The Mahendra Sagar Collection of Inverted Centers
October 5-6, 2011
| Images | Description | Current Bid |
 | Lot #19 UNITED STATES POSSESSIONS 1906-07 1c green and black, center and Canal Zone inverted, used with regular 1c on piece, tied by Paraiso C.Z. cds, well centered, regular stamp with rounded corner, v.f. and rare, with 2002 PFC, ex-Helme collection. A pane of 100 of this error was sold in March 1909 to the Panama Railroad Company, and all but 22 copies were used on mail before the error was discovered. As of now, in addition to the unused copies that were saved, only about 13 used copies are on record including a horizontal pair on cover, O Catalog #22g Catalog Value $ 6,000 | Price Realized $3,000.00 |
 | Lot #20 UNITED STATES POSSESSIONS 1907 2c carmine red and black, center inverted and Canal Zone reading up, used, bright color, small tear and minor creasing, otherwise fine, with 2004 Philatelic Foundation Certificate. This is one of Canal Zone's greatest rarities, Only nine copies are recorded, all used, including one on cover, all of which are faulty to some degree. Apparently only one sheet was printed and went undetected until first reported in 1911, O Catalog #23g Catalog Value $ 6,000 | Unsold |
 | Lot #21 UNITED STATES POSSESSIONS 1909 1c dark green and black, center inverted and Canal Zone reading down, a magnificent used example of one of the most famous of all of the Canal Zone errors, only four copies (!) all used, exist. George W. Wirth discovered the first copy of this error in 1932 (23 years after issue) and removed it from a postcard sent by a gentleman to his sister. The second example (with clipped perforations at left) was found in the1950s. A third (badly defective) copy turned up in 1969. The example offered here was the last of the four, discovered in 1979 and by far the best centered of the four existing. In addition, it possesses deep rich color on bright paper, violet Cristobal cds, faint crease not mentioned on accompanying certificate, the perforations at right are scissor separated typical of the handmade booklet panes, which is also a trait of the other three examples, making it likely that the error sheet was produced in this way, which makes it even more astonishing that the error was not noticed, very fine; O Catalog #31a Catalog Value $ 22,500 | Unsold |
 | Lot #22 UNITED STATES POSSESSIONS 1912 2c vermilion and black, center inverted, overprint reading down, well centered, fresh color, l.h., handstamp guarantee on reverse, with 1997 PFC, * Catalog #39e Catalog Value $ 650 | Price Realized $400.00 |
 | Lot #23 UNITED STATES POSSESSIONS 1912 2c Vermilion and Black, two booklet panes of six, perforated margins, both panes with center inverted and overprint reading down, the unique unexploded complete booklet with two panes, both panes with clipped perforations at right and lightly stuck to the interleaving as expected, the booklet covers are remarkably fresh, with only a slight hint of handling wear, ex-Joyce collection, with 2004 PFC stating “unused OG, handmade booklet pane of six, complete unexploded booklet of two panes, back cover inverted in relation to front cover; genuine with the panes adhering to the interleaving”  Catalog #39f | Unsold |
