Finland: Gallery: Select Stamps - Scott #4-13: 1860-1875 "Serpentines"
A selection of especially interesting seldom-offered items in particularly nice quality. All are available for approval viewing. Scott numbers have been used unless otherwise mentioned.
Please also see the other Gallery pages and the Specialized Stamps pages for other high-quality stamps including both Specialized and non-specialized items.
Select Stamps - Scott #4-13: 1860-1875 "Serpentines"
Scott #4, K Spacing, Light Blue (Facit #3C1Kd) [1860 5 kopek Serpentine, Roulette I] Used VF with almost full teeth. Only one tooth missing and with excellent margins on all four sides. This example has Facit "K" spacing between stamps (1.6 mm horizontally and 1.6 mm vertically). Even though only the vertical distance (1.6 mm between stamps) can be measured on this example (in the bottom margin), the other two spacing possibilities would have a 2.3 mm distance vertically, thus this can only be K spacing. Very attractive and delicate light blue color. Neat corner-cancel circular postmark plus manuscript "x" as was often the practice. A very attractive example wit great overall appearance.
ACTUAL item.
89.00
400745
Scott #5, K Spacing, Lilac-Rose (Facit #4C1Kc) [1860 10 kopek Serpentine, Roulette I] Used VF appearance and FULL TEETH but with aged-toned paper. This example has Facit "K" spacing (1.6 mm horizontally and 1.6 mm vertically) between the stamps and the delicate Lilac Rose color. Adjacent-stamp frame lines are visible on the right and bottom, both with 1.6 mm spacing. With a neat, partial low-box style "TAM..." (can only be TAMMERFORS) cancellation. A very reasonable example at a very low price.
ACTUAL item.
SOLD
400746
Scott #6b Lilac Brown, Facit #5v3C3 [1866 5 penni Roulette III (1871-1873), ORDINARY (wove) PAPER] Used with Fine centering but overall wonderful appearance. Three teeth partially missing or blunted; couple other teeth with base-tears in them that can only be seen under 10x magnification. Almost complete BRAHESTAD arc-style 10 October 1873 cancellation. This stamp (Scott #6, 6a, 6b) was printed on ordinary paper; in collections often the more common #12 on laid paper is found in its place. Double check which you have in this spot in your album. Remarkably nice looking example of a scarce stamp!
ACTUAL item.
SOLD
400747
Scott #7 Green Paper, Facit #6v1C3 [1866 8 penni, Roulette III, Ordinary Green Paper (this paper -- not yellow green -- and roulette III produced 1867-1869) ] Used with Fine centering but much better overall appearance. Two shorter teeth, but also clipped teeth tips on right side. Extremely light cancellation. A very reasonable example at a very reasonable price.
ACTUAL item.
59.00
400299
Scott #8, Facit #7v4C3 [1872-1874 10p Ordinary Chamois (light beige) Paper, Roulette III] Used with nice F-VF centering and only one visibly shorter tooth. Very light, neat cancellation. At least one, perhaps two (?) repaired tooth (as is typical). A very attractive example at a very reasonable price. (Scott 2026 value $300 for full teeth.)
ACTUAL item.
54.00
400300
Scott #9, Facit #8v1C3x [1867 20 penni, Lilac-Blue THIN Paper, Roulette III] Used with almost perfect (XF or better) centering and teeth almost fully clear of frameline all the way around. One partially short tooth, but otherwise "perfect" teeth and NO defects or repairs. Light, but well-perfectly centered partial TAMMERFORS arc-style cancellation. A very attractive example! (Scott 2026 value is $50 for full teeth, but that is too low for true full teeth.)
ACTUAL item.
27.00
400748
Scott #9 Light Blue, Facit #8v2C3 [1866 20 penni, Roulette III, Grayish-Blue Wove Paper (1867-1874)] Used with F-VF centering and overall VF appearance. Only one tooth missing. No faults. Delicate lighter blue color and a complete BORGA 2 January 1872 arc-style cancellation. A very pretty example at a very reasonable price.
ACTUAL item.
SOLD
400749
Scott #10 Carmine Rose on Pale Rose Paper, Facit #9v1C3 [1866 40 penni Roulette III, Ordinary Pale Rose Paper] Used with F-VF centering and FULL TEETH. Wonderful appearance, with BLUE, PERFECTLY CENTERED, but faint, WIBORG arc-style cancellation. Wiborg is in the Lost Territories, now located in Russia. Though this stamp is "common" in normal quality (missing teeth), this full-teeth example is remarkably scarce with such nice overall appearance.
ACTUAL item.
SOLD
400750
Scott #10 Carmine on Pale Rose Paper, Facit #9v1C3 [1866 40 penni Roulette III, Ordinary Pale Rose Paper] Used with VF centering and only one short tooth. Excellent appearance, with PERFECTLY CENTERED and bold ÅBO arc-style cancellation. Though this stamp is not "scarce" in normal quality (missing teeth), this one-tooth-short example with a beautiful cancellation is remarkably nice.
ACTUAL item.
SOLD
400751
Scott #12 Lilac Brown on Thin Pale Lilac LAID Paper, Facit #5v1C3c [1866 5 penni Laid Paper, Roulette III (this paper, color, and roulette 1870-1871)] Used with VF centering and only two shorter teeth (plus a couple tiny tooth tears that require 10x magnification to see). Remarkably light cancellation. The teeth measure about 1.9 mm and thus are borderline between Roulette II (Facit 1.6 to 1.9) and Roulette III. Because it is so close I have chosen to describe this as the lower-cost Roulette III -- but you might decide that it is a Roulette II (produced in 1866). An attractive stamp in much better-than-usual quality. A nice example at a very attractive price.
ACTUAL item.
SOLD
Select Stamps - Scott #4-13: 1860-1875 "Serpentines" continued ...
Scott #12a, Facit #5v1C2 [1866 5 penni DARK VIOLET BROWN, Thick Laid Paper, Roulette II] Used with typical Fine centering and very light cancellation. Some missing teeth as usual, plus a couple not fully punched out. No other defects. Remarkably strong color and very clear impression. Priced very low. (Scott 2026 value $275 for full teeth.)
ACTUAL item.
49.00
248702
13 [10p Laid Paper, Roulette III] Used with F-VF centering and unusual "squiggle" pen cancellation. A few short teeth at top -- typical for the Serpentine stamp issues -- but no other defects. The pen cancellation may be distinctive enough that it might be possible to determine where it was canceled; some of these pen cancellations can be traced to a specific postal clerk or postmaster. An attractive example; if it had 100% full teeth it would be around $300 but such examples are "rare".
ACTUAL item.
75.00
248700
13a [10p Laid Paper, Roulette II] Used with Fine centering and extremely light cancellation, but one pulled tooth on right side. Has the usual tooth problems, but on the right side, the teeth were not fully cut and thus the cuttings are removed (resulting in the pulled tooth as shown in the website image). The "pizza cutter" type of cutting wheel that was used was completely manually operated and required a lot of pressure -- when not enough pressure was applied, this incomplete cutting was the result. Overall a nice looking stamp, especially with such a light cancellation. If not for the one pulled tooth, this would be $70; if it had 100% full teeth it would be around $300 but such examples are "rare".
ACTUAL item.