Costs of US Stamps Scott #241 – US$1.00 1893 Columbian Exposition: Queen Isabella Pledging Her Jewels. Page 19

$1.00 Columbian (Scott 241). Block of four, original gum, h.r. at junction of four stamps and at top, bright color, couple thin specks in bottom right stamp, otherwise Fine block of the $1.00 Columbian

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Mar 2011, Sale 1007, Lot 2483

$1.00 Columbian (Scott 241). Unused (no gum), uncommonly wide margins, deep rich color, Very Fine and choice

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Mar 2011, Sale 1007, Lot 2438

$1.00 Columbian (Scott 241). Unused (no gum), vivid color and choice centering, Extremely Fine, with 2010 P.S.E. certificate (NG, XF 90, SMQ price $850.00)

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Mar 2011, Sale 1007, Lot 2437

$1.00 Columbian (Scott 241). Original gum, vivid color, tiny natural inclusion speck, Fine

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Mar 2011, Sale 1007, Lot 2436

$1.00 Columbian (Scott 241). Original gum, lightly hinged, vibrant color on bright white paper, Fine, with 2010 P.S.E. certificate (OGph, F 70, SMQ price $600.00)

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Mar 2011, Sale 1007, Lot 2435

$1.00 Columbian (241). Original gum with right selvage, nicely centered, incredibly fresh with brilliant color, small gum thin (technically Mint N.H.), Very Fine appearance, Scott Retail as hinged

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Mar 2011, Sale 1007, Lot 2434

$1.00 Columbian (Scott 241). Original gum, lightly hinged, bright color and sharp impression, well-centered and Very Fine, with 1993 P.F. certificate

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Mar 2011, Sale 1007, Lot 2433

$1.00 Columbian (Scott 241). Original gum, lightly hinged, vivid color with wide margins, Very Fine, with 1989 P.F. certificate

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Mar 2011, Sale 1007, Lot 2432

$1.00 Columbian (Scott 241). Original gum, lightly hinged, brilliant color, tiny natural inclusion at bottom right, Extremely Fine

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Mar 2011, Sale 1007, Lot 2431

1893, $1 Columbian (241), very well centered with bright, rich color and lightly hinged original gum, unusually crisp and fresh, Very Fine to Extremely Fine. Scott Stamp Values $1,350 for a normal 85. Scott value $1,100 Expertization: 2009 PF Certificate graded VF-XF 85 XQ (“Extra Quality”).

Matthew Bennett International, Mar 2011, Sale 336, Lot 1222

1893, $1 Columbian (241), well centered and remarkably fresh with deep, rich color and never hinged original gum, Very Fine. Scott value $3,850 A CHOICE TRULY SCARCE NEVER HINGED $1 COLUMBIAN. Expertization: 1984 PF and 2002 PSE Certificates.

Matthew Bennett International, Mar 2011, Sale 336, Lot 1221

$1.00 Columbian (Scott 241). Mint N.H. with part imprint selvage at right, radiant color as fresh as the day it was printed, fantastic centering with wide and balanced margins on all sides, long and full perforations all around EXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION ONE OF THE FINEST MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLES OF THE $1.00 COLUMBIAN ISSUE, WHICH DEPICTS THE FAMOUS SCENE OF QUEEN ISABELLA PLEDGING HER JEWELS. THIS STAMP HAS BEEN AWARDED THE GRADE OF XF-SUPERB 95 BY P.S.E. — THIS IS THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED TO DATE AND ONE OF ONLY THREE TO ACHIEVE THIS GRADE. According to Brookman, only 55,050 copies of the $1.00 Columbian were issued. It was sold out before all of the other dollar values, probably because it was the most affordable of the dollar-value stamps. Speculation soon drove the price to $5.00 but it soon fell again, to about $1.50. The theme of the stamp, Isabella pledging her jewels to finance Columbus’s voyage, is known to most fifth-grade students who study the voyage of Columbus. However, the offer was never accepted, as financing was found elsewhere. With 2001 P.F. and 2005 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95, SMQ price $40,000.00). This is the highest grade awarded to date, and only two others share this grade. It is the highest grade we have ever offered in one of our auctions — the Scarsdale sale contained a 90.

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2010, Sale 1000, Lot 1139

$1.00 Columbian (Scott 241). Bottom imprint, plate no. 93 and letter “W” at right block of eight, original gum, barely hinged, brilliant color, few reinforced perf separations between horizontal row and along one vertical row FINE-VERY FINE. A RARE AND REMARKABLY FRESH IMPRINT AND PLATE NUMBER BLOCK OF EIGHT OF THE $1.00 COLUMBIAN ISSUE. A MARVELOUS SHOWPIECE. Perhaps a dozen plate blocks of eight exist for the $1.00 Columbian. Very few compare favorably to the example offered here. With 2009 P.F. certificate

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2010, Sale 1000, Lot 1140

$1.00 Columbian (Scott 241). Unused (no gum), beautifully centered, small thin spot, Extremely Fine appearance

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Oct 2010, Sale 997, Lot 5703

$1.00 Columbian (241). Mint N.H. block of four, vivid color as fresh as the day it was printed, perf separations between right pair FINE-VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE MINT NEVER-HINGED BLOCK OF THE $1.00 COLUMBIAN ISSUE. A review using Power Search revealed that this is the only Mint N.H. block we have offered (including plate blocks) since keeping computerized records. Scott Retail as singles

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Oct 2010, Sale 997, Lot 5704