2017-07-29 Sat

At the 2017 American Philatelic Society Stampshow, Harmer-Schau Auction Galleries will present a four-day public auction series in Richmond, Va. The auction consists of material from the across the world, including stamps, postal history and essays, specialized Canal Zone and Scandinavia, Great Britain and British Commonwealth, the “Lynn Cooper” zeppelin cover collection, ephemera, collections, and large lots.

Among many U.S. stamps and postal history items, is a rare top imprint plate block of four of the 1898 $2 orange brown Mississippi River Bridge stamp from the Trans-Mississippi commemorative issue. The block shows the Bureau of Engraving and Printing imprint in the upper-left selvage and plate No. 613 in the upper-right selvage.

Harmer-Schau provides all the details about the block as having a large top, very lightly hinged at the top, with the right two stamps with perforations reinforced at the right, and the bottom-left stamp never hinged. Harmer-Schau also states till now no record of this plate block has been found in any auction and it seems to be extremely rare.

The plate block is accompanied by a 2017 certificate from Professional Stamp Experts. It is offered with an opening bid set at $32,500 and an estimate of $50,000 to $60,000. The plate block of four is listed in the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers with a value of $100,000 unused. From the lot of the worldwide material is a 1910 Rhodesia £1 scarlet and reddish mauve colour error Double Heads stamp. The auction estimate is $7,000 to $9,000, with bidding opening at $5,750.