Census of 4c Deep Red Brown & Black
Center Inverted, Multiples
(Scott 296a)
7 Census Records

296a-OG-BL-01

Notes:

• Tiny hinge slivers at top and bottom sensibly reinforcing a few trivial perf separations, each stamp with far superior centering than normally seen on either singles or blocks, top right stamp small thin spot

Provenance:

• 3/8/1940, Wharton Sinkler, Klein sale 116 - $5,000 vs. $5,400 Scott value, Lot 280
• 3/31/1976, Siegel Auction Galleries, 1976 Rarities of the World, Sale 489, Lot 170, Realized $25,000, $25,000 hammer vs. $32,500 Scott value
• 4/29/1980, Sotheby's NY (offered with 1c and 2c blocks, the first time a set of blocks had been offered since the 1944 Greene sale), Lot 547
• 2000, Shreves Philatelic Galleries auction
• 4/11-12/2018, David Wingate Collection, Siegel Auction Galleries, The David Wingate Collection of United States Stamps, Sale 1180, Lot 299, Realized $310,000, $310,000 hammer vs. $400,000 Scott value

Certificates:

• PF (1980)
• PF (2018)

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296a-OG-BL-02

Notes:

• Unusually choice centering throughout, top right and bottom left stamps have small thin spots

Provenance:

• 4/24/1982, Siegel Auction Galleries, 1982 Rarities of the World, Sale 596, Lot 320, Realized $40,000, $40,000 hammer vs. $65,000 Scott value
• 4/29-30/2021, Gary Petersen Collection, Siegel Auction Galleries, The Gary Petersen Collection of Important United States Stamps, Sale 1234, Lot 286, Realized $180,000, $180,000 vs. $500,000 Scott value
• 4/14-15/2009, Alan Whitman Collection, Siegel Auction Galleries, The Alan B. Whitman Collection, Part Two: 1870-1901 Issues, Sale 968A, Lot 369, Realized $325,000, $325,000 hammer vs. $500,000 Scott value

Certificates:

• PF (1998)

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296a-OG-BL-03

Notes:

• Top left stamp has two small thin spots; brown color slightly affected by oxidation; some vertical perf separations

Provenance:

• National Museum accession (complete pane of 100), inventoried in July 1913
• Either “Exchange No. 3” to Nassau Stamp Company (77 copies) or “Exchange No. 4” to H. F. Colman, Washington D.C. dealer (20 copies)
• Supposedly discovered in a cigar box of duplicate stamps
• Later acquired by William H. Gross
• 10/12/1989, Weill Brothers’ Stock, Christie’s Robson Lowe sale, to Jack Rosenthal (collection sold privately to Andrew Levitt), Lot 263
• 12/1/1998, Rumsey, Sale 5, Lot 153
• 10/3/2018, William H. Gross Collection, Siegel Auction Galleries, United States Stamp Treasures: The William H. Gross Collection, Sale 1188, Lot 102, Realized $75,000

Certificates:

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296a-OG-BL-04

Notes:

• Horizontal perfs mostly rejoined, a few irregular perfs at top left, top right stamp with tiny sealed tear and slight diagonal crease

Provenance:

• Colonel Edward H.R. Green Collection
• Stephen Bechtel Collection
• 5/18/1954, Amos Eno Collection, Harmer Rooke NY, Sale 779, Lot 132
• 3/24/1970, Siegel Auction Galleries, 1970 Rarities of the World, Sale 371, Lot 139, Realized $15,500, $15,500 hammer vs. $30,000 Scott value
• 6/25/2015, Siegel Auction Galleries, 2015 Rarities of the World, Sale 1106, Lot 3147, Realized $240,000, $240,000 hammer vs. $400,000 Scott value

Certificates:

• PF (2015)

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296a-OG-BL-05

Notes:

• Few small pieces of hinge used to rejoin or reinforce some perf separations, tiny perf thins and minute tear at right of bottom right stamp

Provenance:

• 4/28-30/2015, Robert Hall Collection, Siegel Auction Galleries, The Robert R. Hall Collection of Outstanding United States Stamps, Sale 1096, Lot 534, Realized $250,000, $250,000 hammer versus $400,000 Scott value

Certificates:

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296a-OG-BL-06

Notes:

• Slightly disturbed original gum--much better gum condition than found on most examples of this stamp--some perfs expertly reinforced or rejoined, bottom left stamp has small tear at bottom

Provenance:

• Colonel Edward H.R. Green Collection
• Y. Souren
• 2/7/1968, Siegel Auction Galleries, The Josiah K. Lilly Collection, Part 7: United States 19th and 20th Century, Sale 327, Lot 249, Josiah K. Lilly - $18,000 hammer versus $22,500 Scott value
• 3/25/1969, Siegel Auction Galleries, 1969 Rarities of the World, Sale 350, Lot 153, Realized $13,500, $13,500 hammer vs. $25,000 Scott value
• 3/22/1973, Siegel Auction Galleries, 1973 Rarities of the World, Sale 428, Lot 133, Realized $26,000, $26,000 hammer vs. $32,500 Scott value
• 10/8-10/1998, Zoellner Collection, Siegel Auction Galleries, The Robert Zoellner Collection of United States, Sale 804, Lot 507, Realized $95,000, $95,000 hammer vs. $80,000 Scott value

Certificates:

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296a-OG-STR-01

Notes:

• Original gum which has been disturbed from having once been affixed to a Post Office ledger book (as have all of these), small sealed tear in the selvage only below the left stamp

Provenance:

• 6/18/2009, Cunliffe Collection, Spink Shreves Galleries, Sale 114, Lot 36

Certificates:

• PF (1980)