365 / September 2017

1940, Caritas 10-50 s., each as marginal block of four with first day cancel "TARTU -2 1 40" on local cover, fine

1940, 100 Years of stamps 15 s. on white paper, mint never hinged, fine

1940, 100 Years of stamps 15 s. on white paper, used, fine

1936, Päts 4 S., imprimatur proofs, strip of 5, signed by Gustav Jallas and seal as Director of the Estonian Postal Service, dated September 24, 1936. The date here (Sept.24, 1936) is the "imprimatur date", the date on which a separately printed sheet of proofs was approved for printing as postage stamps. This imprimatur date here is about 5 months after the "printing order date" (April 29, 1936, printed on the margin in the subsequent lot), which is the date on which the initial printing request was placed with the State Printing Office. The imprimatur proofs were made in a separate printing for the imprimatur/approval by Jallajas, before the printing of the postage stamps. Bottom margin 24mm wide (postage stamps: 27mm). Unusual register cross, two outer stamps unused, otherwise never hinged, a unique and beautiful item, tiny tear in margin, very fine (Hurt/Ojaste G:1) The printing order numbers are currently the only way to distingish between the various printings of the Päts issue! The lots with the 4 S. Päts were placed first in the auction sequence because the 4 S. Päts was the first Estonian postage stamp with a printed printing order number (Weiner, No.1,  p.105).

1936, Päts 4 S., archival proofs, strip of 3, with plate error and printing order number T.262 of the first printing of the 4 S. Päts, printing order date April 29, 1936. In 1936 the Estonian State Printing Office started to print printing order numbers on the sheet margin. Archival proofs are known to exist only for the first printing of the 4 S. Päts, not for subsequent printing orders of the 4 S. Päts. Bottom margin 27 mm wide. Plate error in Pos.91 (white error, outer frame indented at bottom right), plate errors on proofs are very rare. The perforation registration mark (cross) does not have a hole  because the proofs were not perforated, compare the perforated postage stamps in the following lot. Very fine (Hurt/Ojaste G:1, F:1)

1936, Päts 4 S., block and strip of postage stamps with the first printing order T.262, from panes C and D. The register cross of the block of four (pane C) is an unusual variety, without a hole, similar to the imperforate proofs in the preceding lot. This type of register cross, with two bars of equal length, is a perforation register mark, not a printing register mark (for printing different colors) or a cutting register mark. The block of four is not perforated at the left, while the strip of three is perforated at the left. Both the block of four (pane C) and the strip of 3 (pane D) have the same plate error in pos.91 (white error, outer frame indented at bottom right), indicating that the intermediate cliché of 1x 100 stamp images must have contained already this plate error, which was then replicated four times into the clichés of the four counter panes. The block of four is slightly toned, mint never hinged, fine/very fine (Hurt/Ojaste F:1)  

1936,  Päts 4 S., strip of three with the first printing order T.262 of April 29, 1936 tied by cds. "TARTU 27 XI 36" to cover. The first printed printing order number of the State Printing Office. Register cross variety without a hole, with a gripper mark. Plate error in Pos.91 (white error, outer frame indented at bottom right). Used printing order numbers are extremely rare, Hurt/Ojaste does not indicate any prices for used printing order numbers, very fine (Hurt/Ojaste F:1)  

1936, Päts 4 S. , strip of three with printing order number T.435 of May 27, 1937 (2nd printing of the 4 S. Päts). Register cross with a hole, with gripper mark. Plate error in Pos.91 (white error, outer frame indented at bottom right), mint never hinged, very fine (Hurt/Ojaste F:2)

1936, Päts 4 S., strip of three with printing order number T.366 of May 14, 1938 (3rd printing of the 4 S. Päts). Register cross with a hole, with gripper mark. Plate error in Pos.91 (white error, outer frame indented at bottom right), very fine, mint never hinged, (Hurt/Ojaste F:3)

1936, Päts 4 S. , block of six with printing order number T.239 of April 4, 1939 (4th printing of the 4 S. Päts). Register cross with a hole, with gripper mark. Plate error in Pos.91 (white error, outer frame indented at bottom right). The occurrence of the same plate error in Pos.91 in all four printings of the 4 S. Päts indicates that the same plates were used for all four printings 1936-39. Different register crosses and different printing order inscriptions were used in differing positions for the four printings, mint never hinged, very fine (Hurt/Ojaste F:4)

1936, Päts 1 and 2s. each as single and block of four tied by cds. "TALLINN 20 III 36" to cover to Helsinki, a rare first day cover, fine

1936, Päts 1 S., proof block of four, top left corner, pane A, mint never hinged, hinged in margin only, fine. Together with a matching postage stamp block of four, also from the top left corner, pane C, mint never hinged    

Päts 1 S., corner blocks of four, of the first printing (no printing order number), mint never hinged, and of the second printing with printing order number T.434 of May 27, 1937, unused (Hurt/Ojaste F:1 )  

1936, Päts 2 S., proof block of four, top left corner, pane D, mint never hinged, hinged in margin only, fine. Together with a matching postage stamp block of four, also from the top left corner, pane A, mint never hinged

Päts 2 S., 3 corner blocks of four, of the first printing (no printing order number), the second printing  (T.239 of April 15, 1937) and the fourth printing (T. 238 of April 4, 1939). At the left of T.239 there is an impression of a cliché nail, mint never hinged (Hurt/Ojaste F:2, F:4)  

1936, Päts 5 S., proof block of four, top left corner, pane C, hinged at the margin, very fine. Together with a matching postage stamp block of four, also from the top left corner, pane B, mint never hinged

Päts 5 S., horizontal and vertical printing order numbers, both T.436 of May 27, 1937, unused, fine (Hurt/Ojaste F:1 and F:2)  

Päts 5 S., printing order numbers T.367 of May 14, 1938 and T.240 of April 4, 1939, mint never hinged, very fine (Hurt/Ojaste F:3 and F:4)

1936, 1940, Päts 6 S., matching corner blocks, bottom left corners, pane C and pane A. The green 6 S. was reprinted in 1940 with the plates used for the printing of the red 6 S. in 1936. The marginal numbers are of the same pointed/eckig font/shape ("6"), indicating that the marginal numbers were not removed when the 1936 printing plate was stored. The red 6 S., issued on March 20, 1936, does not have a printed printing order number at the margin because the printing of printing order numbers was introduced later on, with the 4 S. Päts, printing order date  April 29, 1936. The red 6 S. postage stamp block is in a sheet position matching the proof block in the subsequent lot. The green 6 S. block  shows the printing order date May 17, 1939, mint never hinged, very fine  (Hurt/Ojaste F:1)

1936, Päts 6 S., red/lilac carmine, corner proof block,  no printing order number, mint never hinged, fine (Hurt/Ojaste G:1)

1940, Päts 6 S., green, proof block, a very rare proof multiple, the upper stamps unused, the lower mint never hinged, fine (Hurt/Ojaste G:1)    

1940, Päts 15 S., blue, corner block with printing order number T.134 of March 12, 1940, printed with the same plates as the red 15 S. of 1936 (Mi 125). Same marginal numbers as the red proof block with the printing order of Nov.2, 1936 (subsequent lot). Printed in blue color to reflect the increase in the postal rate for domestic letters from 10 S. to 15 S. on April 1, 1940. Issued on April 15, 1940, mint never hinged, very fine (Hurt/Ojaste F:1)

1940, Päts 15 S., red, proof block of six with printing order number T.648 of Nov.2, 1936, mint never hinged fine (Hurt/Ojaste G:1, F:1) The plates used to print the red 15 S. were re-used later on to print the 15 S. blue of 1940 

1936, Päts 20 S., proof block of four, top left corner, pane A, mint never hinged, with hinge in margin only, together with a matching postage stamp block, also top left corner and pane A, mint never hinged, fine (Hurt/Ojaste G:1)  

1938, Päts 25 S., proof block of four, top left corner, pane C, mint never hinged with hinge in margin only, fine (Hurt/Ojaste G:1)  

1938, Päts 25 S., proof block of six, with printing order number T.669 of Sept.15, 1937. No register cross below pos.100, mint never hinged, fine (Hurt/Ojaste G:1, F:1)

1938, Päts 25 S., proof block of four, with printing order number of Sept.15, 1937. Register cross below pos.100. The register cross is touched by the register pin of the perforating machine and is minimally punctured. During the production of the postage stamps the imperforate archival proof sheet was probably put by mistake into the perforating machine and was removed immediately before being perforated. A rare variety showing that the archival proofs were produced together with the postage stamps. A key proof in Estonian philately, mint never hinged, fine (Hurt/Ojaste G:1, F:1)  

1938, Päts 30 S., strip of three and pair with printing order number T.670 of Sept.15, 1937. With and without register cross below pos.100, mint never hinged (Hurt/Ojaste G:1, F:1)    

1938, Päts 30 S., proof block of six, with printing order number T.670 of Sept, 1937 (same printing order date as Mi 135). No register cross below pos.100, mint never hinged, one stamp slight wrinkle, otherwise fine (Hurt/Ojaste G:1, F:1)  

1938, Päts 30 S., proof strip of three, with printing order number T.670 of Sept.15, 1937. With register cross below pos.100. Some gum irregularities, unused, fine (Hurt/Ojaste G:1, F:1)    

1939,  Päts 30 S. blue as proof with left sheet margin, mint never hinged, fine, signed Nemvalz (Hurt/Ojaste G:1)  

1936, Päts 50 S., block of four, first printing (no printing order number below pos.91 and 92)., mint never hinged, very fine Same sheet position as the proof block in the subsequent lot    

1936, Päts 50 S., proof block of four from the lower left sheet corner, first printing (no printing order number below pos.91 and 92), corner crease on margin, mint never hinged fine

1936, Päts 60 S., block of four from the upper left sheet corner, mint never hinged, one stamp unused, fine

1936, Päts 60 S., proof block of four from the upper left corner, mint never hinged with hinge in margin only, fine (Hurt/Ojaste G:1)    

1936, Päts 60 S., proof strip of three, with printing order number T.263 of Apr.29, 1936. The only known 60 S. proofs with the printing order number, some light wrinkles gum irregularities, fine (Hurt/Ojaste G:1, F:1)