Statesman U.S. essays, proofs, trial colors and specimens, Fleischner U.S. in July 18-19 Kelleher auctions

By Charles Snee

On July 18-19, Daniel F. Kelleher Auctions will offer two impressive collections of United States material in two separate auctions at its headquarters in Danbury, Conn. Both auctions will begin at 10 a.m. Eastern Time.

First to cross the auction block on July 18 is the impressive Statesman collection of U.S. essays, proofs, trial colors and specimens.

One of the more visually stunning items up for bids is a set of the so-called Atlanta trial color proofs of the 1869 issue, including all but the scarce green-and-black version of the 90¢ Abraham Lincoln.

For the 1881 International Cotton Exhibition in Atlanta, proofs of all previously issued U.S. stamps were prepared in five colors: black, scarlet, brown, green and blue. The exceptions were the bicolor 1869 values, which were printed in a dozen or more combinations. Just 100 sets were produced.

The Atlanta trial color proof set in the Kelleher sale is neatly mounted on nine exhibit pages. All the proofs are “incredibly fresh and bright,” according to Kelleher. Most have large margins, but Kelleher notes that a very small number are “a bit close on one side.”

A complete set of the 78 Atlanta trial color proofs (Scott 123TC4a/132TC4k; less the aforementioned 90¢ green and black Lincoln) is valued at $24,400 in the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers.

Kelleher estimates this handsome mounted set of Atlanta trial color proofs at $12,000 to $18,000 and lists it with an opening bid of $6,000.

July 19 will see the sale of the marvelous collection of U.S. stamps formed by Albert M. Fleischner.

A notable highlight of the collection is a used example of the elusive imperforate 1851 1¢ blue type I Benjamin Franklin (Scott 5).

This stamp is often referred to as “7R1E,” philatelic shorthand for the stamp from position 7 of the right pane of 100 printed on plate 1 in its early state. The 7R1E stamp is the only position in the 200-stamp sheet printed from the early plate 1 to show a complete design and ornaments.

Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries documents 98 examples of Scott 5 in its census, which is available on the Siegel website.

According to Kelleher, the 7R1E stamp in the Fleischner collection (No. 5-CAN [CANCELED]-037 in the Siegel census) bears a black Mobile, Ala., postmark and has a small corner crease at top left and a light horizontal crease at bottom.

Included with the stamp are expertizing certificates from the Philatelic Foundation and William T. Crowe issued in 1950 and 2023, respectively.

Kelleher estimates this rare 1851 1¢ blue type I Franklin at $30,000 to $40,000 and offers it with a minimum bid of $15,000.

The two catalogs for the Statesman and Fleischner collections are available for viewing and download on the Kelleher website, with online bidding options available on Stamp Auction Network.

For additional information, contact Daniel F. Kelleher Auctions, 22 Shelter Rock Lane, Unit 53, Danbury, CT 06810.

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