Lot description from The September 2008 Collector's Series Sale - Spink Shreves Galleries - September 11-13, 2008
Lot 1218 - #226, 10c Green, perfectly centered within much larger margins than typically encountered, deep prooflike color and impression, immaculate o.g., never hinged, superb.Collectors of gem United States mint stamps recognize that the Ten Cent value is the most difficult of all the 1890 Small Bank Notes to find in superb quality. Most are very tightly margined, poorly centered and when one finds a well centered and margined example it is invariably hinged. This particular copy, with its flawless centering, wide margins, outstanding color and pristine never hinged original gum, makes it one of the most important condition rarities in the entire auction.A stunning gem for placement in the finest mint collection. Accompanied by a 2008 PSE certificate (Superb 98; SMQ $24,100.00); this is not only the highest graded #226, it is the only example to be so graded.....CV. $675.00 ...Sold for $30,000.00
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So did I just drink too much for New Years or does this look like a invert to you? Maybe I should sort some more of these things today.
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The
Pan-American Exposition was a World's Fair held in Buffalo, New York,
from May 1 through November 2, 1901. A beautiful series of bi-color engraved stamps were
issued on May 1, 1901, in six denominations ranging from 1c to 10c, by the US Post Office
to commemorate the Pan Am Exposition.
Today I received this 1902 registered cover mailed from San Francisco to Saginaw Michigan.
It has the 1c, 2c, and 4c Pan American Exposition stamps neatly applied to a Columbian 5c
stamped envelope. The 4c shows an electric automobile in Washington.
It is hard to imagine someone who was not stamp collector or dealer creating this cover.
A little bit of googling revealed that E. F. Gambs was a stamp dealer in San Francisco.
A close-up of the stamps shows they are a little toned around the perfs.
Anyone ever tried to remove a little toning from stamps on a cover?
My inclination is to not try it.
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Is anyone interested in overprints or have any interesting overprints?
Show them here!
(Helpful hint for beginners: overprints differ from precancels.)
I guess this would be Nicaragua C148 with a twist.
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Free APS "Flags of Our Nation" Album PagesOn June 14, the USPS will begin a three-year, 60-stamp series of commemorative-size coils depicting flags of 50states, four territories, the District of Columbia, and four different U.S. flags, too.
The American Philatelic Society has prepared a free set of downloadable color album pages for the first 10 individual stamps along with spaces for coil strips of five.
They are available by
clicking here.
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Isn't this a lovely pile of stamps? Mint, never-hinged (MNH) Canadian beauties from 1926-27. Don't you love the near-perfect centering of that 20-center on top, Scott 148, cataloging at $32.50 in 2004? Look at the immaculate gum on the reverse and drool!
Well, unfortunately, humidity got the best of these somewhere along the way and they are, barring drastic and somewhat damaging action, stuck together forever.
In lieu of flowers...
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With Today being
Earth Day do you have any Earth Day themed or Conservation stamps that you could post??
Thanks and Happy Earth Day!
THINK GREEN!Gussyboy1
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How do you most enjoy working on your collection?
Is there an ideal way or do you just take it anyway you can get it?
When sifting through a box of stuff I just bought, it doesn't much matter.
My ideal, however, is generally a winter evening after everything has settled down... going into my stamp room, closing the door, and putting on one of my favorite soft jazz CD's while I carefully hinge stamps into one of my albums. It's soothing, relaxing, and so pleasant I sometimes spend more time at it than I probably should.
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The most recent issue of the ATA journal,
Topical Time, had an article on stamps featuring Cryptids - mythological or extinct species some believe are still with us today. An example would be the Loch Ness monster. Bigfoot, or the Tasmanian tiger.
For example, there is this New Zealand issue depicting the extinct Giant Moa:
To read an interesting article about Cryptozoology in Philately, click:
http://www.pibburns.com/cryptost.htm 
This site is suitable for members of all ages - even they are 16 and from "down under!"
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