Rare Stamps & Postal History of the World
March 14-15, 2023
Our March 14-15, 2023 Sale of Rare Stamps and Postal History of the World will take place at our Teaneck, N.J. Galleries and over the internet via CherrystoneLIVE. There are 1,314 lots in the sale, which begins with United States and U.S. Possessions, including graded items, Plate Blocks, and a solid group of Proofs and Essays. In the Worldwide section we are pleased to offer a complete collection of 1913 Albania Double Eagles. Great Britain and British Commonwealth feature collections formed by the late Dr.Jerome Bettner and include British North America as well as worldwide Air Post stamps and covers. There is a nice selection from Italy, including rarities as well as Italian States, Colonies and Vatican City. The sale also includes selections from the estate of Dr.Martin Stempien, respected postal historian and Secretary to the Chairman of the Expert Committee at the New York Philatelic Foundation from 1988-2018. He also held various Executive positions at the Collector's Club of NY and other philatelic societies. The auction concludes with over two hundred Large Lots and Collections, ranging from single country albums, specialized collections, multi-carton worldwide groups and large cover lots offered intact.
| Images | Description | Current Bid |
 | Lot #1029 VATICAN CITY 1934 Provisional surcharges, complete set of six, h.r., v.f., signed Diena, * Catalog #35-40 Catalog Value $1,485 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1030 VATICAN CITY 1934 Provisional surcharges, complete set of six, 2,05L variety "missing comma", h.r. or l.h., v.f., signed Diena, with his 1974 certificate (Sass.€2,000) * Catalog #35-40 Catalog Value $1,485 | Price Realized $325.00 |
 | Lot #1031 VATICAN CITY 1934 Provisional surcharges, complete set of six, 2,55L variety "missing comma", n.h., fresh, v.f. (Sass. €4,000+) ** Catalog #35-40 Catalog Value $3,680 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1032 VATICAN CITY 1934 Provisional surcharges, 1.30L on 1,25l blue, Second Printing, showing additional vertical bar at lower left, l.h., v.f., with 1986 Diena certificate (Sass.B36c) * Catalog #36var Catalog Value €1,100 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1033 VATICAN CITY 1934 1,30 on 1,25L blue, thin surcharge, prepared but never issued, cancelled on piece by 17.9.34 postmark, v.f., signed A.Diena, etc., with 2005 "Grande Rarita" Raybaudi cert. Only 100 of this sample surcharge were printed and erroneously sold by the Post Office, only a few used examples known to still exist (Sass. 36A, cat. €25,000) O Catalog #36a Catalog Value $16,000 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1034 VATICAN CITY 1934 Provisional surcharges, 2.05L on 2L brown, variety defective "0" of surcharge, h.r., v.f., signed Diena * Catalog #37var | Unsold |
 | Lot #1035 VATICAN CITY 1934 Provisional surcharges, 2,55L on 2,50L orange, Second Printing, showing additional vertical bar at lower left, used, v.f., with Raybaudi certificate (Sass.B38c, unpriced used) O Catalog #38var | Unsold |
 | Lot #1036 VATICAN CITY 1940 5c dark carmine, imperforate single with large margins, n.h., v.f., signed S.Cilio, with his 2009 certificate (Sass.72a) ** Catalog #72a Catalog Value €2,200 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1037 VATICAN CITY 1940 5c dark carmine, variety imperf. at right, n.h., v.f. (Sass. 72B) ** Catalog #72var Catalog Value €2,400 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1038 VATICAN CITY 1945 5c slate gray vertical pair imperf. between, 30c brown horizontal pair imperf. between, also additional imperforate pair, n.h., last one signed Diena (Sass.91h,92b,92g) ** Catalog #91,92a,92var Catalog Value €2,380 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1039 VATICAN CITY 1945 50c green, horizontal strip of five, variety imperf. at top (Sass. 93d) ** Catalog #93var Catalog Value €1,300 | Price Realized $150.00 |
 | Lot #1040 VATICAN CITY 1945 War Victims Relief, 3L carmine, 5L blue, vertical pairs imperf. between, n.h., v.f. (100e,101e) ** Catalog #100,101var Catalog Value €2,000 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1041 VATICAN CITY 1945 War Victims Relief, 3L carmine, "Jesus image" omitted, upper left sheet corner margin block of four, n.h., v.f., signed Raybaudi, with his 1987 certificate (Sass.100a)  **Catalog #100a Catalog Value €1,400 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1042 VATICAN CITY 1946 1L on 50c green, upper right sheet corner block of four, top right stamp without surcharge, n.h., v.f. (Sass.104cb) **Catalog #104var Catalog Value €2,400 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1043 VATICAN CITY 1949 Basilicas, 3L violet, vertical sheet margin pair imperf. between and at bottom, n.h., v.f., rare (Sass.123f) ** Catalog #123var Catalog Value €2,400 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1044 VATICAN CITY 1949 Basilicas, 13L green, variety imperf. on three sides, n.h., v.f., signed Raybaudi, with his 1988 certificate (Sass.126 variety unlisted) ** Catalog #126var | Unsold |
 | Lot #1045 VATICAN CITY 1949 Pius XII, 100L gray black, imperforate horizontal sheet margin pair, n.h., right stamp creased, otherwise v.f., with 1978 Raybaudi certificate (Sass.131a) ** Catalog #131var Catalog Value €7,000 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1046 VATICAN CITY 1951 Council of Chalcedon, 25L red brown, horizontal pair imperf. between, n.h., v.f. (Sass.150c) ** Catalog #150a Catalog Value $5,000 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1047 VATICAN CITY 1955 St. Bonifacio, 35L violet, top sheet margin block of 15, perforations shifted through the left part, leaving nine stamps completely imperforate, n.h., v.f. (Sass.193aa) **Catalog #193a Catalog Value €10,500 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1048 VATICAN CITY 1957 Capranica, 35L greenish slate, vertical pair variety imperf. at top, n.h., v.f., signed Diena ** Catalog #225var | Unsold |
 | Lot #1049 VATICAN CITY 1959 Coronation of Pope John 23rd, 100L sheet margin block of 16, folded between stamps, bottom strip showing double-lined (one inverted) watermark ("Stato Della Citta' Del Vaticano"), n.h., v.f., signed Diena, with his 1962 certificate **Catalog #253var | Unsold |
 | Lot #1050 VATICAN CITY 1959 Pope Pius XI, 30L brown, block of four, part of design omitted, n.h., v.f., interesting variety **Catalog #254var | Unsold |
 | Lot #1051 VATICAN CITY 1964 Christmas, 10L horizontal pair, right stamp imperf. at right, n.h., v.f., with Raybaudi certificate (Sass.397a) ** Catalog #397var Catalog Value €1,400 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1052 VATICAN CITY 1964 Pope's Visit to India, 25L green, vertical strip of four, double paper variety, scarce ** Catalog #401var | Unsold |
 | Lot #1053 VATICAN CITY 1965 United Nations, 30L sapphire, top sheet margin horizontal strip of eight, right stamp printing partially omitted, n.h., v.f., signed Diena (Sass.417aa) ** Catalog #417var Catalog Value €1,300 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1054 VATICAN CITY 1970 Centenary of the Vatican I Council, 20L variety missing red, n.h., v.f., with photocopy of the Raybaudi certificate for a pair from which this originated. A rarity (Sass.484) ** Catalog #484var | Unsold |
 | Lot #1055 VATICAN CITY 1972 Cardinal Bessarion, 40L green, background omitted, lower right sheet corner margin single, n.h., v.f., signed Raybaudi (Sass.529a, unpriced) ** Catalog #528var | Unsold |
 | Lot #1056 VATICAN CITY 1974 St. Thomas Aquinas, se-tenant strip of three, gold color omitted, n.h., v.f., with 1985 Raybaudi certificate (Sass.558-60var) ** Catalog #557a,var | Unsold |
 | Lot #1057 VATICAN CITY 1977 Rubens, 350L Madonna, mantle printed in blue instead of gray, right sheet margin example, n.h., v.f., with Cerruti certificate. Only one sheet recorded (Sass.632var) ** Catalog #629var | Unsold |
 | Lot #1058 VATICAN CITY 1979 Arms of John Paul II, 170L variety blue color doubled, upper left sheet corner margin block of four, n.h., v.f. (Sass.650a) **Catalog #645var Catalog Value €2,400 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1059 VATICAN CITY 1981 Virgil, horizontal gutter pair, inscriptions in silver instead of gold, n.h., v.f., with Carraro certificate. Only one sheet of this error recorded (Sass.689b, €3,000 for singles) ** Catalog #685-86var | Unsold |
 | Lot #1060 VATICAN CITY 1981 Virgil, 350L variety silver inscriptions at right omitted, left sheet margin single, n.h., v.f., with 2002 Dr.Avi certificate. A rarity, only 8 (!) recorded (Sass.688a) ** Catalog #685var Catalog Value €2,000 | Price Realized $750.00 |
 | Lot #1061 VATICAN CITY 1985 Italia 85 souvenir sheet of two, "450L" incomplete printing, n.h., v.f., with Carraro certificate (Sass.8b) ** Catalog #767a,var Catalog Value €6,500 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1062 VATICAN CITY 1985 Italia 85 souvenir sheet of two, background in green instead of blue, n.h., v.f., with Carraro certificate ** Catalog #767a,var | Unsold |
 | Lot #1063 VATICAN CITY 1987 Olymphilex souvenir sheet of four, vertically miscut and shifted to the right, with the denomination and part of the statue cut off, incomplete inscriptions, etc., n.h., v.f., with 1999 Diena certificate. A rare modern error, only a few recorded (Sass. F9b) **Catalog #792var Catalog Value €11,000 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1064 VATICAN CITY 1987 Olymphilex, souvenir sheet of four plus four labels, red printing completely omitted, n.h., v.f. (Sass.Block 9a) **Catalog #792var Catalog Value €4,500 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1065 VATICAN CITY 1991 Sistine Chapel, 100L, 150L and 650L gutter sheetlets of 12, n.h., v.f., scarce uncut booklet panes **Catalog #871a, 872a, 877a | Unsold |
 | Lot #1066 VATICAN CITY 1996 Europa (Sister Edith Stein) 850L brown, vertical sheet margin strip of four, perforations shifted causing three different varieties, n.h., v.f. (Sass.1043a,b,c) ** Catalog #1001var Catalog Value €5,700 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1067 VATICAN CITY 1996 Marco Polo, 2,000L souvenir sheet, uncut vertical pair, folded between souvenir sheets, n.h., fine-v.f. **Catalog #1008var | Unsold |
 | Lot #1068 VATICAN CITY 1997 Papal Cars and Coaches, six different vertical gutter pairs, four are se-tenants, total comprising of 10 values, n.h., v.f. ** Catalog #1028/37 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1069 VATICAN CITY 1997 Cars and Coaches, two gutter se-tenant pairs comprising of all four values, with "Berlina di Gala" imprints, n.h., v.f. ** Catalog #1029-32 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1070 VATICAN CITY 1999 Eucharistic Congress Wroclaw, Poland, 1,000L horizontal sheet margin strip of five, three right stamps printing completely omitted, n.h., v.f., with 1999 Carraro certificate (Sass.1086a) ** Catalog #1047var Catalog Value €8,500 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1071 VATICAN CITY 2000 Sistine Chapel, two horizontal gutter se-tenant panes of 20, 500+1000L, 1,500+3,000L, n.h., v.f., very rare (Sas.11198-2001) **Catalog #1156-59 | Unsold |
 | Lot #1072 VATICAN CITY 2000 Christmas, two horizontal se-tenant gutter panes of 20, 1,200+1,500L and 1,500+3000L, n.h., v.f., rare (Sas.1217-20) **Catalog #1168-71var | Unsold |
