U.S. 1923 Franklin coil waste sheet stamp in May 7-8 Cherrystone auction of rare worldwide stamps and postal history

By Charles Snee

Cherrystone Philatelic Auctioneers will tempt bidders with more than 1,550 lots of rare stamps and postal history from around the world during a May 7-8 sale at its gallery in Teaneck, N.J.

The two-day auction will be conducted in four parts, with sessions each day at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Eastern Time.

According to Cherrystone, the auction will open with United States stamps and covers, “followed by a diverse worldwide holding formed by Dikran Taner.”

“There are solid sections of Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Italian States, Switzerland, Turkey, as well as British Commonwealth, featuring John Pedneault’s postal history of Ireland, extensive Bermuda, British Africa and various individual rarities,” Cherrystone said.

Additional highlights include China Red Revenue stamps, extensive listings of flight and zeppelin covers, rare booklets and more.

The two-day sale concludes with “184 lots ranging from single country albums, specialized holdings, multi-carton worldwide groups and large cover lots offered intact,” according to Cherrystone.

During the leadoff session on the morning of May 7, a notable rarity of the United States will cross the auction block: a sound used example of the 1923 1¢ green Benjamin Franklin sheet stamp printed from rotary press coil waste (Scott 594).

The stamp, which has gauge 11 perforations, was printed in sheets of 70 or 100 stamps using waste paper from the printing of the 1923 1¢ coil stamp with gauge 10 vertical perforations (Scott 597).

As illustrated on this page, the stamp has perforations that are clear of the frameline on all four sides.

According to the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers, both unused and used examples of Scott 594 are valued with perforations just touching the frameline on one side.

The 1¢ Franklin coil waste sheet stamp in the Cherrystone sale is listed as No. 594-CAN-05 in Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries’ census of Scott 594, which contains a total of 127 records.

Accompanying the stamp are three expertizing certificates from the Philatelic Foundation in New York City that were issued in 1975, 1998 and 2022. The 2022 certificate graded the stamp as extra fine-90.

During Siegel’s 1998 sale of the Zoellner collection, the stamp sold for $14,850, including the 10 percent buyer’s premium in effect at the time. A used example of Scott 594 is valued at $10,500 in the Scott U.S. Specialized catalog.

In the grade of extra fine-90, Scott 594 used is valued at $82,500 in the Scott Stamp Values U.S. Specialized by Grade.

Cherrystone is offering this 1923 1¢ green Benjamin Franklin coil waste sheet stamp with an opening bid of $25,000, as shown in the printed catalog.

An eye-catching error nestled among the offerings from Canada is a top right plate number block of eight containing four vertical pairs of the 1929 50¢ dark blue stamp picturing the schooner Bluenose that are imperforate horizontally (Scott 158c).

The plate number A-3 936Y is printed on the wide top selvage (margin paper) above the second and third error pairs.

All of the stamps in the plate block are in mint, never-hinged condition. However, Cherrystone notes the presence of “tiny hinge reinforcements” across the vertical perforations in the top selvage.

A mint example of Canada Scott 158c is valued at $1,125 in the Scott Classic Specialized Catalogue of Stamps and Covers 1840-1940.

Cherrystone lists this 1929 50¢ Bluenose plate block of eight containing four imperforate horizontally vertical pairs with a starting bid of $1,500.

Among the more than 180 large lots and collections to be sold during the final session on May 8 is an extensive collection of 1926-43 issues of Tannu Tuva, a former socialist republic that was closely identified with the Soviet Union.

Among the collection’s highlights are various 1930s commemoratives (perforate and imperforate), airmail stamps, perforation varieties, Zeppelin stamps and more. Also included is a strong grouping of the 1943 set picturing the Tannu Tuva coat of arms and a government building, according to Cherrystone.

Cherrystone is offering this Tannu Tuva collection with an opening bid of $2,500.

The catalog for the May 7-8 worldwide stamps and postal history sale can be viewed and is available for download on the Cherrystone website, with online bidding options available through Cherrystone and Stamp Auction Network.

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

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