Nylander Washington-Franklins, second part of Kilgas China in Aug. 22-24 Cherrystone auction series

By Charles Snee

Collectors of the United States Washington-Franklin definitive series will have myriad opportunities to add scarce stamps and postal history to their holdings when Cherrystone Philatelic Auctioneers places the collection formed by Gerald Nylander up for bids Aug. 22 at its gallery in Teaneck, N.J.

Following directly on the heels of this important sale is part 2 of the Carl A. Kilgas collection, which Cherrystone will offer Aug. 23-24.

The Aug. 22 auction will also feature other choice U.S. stamps, essays and proofs, along with a selection of large lots and collections.

Various U.S. currency notes and coins from the Nylander collection, most of which have accompanying certificates from recognized numismatic grading services, will also cross the auction block. The graded coins are housed in protective plastic cases.

A scarce perforation variety from the Nylander Washington-Franklin holdings is a used example of the 1914 2¢ rose red type I George Washington stamp with gauge 12-by-10 perforations (Scott 423B, formerly 425d).

Cherrystone describes the stamp as well centered and notes that it has a “small corner crease at bottom left.” A Philatelic Foundation expertizing certificate issued in 1989 accompanies the stamp.

The 1914 compound perforation varieties are an artifact of a production change that took place at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, D.C.

That change is described in the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers:

“As the Bureau of Engraving and Printing made the changeover to perf 10 from perf 12, in the normal course of their stamp production they perforated limited quantities of 1c, 2c and 5c stamps with the old 12-gauge perforations in one direction and the new 10-gauge perforations in the other direction. These were not production errors. These compound-perforation stamps previously were listed as Nos. 424a, 424b, 425c, 425d and 428a.”

Scott 423B in used condition is valued at $10,000 in the Scott U.S. Specialized catalog. That value is for a sound example in the grade of fine-very fine.

Just one unused example (a plate No. 7082 single) and 32 used examples are recorded, according to the Scott U.S. Specialized catalog.

Cherrystone lists this attractive used example of Scott 423B with an opening bid of $4,500.

Among the choice covers in the Nylander collection is a 1920 registered envelope franked with a vertical strip of four of the 1917 $1 violet brown Franklin (Scott 518) and a single 1917 50¢ red violet Franklin (517) that was affixed to a package mailed locally in Puerto Rico from San Juan to Arecibo.

Three strikes of a May 26, 1920, San Juan double-outline circular datestamp tie all five stamps to the cover. According to Cherrystone, the envelope has some creasing and is missing its back flap.

Cherrystone is offering this rare territorial use of the 1917 $1 violet brown Franklin and 50¢ red violet Franklin with a minimum bid of $450.

Scott 517 and 518 as singles on cover are valued at $400 and $550, respectively, in the Scott U.S. Specialized catalog. Both values are italicized to indicate items that can be difficult to value accurately because of limited market data.

Part 2 of the Kilgas collection of China includes a number of scarce multiples, one of which is a complete pane of 20 of the 1888 1-candareen green Imperial Dragon stamp (Scott 13).

The 1885 Imperial Dragon stamps (10-12) and the 1888 Imperial Dragon stamps (13-15) were printed from plates made of 40 individual copper dies arranged in two panes of 20.

Cherrystone notes that the pane has “some gum toning spots [dark stains] showing through in places.” Most of the spots are visible in the wide vertical selvage (margin paper) at right.

Against a Scott Classic Specialized Catalogue of Stamps and Covers 1840-1940 value of $1,700 for 20 unused examples, Cherrystone lists this 20-stamp pane of the 1888 1c green Imperial Dragon with a starting bid of $900.

The catalogs for the Aug. 22 Nylander Washington-Franklin sale and the Aug. 23-24 auction of part 2 of the Kilgas China collection can be viewed and are available for download on the Cherrystone website, with online bidding options available.

Information also is available from Cherrystone Philatelic Auctioneers, 300 Frank W. Burr Blvd., Second Floor, Box 35, Teaneck, NJ 07666.

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