U.S., worldwide selections in Cherrystone auction Feb. 2-3

By Michael Baadke

The Feb. 2-3 auction by Cherrystone in New York City offers 1,400 lots of stamps and postal history from the United States and worldwide.

The two-day sale includes additional material as well, from die proofs of South American stamps created by the American Bank Note Co., to large lots and collections.

Among the U.S. stamp choices are some prominent American classics.

One example is a bottom margin single of the 5¢ buff Thomas Jefferson stamp from the 1861 National Bank Note Co. printing (Scott 67).

The stamp is lightly hinged with original gum, described by Cherrystone as “a fine mint example of this difficult and rare stamp.”

The stamp is accompanied by Philatelic Foundation certificates from 1968 and 1988, and Professional Stamp Experts certification from 2018.

The 2021 Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers has assigned the unused 5¢ stamp a value of $27,500, printed in italics to signal that the stamp can be a challenge to value accurately.

Cherrystone has the stamp listed with an opening bid of $17,500.

Two of America’s earliest invert errors are also represented in the Cherrystone sale, beginning with the 1869 24¢ green and violet Declaration of Independence with center inverted (Scott 120b). Cherrystone describes it as “lightly canceled, fairly well centered, nibbed perfs at left, otherwise fine and attractive invert.”

Also offered is another lightly canceled U.S. invert, the 1901 1¢ green and black Fast Lake Navigation stamp from the Pan-American Exposition issue (Scott 294a). The used invert is valued twice as much as the unused version, because used examples are scarcer.

The Cherrystone auction also offers stamps and postal history from numerous European countries, including Austria, France and colonies, Germany, Russia, Switzerland and more, along with the British Commonwealth.

The auction also includes a never-hinged bottom sheet margin block of four of the 1936 20-centavo lake Eagle Man airmail stamp with Scott watermark No. 260, the Lines and Secretaria de Hacienda Mexico text watermark (Scott C76A).

Cherrystone describes the block as well centered for this issue and very fine, signed Herbert Bloch, with a 1971 Friedl certificate.

“This is the only existing block of this elusive and popular stamp, certainly the greatest Air Post rarity from Mexico,” Cherrystone said.

The four never-hinged stamps together have a combined Scott catalog value of $30,000.

Additional information about the upcoming Cherrystone auction can be found on the firm’s website, with fully illustrated online catalogs and bidding options; or contact Cherrystone Auctions, Inc., 119 W. 57th St., Suite 316, New York, NY 10019.

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