Inverted Jenny doesn’t set records, but still tops Schuyler Rumsey sale

By Matthew Healey, New York Correspondent

They came, they saw, they raised their paddles.

For the tens of thousands of visitors attending World Stamp Show-NY 2016, a remarkable string of auctions by five different firms over six days brought excitement and opportunity during late May and early June.

Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries kicked off the action on Sunday, May 29, with a pair of big-name sales: the William H. Gross collection of Hawaii, and the second part of the Steven Walske collection of trans-Atlantic mail between the United States and France.

Christoph Gaertner, of Germany, picked up the gavel on Monday, May 30, with a day-long session devoted to worldwide rarities that included an impressive selection of U.S. and Confederate postmasters’ provisionals.

Siegel resumed on Tuesday, May 31, with a record-breaking sale of the highest-graded example of the iconic American airmail rarity, the Inverted Jenny, followed by other U.S. rarities.

Wednesday, June 1, saw Schuyler Rumsey celebrate his firm’s 20th anniversary with a sale of U.S. and worldwide rarities, including U.S. Official issues collected by Robert L. Markovits, while Thursday saw the Daniel F. Kelleher firm’s offering of the Alfred J. Capurro collection of worldwide, mostly mint stamps.

H.R. Harmer, a member of the Global Philatelic Network, wrapped things up on Friday, June 3, with the award-winning Erivan Haub collection of U.S. and Confederate postmasters’ provisionals, among many other items.

Linn's Stamp News is breaking them all down in a multi-part U.S. Auction Roundup series:

Robert A. Siegel, Part I, May 29 | Christoph Gaertner, May 30 | Robert A. Siegel, Part II, May 31 | H.R. Harmer, July 3

Schuyler Rumsey also offered an Inverted Jenny (Scott C3a), in this case the example from position 8, in the top row of the original sheet. 

The top row (like the right side of the sheet) had a natural straight edge, and the position 8 stamp, with perforations all around, had obviously been reperforated at top at some time in the past by someone looking to improve the stamp’s aesthetic appearance.

With fresh color and “slightly disturbed” original gum, the stamp sold for $218,500 including the 15 percent buyer’s premium that Rumsey adds to all lots.

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An 1851 cover with the 10¢ transcontinental rate paid using three-and-a-half 3¢ stamps (Scott 11Ad, 11A) was described as one of just 14 examples of this bisect known on cover, and one of just five in which the bisect helped pay the 10¢ rate. It sold for $25,300. 

A beautiful cover with four examples of the 1847 5¢ Franklin (Scott 1), tied by blue Philadelphia postmarks to a cover going to Greenville, Va., was described as “one of the most attractive domestic uses of the 5¢ 1847 issue.” With a long and equally attractive provenance, it sold for $19,550.

After you finish the U.S. Auction Roundup, check out our International Auction Roundup: 

Christoph Gaertner’s WSS-NY 2016 auction totals $5.74 million

‘Possibly the rarest classic imperforate stamp of British North America’ highlights Schuyler Rumsey WSS-NY 2016 sale

Kelleher’s WSS-NY 2016 sale topped by high-denomination World War I-era overprint

H.R. Harmer sells first piece of mail from the first German expedition to Antarctica