US Stamps Prices Scott 289: 1898 8c Trans Mississippi Exposition: Troops Guarding Wagon. Page 1

USA (Scott 289) 1898 TRANS-MISSISSIPPI 8¢ VIOLET BROWN (BOTTOM PLATE) Bottom margin plate block of 4 with imprint & plate #609. OG, previously hinged, fine to very fine. Cat $1950.

Regency-Superior, Aug 2015, Sale 112, Lot 1293

USA (Scott 289) 1898 TRANS-MISSISSIPPI 8¢ VIOLET BROWN (PSE GRADED 95 JUMBO) Extremely fine to superb JUMBO with light cancel. Rarely seen with such large margins. (2015 PSE Graded Cert #01295133, XF-Sup 95J, Used)

Regency-Superior, Aug 2015, Sale 112, Lot 605

U.S.; General Issues, 1898, 8¢ Trans-Mississippi, #289, n.h., fresh color, Fine to Very Fine. Scott $425. Estimate value $150-180.

Harmer-Schau Auction Galleries, Aug 2015, Sale 106, Lot 1699

U.S.; General Issues, 1898, 8¢ Trans-Mississippi, #289, n.h., rich color, Very Fine, PF (2011) cert. Scott $425. Estimate $180-220.

Harmer-Schau Auction Galleries, Aug 2015, Sale 106, Lot 1700

1898, 8¢ Trans-Miss. (Scott 289), bottom plate number and imprint pair, o.g., hinged or never hinged, attractive multiple, left stamp is in pristine mint condition, while the right stamp shows just a bare “trace” of a hinge mark, lovely rich color, Fine to Very Fine. Scott $575. Estimate $300 – 400.

Daniel Kelleher Auctions, Aug 2015, Sale 672, Lot 2571

8c Trans-Mississippi (Scott 289). Mint N.H. top selvage plate no. 609 single (hinged in selvage only), wonderfully well-centered, lovely rich color, Extremely Fine, with 1990 P.F. certificate

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jul 2015, Sale 1107, Lot 383

8c Trans-Mississippi (289). Bottom imprint and plate no. 609 block of four with two extra stamps at right, five stamps Mint N.H., top center stamp and bottom center selvage lightly hinged, rich color, Fine-Very Fine, Scott Retail as plate block of four and two Mint N.H. singles

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jul 2015, Sale 1107, Lot 384

United States 1898 Trans-Mississippi Exposition 1898 8c violet brown, top margin plate no. and imprint block of six, selvage slightly reduced at top, three stamps hinged, balance n.h., fine-v.f.

Cherrystone Auctions, Jul 2015, Sale 201507, Lot 66

Scott #289, 8c Trans-Mississippi, bottom margin imprint single, very well centered for this difficult value, intense color, o.g., n.h., extremely fine; 2014 PF certificate (VF-XF 85; SSV $600.00).

Spink Shreves Galleries, Jul 2015, Sale 151, Lot 233

8c Trans-Mississippi, Vertical Pair, Imperforate Horizontally (Scott 289a). Original gum, lightly hinged, deep rich color, few natural gum creases as found on most examples of this rare error, which originated from one pane of 50 EXTREMELY FINE CENTERING AND VERY RARE. THIS IS THE ONLY MAJOR ERROR OF THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI ISSUE. Datz states that 25 pairs are known (including blocks). Ex “Laila”. With 2000 P.F. certificate.

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2015, Sale 1106, Lot 3139

289, 1898 8c Violet brown,lower left corner margin single, NH, Very Fine, 2009 PF certificate for block of four, this being the lower left stamp (Scott price $425) 

H.R. Harmer, Jun 2015, Sale 3007, Lot 3279

1898, 8¢ Trans-Miss. (Scott 289), top margin single with plate number, o.g., never hinged, brilliant fresh example with great color, an attractive plate position piece, Fine. Scott $425. Estimate $150 – 200.

Daniel Kelleher Auctions, May 2015, Sale 669, Lot 2818

1898, 8¢ Trans-Miss. (Scott 289), block of 4, o.g., never hinged (trace of offset on gum), gorgeous color and impression, a very pleasing multiple of this popular stamp, Fine. Scott $1,700 as singles. Estimate value $600 – 800.

Daniel Kelleher Auctions, May 2015, Sale 669, Lot 2819

8c Trans-Mississippi, Vertical Pair, Imperforate Horizontally (Scott 289a). With right selvage, original gum, lightly hinged, deep rich color, wide margins, few natural gum creases as almost always, pencil notation in selvage has been erased but leaves minor indentation EXTREMELY FINE. A DESIRABLE PAIR OF THE 8-CENT TRANS-MISSISSIPPI ISSUE IMPERFORATE HORIZONTALLY, WITH WIDE SHEET SELVAGE AT RIGHT, FROM THE McCOY STRIP. According to the Neil-Rosenthal book (pp. 115-118), one pane of 50 was discovered by Robert Watts, a stamp clerk at one of the sales windows at the Philadelphia General Post Office, who found it between the wrapping paper of a bundle of stamps. He sold it for double face value ($8.00) to Herman Lewis, a locksmith in Philadelphia. Lewis soon sold it to William S. F. Pierce, who broke it into three pieces: a vertical strip of ten with sheet margin and full arrow at right, a vertical block of 20 containing both plate blocks, and a vertical block of 20 with natural straight edge at left. The strip of ten was reportedly sold for $15.00 and was taken to Europe when the owner moved there. It returned to the U.S. in the 1930’s, when it was broken. Ethel McCoy owned the vertical strip of four with arrow, and the pair offered here was part of that strip. The vertical block of 20 with straight edge at left was sold to Arthur E. Tuttle, a Philadelphia stamp dealer, who retailed them for $10.00 per pair. The block of 20 with both plate numbers was retained by Pierce, who later sold the top and bottom plate blocks to Albert Batchelder of the New England Stamp Co. for $175.00. With 1992 P.F. certificate. Illustrated as part of the McCoy strip in the Brookman book on page 181.

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Apr 2015, Sale 1096, Lot 506

8c Trans-Mississippi (Scott 289). Bottom imprint and plate no. 643 block of four, original gum, few small h.r. where minor perf separations sensibly reinforced, deep rich color and detailed impression, Fine and attractive

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Apr 2015, Sale 1096, Lot 505