US Stamps Value Scott 36: 1857 12c George Washington. Page 1

USA (Scott 36) 1857 WASHINGTON 12¢ BLACK Well centered, rich color, grid cancel, light corner crease top right, otherwise extremely fine. Cat value $350.

Regency-Superior, Aug 2015, Sale 112, Lot 125

United States 1857-61 Issue 1857 12c black, Plate I, unused without gum, fine, with 1979 Friedl certificate

Cherrystone Auctions, Jul 2015, Sale 201507, Lot 2029

Scott #36, 12c Black, plate I, an uncommonly choice used example, wonderfully well centered for this narrowly spaced stamp, deep color and a razor-sharp impression, very light unobtrusive cancel, extremely fine in all regards and elusive in this select quality; 1992 PF certificate.

Spink Shreves Galleries, Jul 2015, Sale 151, Lot 55

12c Black, Diagonal Half Used as 6c (36a). Top right diagonal half, tied across the cut by blue grid cancel, matching “Edwardsville Ill. Mar. 4” circular datestamp on yellow cover to the office of the Picayune newspaper in New Orleans, bisect with pre-use crease ending in small tear, slightly reduced at right, opened a bit unevenly at bottom, accompanying certificate notes only that the cover has been cleaned somewhat affecting postal markings (a harsh and actually inaccurate opinion) VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE BISECT USE OF THE PERFORATED 12-CENT 1857 ISSUE FROM PLATE ONE. ONE OF THE GREATEST 12-CENT 1857 ISSUE COVERS IN EXISTENCE. THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND TIME IN OVER 75 YEARS THAT THIS COVER HAS BEEN OFFERED AT AUCTION. Edwardsville Ill. is just north of St. Louis on the other side of the Mississippi River. The bisect paid double the 3c rate to New Orleans. The P.F. has only certified three bisects: 1) Top right diagonal half, the cover offered here; 2) Bottom left diagonal half, tied (not across the cut) by Canton Miss. circular datestamp to New Orleans; and 3) bottom right diagonal half, tied by California circular datestamp to St. Paris O. As an indication of rarity, this is the first we have offered in all of our Rarities sales and regular auctions from at least 1994. None was offered in the Caspary, Klein, Ishikawa or Zoellner sales. Ex Keightley. With 1991 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail $17,500.00 is based on the realization of this cover in a 1991 auction, 24 years ago, when it came it the market for the first time in over 50 years.

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2015, Sale 1106, Lot 3045

12c Black, Plate 1 (36). Position 50R1 with “(E)NGRAVERS, Phila. New York, Bos(ton)” portion of Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co.’s Type I imprint in right sheet selvage, original gum, lightly hinged, choice centering with perfs clear of framelines on all four sides, detailed impression EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A STUNNING ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 12-CENT 1857 ISSUE IN THE FINEST CONDITION ATTAINABLE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE IMPRINT ON TOPPAN, CARPENTER, CASILEAR & COMPANY’S 12-CENT PLATE ONE. Due to narrow spacing on the plate, most examples of this stamp (both used and unused) have perforations touching at least part of the outer frameline of the design. It is quite evident that this stamp does not fall into that category. There is a well-defined margin on each side, which is more typical of the later Plate 3 printing (Scott 36b) where the subjects were spread slightly farther apart on the plate. This stamp, with its fresh original gum, clear margins all around, bright shade and imprint, is truly superb in every sense of the word. Unlike its Plate 3 counterpart, which survived in unused multiples when the issue was demonetized in 1861, very few examples of 12c stamps printed from Plate 1 show part of the Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co. imprint. The Type I imprint was entered alongside Positions 40, 50, 60 and 70 on the right pane (and Positions 30/40/50/60 on the left pane). Plate 3 has a plate number, but no numbers were engraved on the two other 12c plates. We call the plate used to print stamps Plate 1, but the intriguing story behind these two plates will be found in James A. Allen’s chapter, “The 1851 12c Imperforate (Scott U.S. #17): Plating Update and Additional New Findings,” in The 1851 Issue of United States Stamps: a Sesquicentennial Retrospective. The stamp offered here comes from the position which would ordinarily show a plate number. The absence of a plate number was a significant point in Neinken’s study of the 12c plates. Ex Concord, “J & J” and Hoffman. With 1995 and 2006 P.F. certificates (XF 90).

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2015, Sale 1106, Lot 3044

36, 1857 12c Black,blue town cancel, Very Fine, 2011 PF certificate (Scott $350) 

H.R. Harmer, Jun 2015, Sale 3007, Lot 3126

1857, 12¢ black, plate I (Scott 36), vertical pair, blue criss-cross grid cancellations, stunning multiple with one of the most beautiful postmarks imaginable, a top quality showpiece that would please the most quality conscious collector, Very Fine, 1999 and 2014 P.F. certificates. Scott $750. Estimate price $600 – 800.

Daniel Kelleher Auctions, May 2015, Sale 669, Lot 2468

1857, 12¢ black, plate I (Scott 36), pair, light cancel, well centered, a stunning pair, Fine to Very Fine, 2005 PF certificate. Scott $750. Estimate $300 – 400.

Daniel Kelleher Auctions, May 2015, Sale 669, Lot 2469

1857, 12¢ black, plate I (Scott 36), horizontal pair, red grid cancellations, attractive multiple with a beautiful colored cancel, completely ssound and attractive, Fine, 2014 P.F. certificate. Scott $750. Estimate price $300 – 400.

Daniel Kelleher Auctions, May 2015, Sale 669, Lot 2470

1857, 12¢ black, plate I (Scott 36), block of 4, lightly struck “Mobile, Ala” town cancellations, well centered and attractive multiple with sensational rich color and sharp clearly etched impression, an extremely rare block that would enhance any collection, Very Fine. Scott $2,750. Estimate price $1,000 – 1,500.

Daniel Kelleher Auctions, May 2015, Sale 669, Lot 2471

12c Black, Plate 1 (Scott 36). Well-centered, deep shade, cancelled by blue circular datestamp with “5cts” integral rate showing on stamp, Very Fine, unusual, with 1999 P.F. certificate

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Apr 2015, Sale 1096, Lot 81

1857, 12¢ black, plate I. Socked-on-the-nose red numeral “19” cancel, strong color and impression, Very Fine and attractive, with 2008 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 36; $350.

Schuyler J. Rumsey Philatelic Auctions, Apr 2015, Sale 60, Lot 1986

1857, 12¢ black, plate I. Horizontal pair, tied on piece by light town and bold red numeral “19” cancels, Very Fine and attractive. Scott No. 36; $750.

Schuyler J. Rumsey Philatelic Auctions, Apr 2015, Sale 60, Lot 1987

Scott #36, 12c Black, plate I, a truly lovely used horizontal pair, being wonderfully well centered for this notoriously difficult and tightly margined issue, outstanding color and a remarkably clean and detailed impression which are seldom encountered, neatly cancelled by central “Boston Br. Pkt./Feb 8” c.d.s., the right stamp with a few short perfs. at right, otherwise extremely fine; 2014 PF certificate.

Spink Shreves Galleries, Jan 2015, Sale 150, Lot 66

United States 1857-61 Issue 1857 12c black, plate III, l.h., fresh and fine, with 1996 PFC

Cherrystone Auctions, Jan 2015, Sale 201501, Lot 95