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Sale 1188 — United States Stamp Treasures: The William H. Gross Collection

Sale Date — Wednesday, 3 October, 2018

Category — 1847 Issue Multiples and Plate Varieties

Lot
Symbol
Photo/Description
Cat./Est. Value
Realized
14°
ogbl
Sale 1188, Lot 14, 1847 Issue Multiples and Plate VarietiesThis is the unique Bible Block of six--the largest of three recorded unused blocks of the 10¢ 1847 First General Issue--which has been acclaimed an icon of United States philately since its discovery in a bible more than a century ago

DESCRIPTION

10¢ Black (2), Positions 71-73/81-83R--block of six (three by two) from the first three columns of the eighth and ninth rows of the right pane--original gum, mostly full to large margins except close or touching at left, deep shade on fresh bluish paper

PROVENANCE

* Discovered circa 1909-11 in a bible belonging to the Rives of Virginia; 5¢ 1847 block of six and adjoining 10¢ block of four found in the same bible; sold privately to Scott Stamp and Coin Co. before 1912

* Philadelphia Stamp Co., Sale 48, 6/28/1912, lot 3, sold to Henry C. Gibson, Sr. (bought from Gibson by Ward in 1942-47)

* Philip H. Ward, Jr. (bought from Gibson, estate sold to Weills in 1963)

* Benjamin D. Phillips (bought from Weills out of Ward estate, 1964; collection sold privately to Weills, 1968)

* Ryohei Ishikawa (bought privately from Weills, circa 1977), Christie’s Robson Lowe sale, 9/28-29/1993, lot 52, to William H. Gross

CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES

* Dr. Stanley M. Bierman, “Henry C. Gibson, Sr.: The Centennial Philatelist,” Chronicle 128, November 1985

* --“Philip H. Ward, Jr.: An Aristocrat of Philately,” Chronicle 124, November 1984

* Lester G. Brookman, United States Postage Stamps of the 19th Century, p. 60

* David Lidman, Treasury of Stamps, fig. 65, p. 52

* John N. Luff, The Postage Stamps of the United States, reprint, p. 49

* Jonathan W. Rose, Classic United States Imperforate Stamps, p. 19

* Philip H. Ward, Jr., Mekeel’s Weekly Stamp News, 1935, Vol. 69, p. 265

* --“United States Early Unused Blocks 1847-1869,” 1960 Congress Book, p. 51

* National Philatelic Museum, 1956, Vol. III, No. 1, pp. 106, 111

* New York International Philatelic Exhibition 1913 (Gibson)

* New York International Philatelic Exhibition 1926 (Gibson)

* Collectors Club of New York 2/24/1926 (Gibson; Elliott Perry talk)

* TIPEX 1936 (Ward)

* ANPHILEX 1971 “Aristocrats of Philately” (Weill)

* INTERPHIL 1976 “Aristocrats of Philately” (Weill)

* ANPHILEX 1996 Invited Exhibits (Gross)

* Collectors Club of New York “Aristocrats of United States Philately” exhibit, December 2000 (Gross)

* World Stamp Show 2016 Court of Honor (Gross)

CERTIFICATION

* The Philatelic Foundation (2018)

CONDITION NOTES

* Very Fine; light crease in left vertical pair

VIEW PDF OF HISTORY AND COMMENTARY at https://siegelauctions.com/2018/1188/14.pdf

E. 500,000-750,000
500,000
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