Danish West Indies: Gallery: Select Stamps Scott #5-15
A selection of especially attractive and interesting seldom-offered items. All are available for approval viewing. Scott numbers have been used unless otherwise mentioned.
Scott Classic #5c, Print 5, Facit #5f, AFA 5.6. Light Green and Brownish Red on "Thick" Paper [1873 (1887 printing) 1 cent Bicolor, Perf 14 x 13.5, Normal Frame] Used with VF centering and very neat, light 1889 cancellation, but with a very tiny thin speck. Catalog values are: Facit 2024 value is SEK 350; Scott 2025 value for the normal stamp is $26, but this color is not actually listed by Scott.
ACTUAL item.
---
---
SOLD
246331
5e Print 7, Facit #5g, AFA 5.7 Light Green and Brownish Carmine on "Thick" Paper [1873 (1889 printing) 1 cent Bicolor, Perf 14 x 13.5, Inverted Frame] Used with Superb centering, bright color, and neat March 15 1898 ST. T(HOMA)S cancellation. An outstanding example!
ACTUAL item.
---
---
55.00
249763
Scott #5e, Print 7, Facit #5g, AFA 5.7 Light Green and Brownish Carmine on "Thick" Paper [1873 (1889 printing) 1 cent Bicolor, Perf 14 x 13.5, Inverted Frame] Used with Just-Fine (the perforations do clear the design) centering. Almost complete, upright, and well-centered "ST: THOMAS" 4 April 1898 cancellation. This is late use for a Print 7 stamp, but the color is definitely that of Print 7. Wonderful color and freshness, great cancellation, and "perfect" perforations. Such nicely canceled examples are hard to find.
ACTUAL item.
---
---
16.00
249761
Scott Classic #5c with PLATE VARIETY, Print 8, Facit #5hv17, AFA 5.8t. Bright Green and Claret on "Thick" Paper [1873 (1892 printing) 1 cent Bicolor, Perf 14 x 13.5, Normal Frame] NEVER HINGED with Average (but fairly typical) centering. There is a spot of central-ink color on an upper perforation tooth near the right corner, but that occurred during stamp printing and may even be characteristic of that location. PLATE VARIETY listed by both AFA and Facit: "White spots between N and t of CENTS". [The AFA 2016 Specialized has an error in their picture caption; what they caption as 5v is really 5t, as confirmed by the textual description.] Wonderfully fresh appearance with great color and excellent perforations. Despite the only-Average centering, such fresh and never hinged examples are seldom available and are much harder to find than the catalog values suggest -- in fact Mint examples any printings of the 1 cent Normal Frame stamps are generally much harder to find than the catalogs suggest. Catalog values are: Facit 2024 value for the NH plate variety is SEK 950; Scott 2025 value for the normal NH stamp is $80.
ACTUAL item.
SOLD
---
---
249764
Scott Classic #5c with PLATE VARIETY, Print 8, Facit #5h variety, AFA 5.8 variety. Bright Green and Claret on "Thick" Paper [1873 (1892 printing) 1 cent Bicolor, Perf 14 x 13.5, Normal Frame] Used with VF centering and neat, sharp 1894 cancellation. This example has a MAJOR PLATE VARIETY that is NOT listed by either AFA and Facit: "large dent in edge of central oval below NT of CENTS". This really should be a listed variety! Wonderfully fresh appearance with great color and excellent perforations. [This stamp also points out a limitation in the Scott Catalog "condensing" of the printings into only four numbers. By color and by paper thickness this really should be grouped with Scott #5b, however, Facit and AFA assign it a value more consistent with the catalog value of #5c, thus I must describe it at #5c.] Regardless, this is a great example of Printing 8.
ACTUAL item.
---
---
SOLD
247271
Scott #6a variety, Facit #6b, AFA #6 Print 2, the Thick Frame printing [1873 3c Rose and Light Blue, Thin Paper, Normal Thick Frame (1876)] Mint with Fine centering. Old-time small paper hinge remnant, but has incredible freshness with brilliant color, perfect perforations, and fresh gum. Such nice examples of this stamp are quite hard to find because the very thin paper was easily damaged. An excellent example.
ACTUAL item.
---
79.00
---
247460
Scott #6a variety, Facit #6b, AFA #6 Print 2, the THICK FRAME printing [1873 3c Rose and Light Blue, Thin Paper, Normal Thick Frame (1876)] Used with VF centering and light, partial CHRISTIANSTED cancellation. Much better centering than usual! Because of the extremely thin paper used for this printing, it is very hard to find examples such as this without defects. An excellent example of the SCARCEST PRINTING of the 3-cent Bicolors.
ACTUAL item.
---
---
99.00
247459
Scott #6a variety, Facit #6b, AFA #6 Print 2, the THICK FRAME printing [1873 3c Rose and Light Blue, Thin Paper, Normal Thick Frame (1876)] Used with F-VF+ centering and extremely light mute rings cancellation. Slight blunting of some perforation teeth at top, but with brilliant color -- much better color than usual! Because of the extremely thin paper used for this printing, it is very hard to find examples such as this without defects. An excellent example of the SCARCEST PRINTING of the 3-cent Bicolors.
ACTUAL item.
---
---
79.00
249760
Scott Classic #8b, Facit #8e, AFA #10y.5 [1876 (1890 printing) 5 cent Bicolor, Perf 14 x 13.5, Inverted Frame] HORIZONTAL PAIR, Used with VF centering and XF-Superb "ST: THOMAS" 25 July 1983 cancellation. Wonderful quality in all respects. There is what at first appears to be a shorter perforation tooth in the top margin of the left stamp, but this actually an extremely narrow perforation tooth caused by a bent perforating pin in that position -- you can see the same occurring at the bottom in the same position. An outstanding example!
ACTUAL item.
---
---
79.00
247154
9b [1878 7 cent Red Lilac and Orange Bicolor, Inverted Frame] Mint, hinge remnant, with F-VF centering. Wonderful appearance with unusually strong colors. Excellent perforations for this issue. This Inverted Frame stamp can be quite hard to find!
ACTUAL item.
9b [1878 7 cent Red Lilac and Orange, Print 2, Bicolor, INVERTED FRAME] Used with Fine centering, but with tiny defects and tiny repairs. Exceptionally strong color -- rarely seen with such nice color. The cancellation, which is sans-serif and shows "...SSTED", is Christianssted (misspelled with SS); the final digit of the year date is 0, probably 1890. This cancellation device was in use from 1888 onward and is quite scarce (Daka 1997 gives it a DKK 400 premium). Because the 7 cent Print 2 stamps did not have a lot of postal uses, they were available in the post offices for quite some period of time, thus an apparent 1890 use is not that unusual. Used examples of this inverted frame stamp are quite hard to find and when found are often defective. This would otherwise be $135. This example is offered at a very low price.
ACTUAL item.
---
---
27.00
247687
9b [1874 (1878 Print 2) 7 cent Red Lilac and Orange Bicolor, INVERTED FRAME] Used with Just-Fine centering and very light, neat, proper, partial (FREDERI)KSTED cancellation. There are some slightly blunted perforation tips, but the color is very strong and the cancellation is very light. This stamp was printed on extremely thin paper, thus undamaged examples -- especially of the inverted frame positions an most especially in USED condition -- are quite hard to find. A very nice looking example at a low price. Facit 2024 value is SEK 2700!
ACTUAL item.
---
---
88.00
241890
10 (Scott Classic 10a) Bright Ultramarine and Blackish Brown, Print 3 [1876 (1881 Print 3) 10 cent Bicolor, Normal Frame, Perf 14 x 13.5] Used Fine centered with very light cancellation. Facit 2020 value SEK 650. Attractive with bright color!
ACTUAL item.
---
---
49.00
249765
Scott Classic #10a, Print 3, Facit #10c, AFA #11a, Dark Ultramarine and Blackish Brown [1876 (1881 Print 3) 10 cent Bicolor, Normal Frame, Perf 14 x 13.5] Used with F-VF centering, but with faint corner crease. Extremely light, neat town cancellation. Very attractive with strong color and excellent perforations. Scott 2025 value $47.50, Facit 2024 value SEK 650 (about 50% higher than Scott). In my opinion, this is the nicest looking color / printing of the 10 cent stamps.
ACTUAL item.
---
---
19.00
241891
10 Light Pearl Gray and Reddish Brown, Print 5 [1876 (1887 Print 5) 10 cent Bicolor, Normal Frame, Perf 14 x 13.5] Used with F-VF+ centering and neat, light cancellation. This example is unusual in that more of a bluish hue has survived in the frame color. Facit 2020 value SEK 500. Very attractive with unusually fresh color!
ACTUAL item.
---
---
64.00
249766
Scott Classic #10, Print 5, Facit #10e, AFA #11b.5, Light Pearl Gray and Light Brown [1876 (1887 Print 5) 10 cent Bicolor, Normal Frame, Perf 14 x 13.5] Used with F-VF+ centering and a neat cancellation. Scott does not assign a minor listing to this color / printing despite the extremely different color than the listed colors. This color is not faded -- this is what Print 5 looks like. An attractive example. Scott 2025 value for the more common colors is $34, but the Facit 2024 value for this scarcer color is SEK 500, about 50% more than Scott.
ACTUAL item.
---
---
37.00
247135
10 Grayish Blue and Blackish Brown, Print 6. Facit #10f. AFA #11b-6. [1876 (1888 Print 6) 10 cent Bicolor, Normal Frame, Perf 14 x 13.5] Mint, without gum as usual, BLOCK OF FOUR with VF-XF centering. Due to seawater leakage damaging the entire Print 6 shipment from Denmark to DWI, Print 6 is rare with original gum (as noted by Facit and in the literature). The only with-gum examples are likely to have come from the Hagemann research holding from the postal archives. The catalog values of this printing are for without-gum examples. This block is from positions 25-26/35-36 (detailed plating information is included). AFA-listed PLATE VARIETY 11w (+DKK 150) in Position 35: Large white spot on lower left foot of R in ŘER. Facit 2024 value for singles is SEK 900 and for a normal-centered 4-block SEK 4000 (7/2023 about US$ 400). This example has centering that is tremendously better than usually seen on Print 6 -- and any blocks of Print 6 are scarce. Priced below break-up value!
ACTUAL item.
---
319.00
---
247136
10 Grayish Blue and Blackish Brown, Print 6. Facit #10f. AFA #11b-6. [1876 (1888 Print 6) 10 cent Bicolor, Normal Frame, Perf 14 x 13.5] Mint with F-VF+ centering, but WITH GUM that is either regummed or disturbed original gum. It is perhaps possible that this is disturbed original gum or locally applied regumming for postal use, but either way, it is not undisturbed original gum. Due to seawater leakage damaging the entire Print 6 shipment from Denmark to DWI, Print 6 is rare with original gum (as noted by Facit and in the literature). The only fully-with-gum examples are likely to have come from the Hagemann research holding from the postal archives. The catalog values of this printing are for without-gum examples. Facit 2024 value for without-gum singles is SEK 900 (7/2023 about $90). This is an unusual case in that even if this example is philatelically regummed, the gum could be soaked off it without diminishing the catalog value. This example has centering that is much nicer than is usually seen on Print 6. Very attractive example.
ACTUAL item.
---
49.00
---
249767
Scott Classic #10, Print 6, Facit #10f, AFA #11b.6, Grayish Blue and Blackish Brown. [1876 (1888 Print 6) 10 cent Bicolor, Normal Frame, Perf 14 x 13.5] Used with VF centering and very neat cancellation. Wonderful color for this stamp, excellent perforations, and terrific overall appearance. Scott does not assign a minor listing to this color / printing despite the extremely different color than the listed colors. This color is not faded -- this is what Print 6 looks like. Scott 2025 value for the more common colors is $34, but the Facit 2024 value for this slightly scarcer color is SEK 375.
ACTUAL item.
---
---
SOLD
249768
Scott Classic #10c, Print 7, Facit #10g, AFA 11y, Bright Blue and Brown on "Thick" Paper [1876 (1893 printing) 10 cent Bicolor, Perf 14 x 13.5, INVERTED FRAME] Mint, lightly hinged, with Fine centering. Very fresh with bright color and "perfect" perforations. Print 7 was the only 10 cent printing with all stamps having Inverted Frames; the only other Inverted Frame stamps are from Print 3 which had only a single position with Inverted Frame. This printing represents only 200,000 of the approximately 1,364,450 total Perf 14 x 14.5 10 cent stamps, yet the catalogs value this one at far less than any other stamps of the issue.
ACTUAL item.
Scott Classic #10c, Print 7, Facit #10g, AFA 11y, Bright Blue and Brown on "Thick" Paper [1876 (1893 printing) 10 cent Bicolor, Perf 14 x 13.5, INVERTED FRAME] Used with centering and near, well-centered 4-ring cancellation. Attractive with bright color and "perfect" perforations. Print 7 was the only 10 cent printing with all stamps having Inverted Frames; the only other Inverted Frame stamps are from Print 3 which had only a single position with Inverted Frame. This printing represents only 200,000 of the approximately 1,364,450 total Perf 14 x 14.5 10 cent stamps, yet the catalogs value this one at far less than any other stamps of the issue.
ACTUAL item.
---
---
28.00
248734
11 INVERTED WATERMARK [1877 (Print 2 1878) 12 cent Bicolor, Perf 14 x 13.5] Mint, lightly hinged, with F-VF centering. Other than the rounded lower right corner perforation tip, this stamp has perfect perforations. Wonderful color and freshness. The inverted watermark is quite scarce; both AFA 2016 Specialized (most recent edition) and Facit 2024 give it a 3x value over a normal example; DKK 1200 ($180) and SEK 1500 ($150). This stamp issue was printed on extremely thin, crisp paper, thus many (most?) examples have become damaged over the last 146 years. An outstanding example.
ACTUAL item.
---
119.00
---
247150
11a [1877 12 cent Bicolor, First Printing, Lilac and Deep Green, Perf 14 x 13.5] Used with F-VF+ centering and neat St. Thomas 1870s cancellation, but one rounded corner perforation at lower left. An attractive example of a stamp that is almost always damaged due to the extremely thin paper. Otherwise would be $260 for this centering.
ACTUAL item.
---
---
99.00
249442
12 [1873 14 cent Bicolor, Normal Frame] Mint with Average centering (typical for this stamp). Full original gum, only modestly hinged. PERFECT PERFORATIONS and NO DEFECTS, both of which are quite unusual for this "rare" stamp. While one could hope for better centering, this 14 cent stamp is notoriously difficult to find well centered. The lack of defects is quite unusual for this stamp printed on extremely thin paper. (The paper of this stamp is always extremely thin and fragile, thus perforation problems or much more severe damage is quite common). Approximately 1000 sheets (100,000 stamps) were printed, but 90,158 stamps were destroyed by the post office in 1883, thus the net quantity that could have existed of the normal frame stamps is approximately 9,645. Of that quantity, many were lost or destroyed over time, especially due to the very thin paper and the fact that these were used either on overseas mail or on internal postal accounting documents (which were mostly destroyed). This is a very reasonable looking example of a the "rarest face-different stamp" of the Danish West Indies!
ACTUAL item.
---
690.00
---
249443
12 [1873 14 cent Bicolor, Normal Frame] Mint with Average-Fine centering (typical for this stamp). Full original gum, slightly glazed, with modest hinge remnant. There is a pulled perforation on the right side, but by way of explanation, note that the corresponding perforation tooth on the left side is oversized (caused by a bent perforating pin), suggesting that the pulled perforation on the right side was the result of a similar oversized tooth on the adjacent stamp on the right. Otherwise, this stamp is without the usual serious defects. While one could hope for better centering, this 14 cent stamp is notoriously difficult to find well centered. The lack of major defects is quite unusual for this stamp printed on extremely thin paper. (The paper of this stamp is always extremely thin and fragile, thus perforation problems or much more severe damage is quite common). Approximately 1000 sheets (100,000 stamps) were printed, but 90,158 stamps were destroyed by the post office in 1883, thus the net quantity that could have existed of the normal frame stamps is approximately 9,645. Of that quantity, many were lost or destroyed over time, especially due to the very thin paper and the fact that these were used either on overseas mail or on internal postal accounting documents (which were mostly destroyed). This is a very reasonable looking and very reasonably priced example of a the "rarest face-different stamp" of the Danish West Indies!
ACTUAL item.
---
379.00
---
249445
13, Facit #13a, AFA 13 Print 1 [1879 50 cent violet, thin paper, Perf 14 x 13.5 "Bicolor"] Mint with F-VF+ centering, full original gum and modest hinge remnant. Excellent perforations (unusual for this stamp), remarkably strong color, and a very crisp impression. Because this printing was on very thin and crisp paper, it seems that most examples have some sort of defect. This is without any defects and is an outstanding example! Undamaged Mint examples of this stamp are missing from most collections. This is an excellent example!
ACTUAL item.
---
259.00
---
248736
13, Facit #13a, AFA 13 Print 1 [1879 50 cent violet "Bicolor", Thin Paper, Perf 14 x 13.5] Used with F-VF centering and proper St. Thomas cancellation. An excellent example with perfect perforations. Because this printing was on extremely thin and crisp paper, it seems that most examples have some sort of defect. This is without any defects and is an outstanding example! Undamaged examples, especially in Used condition, of this stamp are missing from most collections.
ACTUAL item.
---
---
360.00
245827
14b [1887 "1 CENT" surcharge on 7 cent violet and yellow (Print 1) Bicolor] Mint with full original gum, but hinge remnant, with F-VF centering. Excellent perforations for this Print 1 stamp. NO defects -- most examples of Scott #14b are damaged and/or without gum. Because most examples on the market seem to be in sub-standard quality (and many not described as such), I believe that this has led #14b to be undervalued in the catalogs. This is a very nice example of a scarce stamp. Of this printing, Facit says "at most 10,000" examples were printed.
ACTUAL item.
---
190.00
---
249777
Scott #14b, Facit #23a [1887 "1 CENT" Surcharge on 7 cent violet and yellow (Print 1) Bicolor] Mint with full original gum, with hinge remnant. Average-Fine centering that is fairly typical for this stamp. Under magnification, the perforations do NOT touch the frameline, but they are close. A couple of the perforations at top are slightly blunted, but otherwise there are no defects. Most examples on the market of Scott #14b are damaged and/or without gum; very few are in sound condition! Because most examples on the market seem to be in sub-standard quality (and many not described as such), I believe that this has led #14b to be undervalued in the catalogs. This is a reasonable nice example of a scarce stamp. Of this printing, Facit says "at most 10,000" examples were printed. However, only a small fraction of that quantity have survived in Mint condition without major defects. Scott 2025 value $190.
ACTUAL item.
---
89.00
---
249485
15 [1895 "10 CENTS 1895" Surcharge on 50 cent Bicolor] NEVER HINGED with VF centering. A wonderful example with great color, perfect perforations, excellent centering, and wonderful freshness. It can be hard to find undamaged examples of this stamp; it was printed on very thin paper and is often found damaged. The locally-applied overprint was printed with a plate of only 50 positions, struck twice on the sheet; there are many variations in the overprint characters from stamp to stamp. This example shows a large break in the top of the "9" and in the right vertical of the "N" (but such varieties do not add to the cost). Seldom offered in such nice quality, but priced as a "normal" NH VF example!
ACTUAL item.
15 [1895 "10 CENTS 1895" Surcharge on 50 cent Bicolor] Mint, lightly hinged, with XF centering. A wonderful example with great color, perfect perforations, almost perfect centering, and wonderful freshness. It can be hard to find undamaged examples of this stamp; it was printed on very thin paper and is often found damaged. The locally-applied overprint was printed with a plate of only 50 positions, struck twice on the sheet; there are many variations in the overprint characters from stamp to stamp. This example is unusual in that it does not show any flaws of the overprint characters, but it is interesting in that the "9" is quite fat. Seldom offered in such nice quality!
ACTUAL item.
---
79.00
---
248839
15 [1895 "10 CENTS 1895" Surcharge on 50 cent Bicolor] Mint, modestly hinged, with F-VF centering. A very attractive example with very nice quality and appearance. It can be hard to find undamaged examples of this stamp; it was printed on very thin paper and is often found damaged. The locally-applied overprint was printed with a plate of only 50 positions, struck twice on the sheet; there are many variations in the overprint characters from stamp to stamp. This example is unusual in that it does not show any flaws of the overprint characters!
ACTUAL item.