Complete US Collections

A handful of collectors (Gross, Zoellner, Miller) have laid claim to a complete 19th century collection, but I wonder if they really did. Everyone talks about the unique Franklin Z-grill as THE key to completing a US collection, but several other stamps with major catalog numbers are also unique: the Lincoln Z-grill, the missing continental banknote, and one of the I grills. And a handful more are known to have fewer than 5 copies. Did these collectors manage to get evert one of the unique and exceedingly rare stamps?

Can't speak to the others. Gross did, as far as I know. We'll be able to see his entire collection soon, as it is being auctioned off next - probably in the next year or so...

I am also looking forward if it's complete (would be a great catalogue), so also has the lost Continental 164, the I grills and J grills (179c or 165c).

Defining complete is subjective. Why is 20th century not included? If you are counting not just Scott #s but sub-issues, then does that not include all listed varieties and errors?

As beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so too is completeness in the eye of the collector.

Sure, but I think the Gross collection is sold as a "complete" collection, so Siegel or Gross should have a definition for "complete".

A complete 20th century collection is easy to assemble if you have the money. The rarest 20th century stamps exist in quantities of 5-6, and they are regularly offered at auctions. There are at least 4 unique US 19th-century stamps. . .no matter how much money you have, you still have to find the owners of those 4 stamps and convince them to sell. . .or be very lucky that they all happen to come available in the timeframe you are building a collection.

I don't believe this for a second. Just try and find untagged stamps and some major errors. I believe money can't solve quite a few listings, as I have seen in my own pursuits.

Sure there have been important errors auctions, and listings for rarities at auction, but there are quite a few many more that just haven't turned up, some even with low cat values.

If the definition of "complete" is one of each major scott number, there just aren't many that are hard to find. They only include the weird perf varieties of the 3rd and 4th bureau issues. If you include all the minor numbers or listed varieties, I agree that it would be hard to do. And the expensive errors (C3a, Pan American inverts, Columbian color error) are easy to find - just need the money to get them. I agree that the less popular and less expensive varieties (hole size, color, tagging, plate varieties, etc.) are much harder to find.

I think if you only count capital letters and numbers Scott listings, it's doable for 20th, and probably part of many collections, due to shear numbers of printing. Doesn't mean the folks who claim they have completed collections have done it, just that noone challenged their claims after boasting completeness around the rarities.

I'd find it far more impressive for 20th century completeness to include minor versions as tablestakes for completeness.

The 2 cent 423e 10 x 12 crimps things a bit for 20th century completion. Only 1 exists.

Stamp Smarter: Note that the 1914 compound perforations are now considered regular production stamps, albeit exceptionally rare, and not error stamps. One can only guess how much the perf 10x12 two cent stamp will bring once it is fully realized that no U.S. collection can be considered complete without its presence.

#82: 4 copies, #85A: 2 copies, #85F: 2 copies, #164: 1 copy, #181: <10 copies. Why is 85A considered the rarest US stamp? It is tied for second. The missing Continental (#164) is rarer. There is one unique 20th-century stamp: #423E.

Just sign me up for the 164. Desperately want to get a chance to examine it. (If anyone buys, it, I'm willing to pay for 1 hour with the stamp, to examine and photo in high def).

The are two copies of 85A but one is in the NYPL Miller Collection, so there is only 1 copy not institutionally held. For the 164, the theory is that there are other but they cannot be distinguised

Complete - in my mind - would include not only all of the stamps already mentioned, but would also have to include all the special printings (newspapers & postage dues); 482A; 596; 314A; 316; and of course, 613.

I would also include back of book, especially revenues, which of course means they would need the Persian Rug as well.

It can certainly be done - if money is no object; if would've taken Gross another decade of aggressive buying to accomplish this.

But let's not be so picky...a complete 19th century collection is likely a feat nobody will duplicate in our lifetimes....

For anyone with the money of Mr. Gross, completing a 20th century collection would simply be a question of time. So many dealers would be funneling things to him that even the really scarce or rare varieties would show up after a while.