Cost of US Stamp Scott Cat. # C3: 1918 24c Air Curtiss Jenny. Page 16

24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post (Scott C3). Mint N.H., wide margins, almost mathematically perfect centering, bright colors and proof-like impressions, Extremely Fine Gem, P.S.E. encapsulated (Superb 98, SMQ value $1,250.00)

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2009, Sale 975, Lot 2100

24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, Grounded Plane Variety (C3 var). Single hinge mark, brilliant color, plane shifted significantly downwards with wheels well into “Cents”, perfectly centered with wide margins EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 1918 24-CENT FIRST AIR POST ISSUE GROUNDED PLANE VARIETY. THIS PHENOMENAL STAMP HAS BEEN AWARDED THE GRADE OF SUPERB 98 BY P.S.E. The true Grounded Plane stamps, in which the wheels of the plane break thru the top of “Cents”, come from portions of three sheets. The discovery sheet was owned and broken up by J. Klemann of Nassau Stamp Company. A second sheet was discovered in 1946 and sold in the Thomas A. Matthews sale (H.R. Harmer, Nov. 4, 1964), where it was purchased by Georges A. Medawar, publisher of Sanabria Airmail Catalogue. In Linn’s Stamp News of April 21, 1986, specialist Joseph R. Kirker Jr. published his research revealing a third source of this variety. With 2006 P.S.E. certificate (OGh, Superb 98, this variety is unpriced in SMQ).

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2009, Sale 973, Lot 240

24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, Blue “Top” Only (C3 var). Top arrow, double plate nos. 8492/8493 and blue “Top” only block of twelve, rich colors, small h.r. on pos. 9, natural pre-printing paperfold affects pos. 6 and 12, top left stamp small natural gum skip FINE-VERY FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE PLATE NUMBER BLOCK OF THE 24-CENT “JENNY” WITH BLUE “TOP” ONLY. ONE OF THE GREAT RARITIES OF UNITED STATES AIR POST PHILATELY. The first printing of the 24c 1918 Air Post issue was trimmed so that the plate numbers and arrow were removed, resulting in a straight edge at top and right. After the invert error was discovered on one of the first printed sheets, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing decided to retain the top selvage. It added the word TOP” to the blue Jenny” vignette plate, so that when the new sheets were printed the word TOP” would appear in the newly-retained upper selvage. This would show the pressmen the correct direction of the blue Jenny” vignette plate, to insure that the invert error would not reoccur. Shortly after the blue “TOP” was added, sheets were printed with the additional red “TOP”. According to Don Price’s exhibit of this issue and research by Joe Kirker, only 22 blue TOP” only blocks are recorded.

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2009, Sale 973, Lot 239

UNITED STATES Flight Covers 1918 24c carmine & blue, v.f., used with 2c franking on flown ppc (actually a Swiss “Pro Aviazione Nazionale Svizzera” aviation postcard), Washington, May 15, 1918 to Philadelphia, v.f. and most unusual usage of a foreign card on a domestic first flight

Cherrystone Auctions, Jun 2009, Sale 200906, Lot 239

UNITED STATES Flight Covers 1918 24c carmine & blue, tied by black Air Mail Service Washington, May 15, 1918 postmark on first flight cover to New York, unusual window envelope addressed to Thomas McConville c/o Boy Scouts of America, with original letter: “the letter will be posted at the post office before noon today so that there will be plenty of time for it to get on the first trip. Who knows, maybe this envelope will be worth two or three dollars in about fifty years, so I advise you to take care of it and some day maybe some stamp “bug” might buy it from you”, fine-v.f., with AFDCS cert.

Cherrystone Auctions, Jun 2009, Sale 200906, Lot 241

UNITED STATES Flight Covers 1918 24c carmine & blue, tied by red violet Air Mail Service Washington, May 15, 1918 postmark on first flight cover to New York, nice triangular H.F.Dunkhorst corner card, v.f., with arrival pmk

Cherrystone Auctions, Jun 2009, Sale 200906, Lot 240

UNITED STATES Flight Covers 1918 24c carmine & blue (centered to bottom), tied by violet Air Mail Service New York, May 15, 1918 postmark on first flight cover to Washington, D.C., v.f.

Cherrystone Auctions, Jun 2009, Sale 200906, Lot 243

UNITED STATES Flight Covers 1918 24c carmine & blue (centered to bottom), tied by black Air Mail Service Washington, May 15, 1918 postmark on first flight cover to New York, YMCA corner card, addressed to J.C. Morgenthau, with arrival pmk

Cherrystone Auctions, Jun 2009, Sale 200906, Lot 242

UNITED STATES Air Post 1918 24c carmine rose and blue, double top plate no. block of 12, six stamps hinged, balance n.h., fine-v.f.

Cherrystone Auctions, Jun 2009, Sale 200906, Lot 229

24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, Grounded Plane (C3 var). Lightly hinged, wheels of plane well into “CE” of “Cents” A FINE STAMP WITH EXCEPTIONALLY STRONG DOWNWARD SHIFT OF VIGNETTE. With 2005 P.F. certificate

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Apr 2009, Sale 972, Lot 3389

24c Carmine Rose & Blue, Center Inverted (Scott C3a). Position 64, lightly hinged with a small narrow remnant, deep rich colors, one unpunched perf disk at left VERY FINE. A BRIGHT AND FRESH WELL-CENTERED EXAMPLE OF THE FAMOUS INVERTED JENNY. According to Jenny! by George Amick (Amos Press, 1986), William T. Robey purchased the original sheet of 100 inverted “Jenny” stamps on May 14, 1918, one day after the stamp was placed on sale, at the New York Avenue Post Office window in Washington, D.C. Soon after, the sheet was sold to Col. Edward H. R. Green through Eugene Klein, a Philadelphia stamp dealer. Green paid $20,000 for the sheet, then instructed Klein to divide it into singles and blocks, and to sell all but a few key position blocks. Stamp specialists and professionals know that examples of this stamp come in different grades of freshness and condition. Many of the original 100 stamps were mistreated by collectors over the years, despite the stamps’ rarity and value. Colonel Green himself allowed moisture to affect some of the stamps he retained. Other examples have become slightly toned from improper storage and climatic conditions. Hinging has caused thins and creases in numerous stamps, and at least seven have been “lost” to philately — or nearly so as in the case of the copy swept up in a vacuum cleaner. This stamp is in an extraordinary state of freshness, with excellent color, bright paper and clean fresh gum with only a small hinged area. Ex Haydon and Col. Aisenstadt. With 2000 P.F. certificate

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Apr 2009, Sale 972, Lot 3388

24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post (Scott C3). Top arrow, double plate nos. 8492/8493 and two “TOP” block of twelve, lightly hinged, radiant colors, light natural gum skips and bends, Fine-Very Fine, these were the only plate numbers used to print this issue

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Apr 2009, Sale 971, Lot 1865

24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, Blue “Top” Only (C3 var). Mint N.H. top arrow, double plate nos. 8492/8493 and blue “Top” only block of twelve, rich colors, top right stamp small natural pre-printing paperfold, top left stamp small natural gum skip FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE PLATE NUMBER BLOCK OF THE 24-CENT “JENNY” WITH BLUE “TOP” ONLY. ONE OF THE GREAT RARITIES OF UNITED STATES AIR POST PHILATELY. The first printing of the 24c 1918 Air Post issue was trimmed so that the plate numbers and arrow were removed, resulting in a straight edge at top and right. After the invert error was discovered on one of the first printed sheets, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing decided to retain the top selvage. It added the word TOP” to the blue Jenny” vignette plate, so that when the new sheets were printed the word TOP” would appear in the newly-retained upper selvage. This would show the pressmen the correct direction of the blue Jenny” vignette plate, to insure that the invert error would not reoccur. Shortly after the blue “TOP” was added, sheets were printed with the additional red “TOP”. According to Don Price’s exhibit of this issue and research by Joe Kirker, only 22 blue TOP” only blocks are recorded.

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Apr 2009, Sale 971, Lot 1864

UNITED STATES Air Post 1918 24c carmine rose and blue, double plate number and “Top” block of 12, well centered, n.h., some gum loss in selvage also affecting two stamps, fine-v.f.

Cherrystone Auctions, Apr 2009, Sale 200904, Lot 120

UNITED STATES Zeppelin Flights 1929 specially prepared Round the World Flight cover, franked with strip of 4×15, $2 blue, plus a block of four (blue top and plate number) of 24c “Jenny”, Lakehurst departure and arrival pmks, fine and most unusual Zeppelin franking

Cherrystone Auctions, Mar 2009, Sale 200903, Lot 272