US Stamps (before the Inverted Jenny)
Except otherwise stated, all results below include the premium.
not including pre-US Hawaii
See also : Stamps
not including pre-US Hawaii
See also : Stamps
1848 The Rush Cover
2006 SOLD for $ 1.38M by Robert A. Siegel
In 1847 the first two stamps of the United States are issued. The 5 c is the portrait of Franklin and the 10 c of Washington.
On September 26, 1848 in Philadelphia, Benjamin Rush prepares a letter for his father, the US ambassador to France. The instructions for transportation require to use the Europa, a British steamer of the Cunard, in her September 27 Transatlantic travel. The payment in US stamps is by-passing the protectionist British mail rules.
The Europa reached Liverpool on October 9. The letter was carried by rail to London and Dover, crossing the Channel to Boulogne, and by rail to Paris where it was delivered on October 11.
The Rush cover is inscribed with Benjamin Rush's manuscript inscriptions and with the stamped records of all steps of the transfer. It is bearing a horizontal row of six 10 c stamps, one of them being in another variant than the other five. The total 60 c were overpaying the 58 c US 'Retaliatory' rate for a letter over the half ounce limit. The addressee had to pay a fee of 33 French décimes on delivery.
In very fine condition, the Rush cover was sold by Robert A. Siegel for $ 1.38M on May 13, 2006, lot 501. Purchased at that sale by William Gross, it was sold from that provenance for $ 600K by the same auction house on October 27, 2020, lot 552. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
On September 26, 1848 in Philadelphia, Benjamin Rush prepares a letter for his father, the US ambassador to France. The instructions for transportation require to use the Europa, a British steamer of the Cunard, in her September 27 Transatlantic travel. The payment in US stamps is by-passing the protectionist British mail rules.
The Europa reached Liverpool on October 9. The letter was carried by rail to London and Dover, crossing the Channel to Boulogne, and by rail to Paris where it was delivered on October 11.
The Rush cover is inscribed with Benjamin Rush's manuscript inscriptions and with the stamped records of all steps of the transfer. It is bearing a horizontal row of six 10 c stamps, one of them being in another variant than the other five. The total 60 c were overpaying the 58 c US 'Retaliatory' rate for a letter over the half ounce limit. The addressee had to pay a fee of 33 French décimes on delivery.
In very fine condition, the Rush cover was sold by Robert A. Siegel for $ 1.38M on May 13, 2006, lot 501. Purchased at that sale by William Gross, it was sold from that provenance for $ 600K by the same auction house on October 27, 2020, lot 552. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
1857 Brick Red 5 c
2009 SOLD for $ 805K by Robert A. Siegel
At the first issue of postage stamps by the United States in 1847, the base rate is 5 cents. Two denominations are created : 5 cents in red brown with the portrait of Franklin and 10 cents in black with Washington. The postal success is so great that the rates go down as early as 1851. The old stamps are removed from circulation and replaced by 1 cent in blue and 3 cents in orange brown.
The withdrawal of the 5 cents and 10 cents was a bad decision. These values can be used to top-up a heavier shipment or a foreign destination. They are recreated in 1856 with new portraits. The 10 cents becomes green. The new Jefferson 5 cents keeps the red brown color of the old Franklin emission.
600,000 Jefferson are printed in 1856, probably in a single run as their color is very homogeneous. This non-perforated variant is very rare. In terms of unused blocks, only two blocks of four survived. One of them was deposited in a university with an inalienable clause. The other remains the only unused block in private hands. It was sold for $ 307K by Robert A. Siegel on October 3, 2018, lot 35. It is graduated Very Fine and has kept its original gum.
Perforations appear and become mandatory in 1857. The 5 cents remains a rarely used value and the remaining large stocks of red brown sheets from the previous year are punched at this stage. A new printing becomes necessary in 1858. The preparation of the colors is slightly changed, with the vast majority of the sheets in Indian red and some in Brick red.
The rarity of the brick red Jefferson suggests that it had not been the subject of a separate run. It cannot be considered as an error but rather as an anomaly in the mixture of inks, early detected and corrected. The brick red sheets buried within the stacks appeared in circulation from seven months onward after the Indian red.
Only one unused brick red block survived, also consisting of four stamps. Graded Extremely Fine with its original gum, it was sold twice by Robert A. Siegel, for $ 805K from an estimate of $ 375K on January 27, 2009, lot 34, and for $ 470K on October 3, 2018, lot 47.
The withdrawal of the 5 cents and 10 cents was a bad decision. These values can be used to top-up a heavier shipment or a foreign destination. They are recreated in 1856 with new portraits. The 10 cents becomes green. The new Jefferson 5 cents keeps the red brown color of the old Franklin emission.
600,000 Jefferson are printed in 1856, probably in a single run as their color is very homogeneous. This non-perforated variant is very rare. In terms of unused blocks, only two blocks of four survived. One of them was deposited in a university with an inalienable clause. The other remains the only unused block in private hands. It was sold for $ 307K by Robert A. Siegel on October 3, 2018, lot 35. It is graduated Very Fine and has kept its original gum.
Perforations appear and become mandatory in 1857. The 5 cents remains a rarely used value and the remaining large stocks of red brown sheets from the previous year are punched at this stage. A new printing becomes necessary in 1858. The preparation of the colors is slightly changed, with the vast majority of the sheets in Indian red and some in Brick red.
The rarity of the brick red Jefferson suggests that it had not been the subject of a separate run. It cannot be considered as an error but rather as an anomaly in the mixture of inks, early detected and corrected. The brick red sheets buried within the stacks appeared in circulation from seven months onward after the Indian red.
Only one unused brick red block survived, also consisting of four stamps. Graded Extremely Fine with its original gum, it was sold twice by Robert A. Siegel, for $ 805K from an estimate of $ 375K on January 27, 2009, lot 34, and for $ 470K on October 3, 2018, lot 47.
1868 Grilled
Intro
The grilled stamps were a regular variant used by the US Postage from 1867 to 1870. The purpose was to indent the stamp to discourage the washing out of the cancellation ink. The types of grills are identified by letters which are not related to their pattern of points.
The first tests are carried out with the A Grill in 1867. They are promising, but the A Grill covers the entire surface of the stamp, which reduces the production yield due to an excessive mechanical stress.
Released in January 1868, the Z Grill had the only design with horizontal ridges. It was obsoleted in mid February. It is not uncommon for some stamp values but is very rare for 1 cent, 10 cents and 15 cents, certainly for reasons of production sequence.
The first tests are carried out with the A Grill in 1867. They are promising, but the A Grill covers the entire surface of the stamp, which reduces the production yield due to an excessive mechanical stress.
Released in January 1868, the Z Grill had the only design with horizontal ridges. It was obsoleted in mid February. It is not uncommon for some stamp values but is very rare for 1 cent, 10 cents and 15 cents, certainly for reasons of production sequence.
1
Z Grill 15 c
2019 SOLD for $ 1.6M by Cherrystone
2 units of the 15 cents Z Grill are known.
One of them was sold by Cherrystone on July 12, 2019 for $ 1.6M from an estimate of $ 750K, lot 72.
One of them was sold by Cherrystone on July 12, 2019 for $ 1.6M from an estimate of $ 750K, lot 72.
2
Z Grill 10 c
2019 SOLD for $ 1.15M by Cherrystone
6 units of the 10 cents Z Grill are known.
The finest example of the 10 cents Z Grill was sold by Cherrystone on July 12, 2019 for $ 1.15M from an estimate of $ 750K, lot 70.
The finest example of the 10 cents Z Grill was sold by Cherrystone on July 12, 2019 for $ 1.15M from an estimate of $ 750K, lot 70.
3
Z Grill 1 c
1998 SOLD for $ 940K by Robert A. Siegel
The 1 cent Z Grill is known in two examples only. One of them is kept at the New York Public Library.
The unique example in private hands was sold for $ 940K by Robert A. Siegel on October, 8, 1998, lot 226. It was purchased at that auction by a stamp dealer who traded it in 2006 to the collector Bill Gross against the top star of US philately, the plate block of the Inverted Jenny. Gross had desired the Z Grill for completing his collection of US stamps.
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
The unique example in private hands was sold for $ 940K by Robert A. Siegel on October, 8, 1998, lot 226. It was purchased at that auction by a stamp dealer who traded it in 2006 to the collector Bill Gross against the top star of US philately, the plate block of the Inverted Jenny. Gross had desired the Z Grill for completing his collection of US stamps.
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
4
B Grill
2008 SOLD for $ 1.04M by Robert A. Siegel
The B Grill is an experimental or involuntary aberration. Used in 1868 during the phase of removal of the A Grill, it was too large against the new specified standard that was the F Grill.
The four known stamps with a B Grill are 3 cents. They were circulated on a single cover in February 1869 and discovered in 1969. They have been detached later. All of them are centered to upper left and have a natural straight right edge.
A B Grill was sold for $ 1.04M by Robert A. Siegel on October 28, 2008, lot 557. Other prices for B Grill stamps are $ 660K by Robert A. Siegel on June 25, 2015, lot 3102, and also $ 660K by Cherrystone on July 12, 2019, lot 64.
The four known stamps with a B Grill are 3 cents. They were circulated on a single cover in February 1869 and discovered in 1969. They have been detached later. All of them are centered to upper left and have a natural straight right edge.
A B Grill was sold for $ 1.04M by Robert A. Siegel on October 28, 2008, lot 557. Other prices for B Grill stamps are $ 660K by Robert A. Siegel on June 25, 2015, lot 3102, and also $ 660K by Cherrystone on July 12, 2019, lot 64.
1869 Inverted 15 c
2013 SOLD for $ 920K by Robert A. Siegel
In 1869, the United States renew their postage stamps. Ten values are released, from 1c to 90c, but only three of them maintain the tradition of featuring the heads of the great statesmen of the past. The other seven display scenes and symbols of American patriotism.
Another innovation is technical. Four of these values are printed in two colors, the first step towards the modern polychromatic stamp: 15c, 24c, 30c and 90c Lincoln.
The printing is done in two stages. When the sheet is presented in reverse to its second pass, the two elements of the image are one another inverted. This error of image position did not prevent the stamps to be used.
The controls were not strict enough. Similar errors of the 1901 Pan American issue were certainly better filtered, and only a single sheet escaped the controls of the 1918 Air Post.
Coming back to the Pictorial Issue of 1869. Survivors of uncirculated inverts are very rare: their total for the three usual values is estimated at 14 units. On February 9, 2008, Philip Weiss sold for $ 1.27 million including premium one of the four 24c, sound but unevenly centered and without gum.
On October 9, 2013, Robert A. Siegel sold the finest known inverted example of the two other usual values. Each one is the only specimen in its category to have retained its original gum. The 15c stamp, whose colors are very fresh, was sold for $ 920K, lot 1. The 30c, perfectly centered, was sold for $ 690K, lot 2.
The Grant administration, which has made this release, had reluctantly inherited this project from Johnson and did nothing to promote it to the users. After a few months, the traditional figuration returned to the US stamp, explaining the scarcity of the Pictorial issue and of its errors.
Another innovation is technical. Four of these values are printed in two colors, the first step towards the modern polychromatic stamp: 15c, 24c, 30c and 90c Lincoln.
The printing is done in two stages. When the sheet is presented in reverse to its second pass, the two elements of the image are one another inverted. This error of image position did not prevent the stamps to be used.
The controls were not strict enough. Similar errors of the 1901 Pan American issue were certainly better filtered, and only a single sheet escaped the controls of the 1918 Air Post.
Coming back to the Pictorial Issue of 1869. Survivors of uncirculated inverts are very rare: their total for the three usual values is estimated at 14 units. On February 9, 2008, Philip Weiss sold for $ 1.27 million including premium one of the four 24c, sound but unevenly centered and without gum.
On October 9, 2013, Robert A. Siegel sold the finest known inverted example of the two other usual values. Each one is the only specimen in its category to have retained its original gum. The 15c stamp, whose colors are very fresh, was sold for $ 920K, lot 1. The 30c, perfectly centered, was sold for $ 690K, lot 2.
The Grant administration, which has made this release, had reluctantly inherited this project from Johnson and did nothing to promote it to the users. After a few months, the traditional figuration returned to the US stamp, explaining the scarcity of the Pictorial issue and of its errors.
Assemblage of Blocks of 1875 Reprints
2009 SOLD for $ 920K by Robert A. Siegel
The 1876 Centennial was indeed the most important industrial exhibition in 19th century USA, taken in the utmost seriousness by all participants.
For the Centennial the US Postage prepared in 1875 sets of stamps that could showcase their history while realizing a superior impression on a thicker and whiter paper. Four categories were defined. Reproductions and Reprints were applicable to the earliest types that were no more valid for postage. Re-issues applied to the Series of 1861-1866 and for the 1869 Pictorial, both still accepted for circulation, and Special Reprints for the types under current production.
Alfred H. Caspary formed a set of unused blocks of four from the 1875 Re-issues of 1861. They were purchased from eight lots as a group at the auction of his deceased estate in 1956. The 3c, 5c, 10c, 12c, 24c and 30c blocks are unique. Only one other block is recorded for the 2c and another 15c block has not been confirmed. The 90c is not known in block form.
The 1c that had escaped Caspary was later added by Alan B. Whitman. It is one from four known. Still kept as a group, the set of nine blocks was sold twice by Robert A. Siegel : for $ 920K on January 27, 2009, lot 129 of the Whitman collection, and for $ 590K on May 8, 2019, lot 95 of the Gross collection of US multiples.
For the Centennial the US Postage prepared in 1875 sets of stamps that could showcase their history while realizing a superior impression on a thicker and whiter paper. Four categories were defined. Reproductions and Reprints were applicable to the earliest types that were no more valid for postage. Re-issues applied to the Series of 1861-1866 and for the 1869 Pictorial, both still accepted for circulation, and Special Reprints for the types under current production.
Alfred H. Caspary formed a set of unused blocks of four from the 1875 Re-issues of 1861. They were purchased from eight lots as a group at the auction of his deceased estate in 1956. The 3c, 5c, 10c, 12c, 24c and 30c blocks are unique. Only one other block is recorded for the 2c and another 15c block has not been confirmed. The 90c is not known in block form.
The 1c that had escaped Caspary was later added by Alan B. Whitman. It is one from four known. Still kept as a group, the set of nine blocks was sold twice by Robert A. Siegel : for $ 920K on January 27, 2009, lot 129 of the Whitman collection, and for $ 590K on May 8, 2019, lot 95 of the Gross collection of US multiples.
1901 Invert Block
2009 SOLD for $ 920K by Robert A. Siegel
Blocks are especially popular with philatelists. Interviewed by Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, the collector Alan Whitman explains why : Once separated, a block is lost forever for philatelists, who are therefore proud to contribute to their preservation.
Two blocks of four stamps with inverted centers from the Pan American series of 1901 were listed in the second sale of the Whitman collection, organized by Robert A. Siegel on April 14 and 15, 2009. The 2-cent featuring a steam train was sold for $ 920K. The 4-cent featuring a mail coach was sold for $ 370K.
It is difficult to identify if it is really an error or an unauthorized test conducted by a manager of the United States Post Office Department.
Two blocks of four stamps with inverted centers from the Pan American series of 1901 were listed in the second sale of the Whitman collection, organized by Robert A. Siegel on April 14 and 15, 2009. The 2-cent featuring a steam train was sold for $ 920K. The 4-cent featuring a mail coach was sold for $ 370K.
It is difficult to identify if it is really an error or an unauthorized test conducted by a manager of the United States Post Office Department.
1908 2c Coil Pair
2021 SOLD for $ 1.48M by Robert A. Siegel
In 1908 the US government released new packages for selling stamps through automated vending machines. The stamps were cut from the sheets in a single stripe of 20, in a row with top and low edges unperforated, or in a column with side edges unperforated. The coils were pasted together in rolls of 500 or 1,000 stamps.
This new process was most effective than the rolls available from the previous year in the UK, where the coils were cut from fully perforated sheets and then trimmed.
The very first application was on the Series of 1902 which were terminated at the end of 1908. The coil stamps of these variants had thus been made in a very short period. It was applied to three denominations only, 1c, 2c and 5c, excluding the eleven rarer values.
The 2c vertical is the rarest in the Series of 1902. Only 4 rolls of 1,000 had been assembled. Four unused pairs are known. One of them was sold for $ 1.48M from an estimate of $ 600K by Robert A. Siegel on April 29, 2021, lot 299. Another one was sold for $ 800K from an estimate of $ 300K by Cherrystone on July 12, 2019, lot 169. Another is owned by the New York Public Library.
This new process was most effective than the rolls available from the previous year in the UK, where the coils were cut from fully perforated sheets and then trimmed.
The very first application was on the Series of 1902 which were terminated at the end of 1908. The coil stamps of these variants had thus been made in a very short period. It was applied to three denominations only, 1c, 2c and 5c, excluding the eleven rarer values.
The 2c vertical is the rarest in the Series of 1902. Only 4 rolls of 1,000 had been assembled. Four unused pairs are known. One of them was sold for $ 1.48M from an estimate of $ 600K by Robert A. Siegel on April 29, 2021, lot 299. Another one was sold for $ 800K from an estimate of $ 300K by Cherrystone on July 12, 2019, lot 169. Another is owned by the New York Public Library.
