Grasso collection of U.S. postage and revenue stamps in Dec. 17-18 Kelleher auction

By Charles Snee

The Albert L. Grasso collection of United States postage and revenue stamps will be offered during a Dec. 17-18 sale by Kelleher Auctions in Danbury, Conn.

The 647 lots will be offered in two sessions that will commence at 11 a.m. Eastern Time. The first 357 lots will come up for bids Dec. 17. The remaining 290 lots will cross the auction block Dec. 18.

According to a brief biography of Grasso in the sale catalog, Grasso graduated from Georgetown Law School in Washington, D.C., and has been practicing law for more than 50 years.

Grasso developed and managed his own law firm and has taught and lectured in all 50 states. He is the author of more than 20 books and tax articles.

According to Kelleher, the collection shows “a high degree of completion with outstanding United States featuring front-of-the-book including scarcer issues and the highly sought-after Reprints and Special Printings; a nearly complete set of Postage Dues including the prized First Issue Special Printings, a large number of Officials and Newspapers, as well as the rest of the Back-of-the-Book, extensive Revenues with a high degree of completion and featuring a lovely imperf 3¢ Playing Cards, plus others, and a formidable section of the Red and Green Documentaries as well as a terrific Telegraph collection.”

Among the special printings to tempt bidders is an unused (without gum as issued) 12¢ Henry Clay stamp (Scott 198) from the 1880 special printing (192-204) of the 1879 issue. The 1880 special printing was produced by the American Bank Note Co. on soft porous linen paper.

The 12¢ Henry Clay stamp has exceptional centering and large margins, along with what Kelleher describes as “proof-like color.”

Included with the stamp are 1986 and 1997 Philatelic Foundation expertizing certificates and a 2024 expertizing certificate from Professional Stamp Experts that assigned the grade of very fine-extra fine 85.

In the grade of very fine 80 (the benchmark grade in the Scott catalog), the 1880 12¢ Henry Clay stamp is valued at $9,000 in the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers. That value is in italics to indicate an item that is a challenge to value accurately because of limited market data.

A very fine-extra fine 85 example of Scott 198 is valued at $14,000 in the Scott Stamp Values U.S. Specialized By Grade.

A footnote in the Scott U.S. Specialized catalog provides additional information about the special printings:

“Unlike the 1875 hard-paper Special Printings (Nos. 167-177), the 1880 soft-paper Special Printings were never cut apart with scissors.

“While use of Nos. 192-204 for postage was legal, no used examples are recorded. Expertization by competent authorities would be required to establish use.”

Kelleher is offering this 12¢ Henry Clay stamp from the 1880 special printing with an estimate of $15,000 to $20,000 and an opening bid of $7,500.

A choice revenue stamp will cross the auction block on the second day of the sale: an imperforate 1863 3¢ green Playing Cards (Scott R17a) from the 1862-71 First Issue.

The stamp bears a light manuscript, ample to clear margins on three sides, and a large margin at bottom.

Kelleher notes that the stamp was once the bottom stamp in a vertical pair (shown on an accompanying 2015 Philatelic Foundation expertizing certificate) that once resided in the Daniel Curtis collection.

The stamp is shown as a single on an accompanying 2016 Professional Stamp Experts certificate. According to Kelleher, a 2000 certificate issued by the Philatelic Foundation no longer accompanies.

Of the remaining six known multiples, all are vertical pairs, Kelleher said. More information is available in a census maintained by Curtis at www.thecurtiscollection.com.

A single imperforate 1863 3¢ green Playing Cards revenue stamp is valued at $25,000 in the Scott U.S. Specialized catalog. A pair is valued at $75,000.

The imperforate 1863 3¢ green Playing Cards revenue stamp in the Kelleher sale is listed with an estimate of $12,000 to $15,000 and an opening bid of $6,000.

Kelleher has prepared a single catalog for the Grasso collection of U.S. postage and revenue stamps that is available for viewing and download on the firm’s website, www.kelleherauctions.com, with online bidding options available on Stamp Auction Network.

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