OBTAIN IN SUCH CHOICE CONDITION. With 1976 and 2000 P.F. certificates

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2013, Sale 1062, Lot 847

Scott #O94, 1c Agriculture, on soft porous paper, without gum as issued, an attractive appearing example of this rare stamp, brilliant color, quite well centered, expertly rebacked and reperforated on all sides (following the original perforations), very fine appearance; 2015 PF certificate.

Spink Shreves Galleries, Jul 2015, Sale 151, Lot 397

90c War (Scott O93). Used block of four, rich color, large quartered cork cancels, shows traces of captured imprint at top, Fine, this is the only recorded used block of four of this denomination, with 1993 P.F. certificate

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2010, Sale 1003, Lot 5484

90c War (O93). Block of six, original gum, lightly hinged except for two stamps which are Mint N.H., deep shade and strong impression, Fine, Scott Retail as singles

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2015, Sale 1100, Lot 108

30c War (Scott O92). Centered to left, used with 6c War Dept. (O86) and tied by quartered cork cancel, “Washington D.C. Feb. 14” (1876) circular datestamp on large-size “Office of the Chief Signal Officer. Official Business.” imprint cover addressed to “Benj. Smith Lyman Esq., Chief Geologist and Mining Engineer to the Kaitakushi, care of R. Yamauchi, Esq., Kaitakushi, Shiba, Yedo, Japan, red crayon “3” for triple 12c treaty rate, red “Yokohama Paid All Mar. 29” double-circle datestamp, erased pencil receipt docketing at upper left, some cover edge flaws affect 6c FINE APPEARANCE. THE MOST OUTSTANDING OF THE FOUR RECORDED 30-CENT WAR DEPARTMENT COVERS AND WIDELY REGARDED AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT OFFICIAL ISSUE COVERS EXTANT. The census by Alan C. Campbell (“High Value Official Stamps on Cover”, Chronicle No. 188, Nov. 2000, pp. 287-299) lists four 30c War Dept. covers, including three with singles and the 6c War. Mr. Campbell refers to the pair of War Department covers to Japan offered in this sale as “rivals” to the Commodore Caldwell 24c and 30c Navy Department covers that were sold by our firm in the Starnes auction ($26,000 and $37,500 hammer, respectively). The article contains a description of the covers from the late Dr. Lobdell, which we quote below: “Both covers were sent by the War Department’s Chief Signal Officer to ‘Benjamin Smith Lyman, Chief Geologist and Mining Engineer to the Kaitakushi.’ Lyman was a Harvard graduate who later studied at the Ecole de Mines in Paris and set himself up as a consulting geologist. Between 1873 and 1879 he was chief geologist to the Japanese government, principally working for the Kaitakushi, which was an agency with the responsibility for the colonization and development of the natural resources of the northern island of Hokkaido. (Hokkaido was Japan’s version of our frontier in ’70s, so that while we were sending homesteaders into our West and killing off the Indians, they were populating Hokkaido with ethnic Japanese and doing a number on the native hairy Ainu.) The pair of 24c War stamps pays four times the treaty rate of 12c per half ounce for mail from the United States to Japan. (Although the General Postal Union rate of 5c per half ounce for international mail was already in force for many countries, Japan did not sign the GPU until the following year.) The letter was mailed in Washington, D.C. on May 9 and reached Yokohama on June 29, 1876, where a red ‘Yokohama Paid All’ was applied by the US postal station there. It then took nine more days to travel lessthan twenty-five miles to Mr. Lyman at his lodgings in Yedo (the old name for Tokyo). How did it get from the US to Japan? There were two possible routes: (I) via New York to London, where it would have been put on a British ship round.the Cape of Good Hope to the Orient, or (2) via the recently-completed transcontinental railroad to San Francisco, where it would have been put on an American ship to Yokohama. Since the envelope lacks New York and London transit markings, I favor the Trans-Pacific route. Both covers were at one time in the collection of Congressman Ackerman, the leading collector of United States official covers in the early part of this century.” Ex Ackerman, Hughes and Duckworth (acquired by Dr. Lobdell in the 1963 sale of the Duckworth collection)

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2010, Sale 1003, Lot 5522

30c War (Scott O92). Bottom imprint and plate no. 81 block of twelve, original gum, three Mint N.H., few h.r., rich color, Very Good

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2015, Sale 1100, Lot 107

24c War (O91). Bottom left corner imprint and plate no. 86 block of twelve, original gum, few h.r., bright color, attractive centering, Very Fine, ex Wampler, Scott Retail for a plate block and two singles

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2015, Sale 1100, Lot 106

War Dept., 1873, 15¢ rose (O90), top margin plate no. block of 14 with part imprint and plate number, nicely centered, original gum, never hinged, minor selvage flaws, fresh and F.-V.F. Scott price $2,660 as singles

Matthew Bennett International, Mar 2011, Sale 336, Lot 1423

15c War (Scott O90). Block of four, original gum, top pair lightly hinged, bottom pair Mint N.H. and particularly well-centered, rich color, choice centering, Extremely Fine, with 2002 P.F. certificate

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2015, Sale 1100, Lot 104

12c War, Specimen Ovpt. (Scott O89S). Without gum as issued, rich color, small thin spot at top, Very Fine appearance, only 105 sold

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Mar 2015, Sale 1095, Lot 651

10c War (Scott O88). Horizontal strip of three cancelled by bold Fort McKinney, Wyoming Terr. circular datestamp and duplex target cancel, trivial fault on right stamp, Fine, ex Markovits

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2015, Sale 1100, Lot 103

War Dept., 1873, 7¢ rose (O87), beautifully centered, deep color with a strong impression. Original gum, never hinged. Very Fine to Extremely Fine and choice. SMQ unpriced as N.H. Scott price $360 Expertization: 2006 P.F. Certificate graded VF-XF 85.

Matthew Bennett International, Apr 2008, Sale 326, Lot 700

U.S.; Officials, War Dept., 1873, 7¢ Rose, Plate Block of 18 With Imprint, #O87, slight dist. o.g., bottom #102, Fine to Very Fine. Scott $3,530. Estimate price $800-1,000.

Harmer-Schau Auction Galleries, Aug 2015, Sale 106, Lot 2161

6c War, Specimen Ovpt. (Scott O86S). Without gum as issued, bright color, choice centering, fresh and Extremely Fine Gem, very scarce and possibly the finest extant, only 111 sold

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Mar 2015, Sale 1095, Lot 648

3c War, Specimen Ovpt. (Scott O85S). Without gum as issued, radiant color, Very Fine and choice, only 118 sold

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Mar 2015, Sale 1095, Lot 647

2c War (Scott O84). Bottom margin imprint and plate no. 35 block of fourteen, natural s.e. and guide arrow at left, six stamps Mint N.H. (one with natural gum skip), fresh color, some perf separations reinforced incl. small piece of scotch tape in selvage FINE-VERY FINE. A VERY SCARCE PLATE NUMBER BLOCK OF THE 2-CENT WAR DEPARTMENT. Plate blocks of the 2c and 3c consist of fourteen stamps, whereas other denominations are ten or twelve. The 2c War Department was not extensively remaindered after the discontinuance of Officials; therefore, plate blocks are rare.

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2015, Sale 1100, Lot 101