The Mahendra Sagar Collection of Inverted Centers
October 5-6, 2011
| Images | Description | Current Bid |
 | Lot #418 RUSSIA 1866 (horizontally laid paper) 1k yellow orange & black, background inverted with clear inverted crown at bottom, unobtrusive straight-line "Mitawa, 1883" postmark, well centered and unusually fresh, v.f., ex-Mikulski collection, with his 2003 certificate, O Catalog #19d Catalog Value $ 6,000 | Price Realized $2,600.00 |
 | Lot #419 RUSSIA 1866 1k yellow & black, background inverted, vertical pair, centrally cancelled with a "Nischnyj Novgorod, 8 Nov. 1882" postmark, well centered and unusually fresh, hinge reinforcement between stamps, fine and extremely rare multiple, ex-Faberge (with his distinctive red handstamp on back), and Mikulski collections, with 2003 Mikulski certificate (catalogue value for two singles) O Catalog #19d Catalog Value $ 12,000 | Price Realized $5,000.00 |
 | Lot #420 RUSSIA 1868 (vertically laid paper) 1k black & yellow, imperforate single with inverted and shifted background, large margins all around, cancelled "Moscow, Nov. 1872", a striking double error (both imperf. and inverted background), only a few known to exist, slight horizontal crease and impression just a little washed out as often on this value, otherwise a fine example of this rarity, ex-Mikulski collection, with his 2003 certificate, O Catalog #19g Catalog Value $ 18,500 | Price Realized $8,000.00 |
 | Lot #421 RUSSIA 1866 10k brown and blue, center inverted, centered to the bottom right as are all known examples, fresh colors, light "Kursk 2 Nov.1874" cds, slightly weak corner perforation at top right and slightly rounded bottom left corner, rather insignificant considering that less than 10 (!) have been recorded (including two on cover and one on piece), certainly among the rarest of all the inverted centers of Russia, ex Goss, Baughman and Isleham collections, with 2006 Mikulski certificate ("a great rarity of Imperial Russia") O Catalog #23b Catalog Value $ 60,000 | Unsold |
 | Lot #422 RUSSIA 1875 2k black and red, groundwork inverted, cancelled "VII.Postexpedition St. Petersburg, 30.4.1879” , fine and sound example of this world-class rarity, ex-Ferrary (with his distinctive red handstamp) and Mikulski collections. Only five of these varieties exist (mostly with defects), signed Friedl and Herbert Bloch, with 2003 Mikulski certificate ("genuine in all respects, sound and good condition, of this error only 5 are known, ex Ferrary collection lot 497, only 2 are in good condition, this one and another cancelled 30 April, a great Russia and World rarity") O Catalog #26b Catalog Value $ 65,000 | Price Realized $24,000.00 |
 | Lot #423 RUSSIA 1875 20k blue and orange, center inverted, cancelled "Jarmolintsy, gouv. Podolsk", well centered, with excellent definition of center, from the first printing plate, free of the usual flaws afflicting this issue. Identified as position 82, the finest of the only three known examples of this rarity, ex-Ferrary (lot 501) and Mikulski collections, with 2003 Mikulski certificate (“good condition, well centered and lightly postmarked, only 3 known, all used in Jarmolintsy”) O Catalog #30b Catalog Value $ 85,000 | Unsold |
 | Lot #424 RUSSIA 1884 (horizontally laid paper) 1k orange, groundwork inverted with clear inverted crown at bottom, faintly cancelled ("Isium, prov. Kharkov"), incredibly well centered, fresh and v.f. example of this undervalued rarity, one of only six (!) known, ex-Faberge (with his distinctive red handstamp on back) and Mikulski collections, with 2003 Mikulski certificate, O Catalog #31b Catalog Value $ 10,000 | Price Realized $11,000.00 |
 | Lot #425 RUSSIA 1884 5k lilac, groundwork inverted, with clear inverted crown at bottom, tied on piece by red St. Petersburg 1886 cds, fresh and fine example of this world-class rarity, only three (!) known, ex-H.C. Goss and Mikulski collections, with 2003 Mikulski certificate, O Catalog #34a Catalog Value $ 7,000 | Price Realized $15,500.00 |
 | Lot #426 RUSSIA 1883 7k blue, groundwork inverted, never hinged and post office fresh, with handstamped guarantee on back, fine, with 2002 Mikulski cert. ("one of the finest known unused copies of this rare printing error") (catalogue value for hinged) ** Catalog #35b Catalog Value $ 1,600 | Price Realized $2,000.00 |
 | Lot #427 RUSSIA 1883 7k blue, groundwork inverted, used in combination with ordinary 14k on small piece, both tied by "Staraya Russa, Novgorod gov. 25 Jan. 1891" in blue, v.f., ex-Faberge (with his distinctive red handstamp) and Goss collections, with Mikulski certificate, O Catalog #35b Catalog Value $ 1,600 | Price Realized $950.00 |
 | Lot #428 RUSSIA 1884 14k blue & rose, center inverted, light and unobtrusive "Berditschev, gouv. Kiev, Aug. 1891" postmark, well centered and fresh, truly an ideal example of this classic inverted center, v.f., signed Dr.P.Jem etc., ex-Mikulski collection, with his 2003 certificate, O Catalog #36b Catalog Value $ 6,250 | Price Realized $6,500.00 |
 | Lot #429 RUSSIA 1889 (horizontally laid paper) 4k carmine, groundwork inverted, cancelled 9.7.1894, perfectly centered and fresh, couple of irregular perfs at top, v.f., ex-Faberge collection, with 1998 (photocopy) and 2006 Mikulski certificates. One of only (!) two recorded examples of this rarity (missing from the famous collections of Ferrary, Burrus, Goss, Epstein, Liphschutz and Mikulski) O Catalog #41a Catalog Value $ 20,000 | Price Realized $19,500.00 |
 | Lot #430 RUSSIA 1889 2k green, groundwork inverted, with clear inverted crown at bottom, light "St. Petersburg, 28.7. 1898" postmark well centered, fresh and v.f. One of only two known (!) examples of this error (both used), ex-Mikulski collection, with his 2003 certificate, O Catalog #47b Catalog Value $ 18,500 | Price Realized $19,000.00 |
 | Lot #431 RUSSIA 1889 7k blue, groundwork inverted, with clear inverted crown at bottom, illegible cancellation, well centered, with a small 3mm abrasion at right, tiny corner perf. crease, otherwise fine, one of the only two known (!) used examples known, ex-Mikulski, with his 2003 certificate, O Catalog #50b Catalog Value $ 12,500 | Price Realized $9,500.00 |
 | Lot #432 RUSSIA 1889 14k Blue and rose, center inverted, unused with full original gum, lightly hinged, incredibly fresh and perfectly centered example, beautiful vibrant colors and a crisp impression on white paper, simply the finest mint example in existence (when offered in the 1964 Burrus sale, it was described "Grandissima rarita in esemplare di gran lusso"), signed Alberto Diena, ex-Burrus, Faberge (with his distinctive red handstamp, Liphschutz and Balner collections, illustrated in the Sellinger catalog, with 2002 Mikulski certificate ("it is the finest known unused copy of this rare printing error"), * Catalog #51a Catalog Value $ 7,500 | Price Realized $10,500.00 |
 | Lot #433 RUSSIA 1889 14k blue and rose, center inverted, cancelled "Archangel 29.1.93", well centered and fresh, v.f., signed Herbert Bloch and Roger Calves, with 1980 Friedl certificate, O Catalog #51a Catalog Value $ 5,000 | Unsold |
 | Lot #434 RUSSIA 1902 7k blue, groundwork inverted, cancelled on piece, well centered and fresh, light diagonal crease, otherwise v.f., ex-Goss and Liphschutz collections, with Mikulski certificate, O Catalog #59c Catalog Value $ 1,000 | Price Realized $950.00 |
 | Lot #435 RUSSIA 1902 10k dark blue, groundwork inverted, used in 1908 on cover to Hamburg, v.f., with arrival pmk, scarce on cover, also additional used and unused examples  Catalog #60a | Price Realized $200.00 |
 | Lot #436 RUSSIA 1902 15k lilac and blue, center inverted, perfectly centered example, tied on small piece (of parcel card) by perfectly struck "Kolomna 25.09.07" cds, leaving the center unobstructed, fresh and v.f., signed Dr.Pirl, with APS certificate., O Catalog #62b Catalog Value $ 4,000 | Price Realized $3,000.00 |
 | Lot #437 RUSSIA 1902 25k dull green and lilac, center inverted, usual cds, rounded lower right corner, fresh and fine example, signed Peter Holcombe, Sismondo etc., with APS cert., O Catalog #64a Catalog Value $ 6,500 | Price Realized $1,800.00 |
 | Lot #438 RUSSIA 1902 3.50r black and gray, center inverted, cancelled "Batum" (date illegible), centered to the bottom left, faint corner crease and red ink mark on back just shows slightly through to face, small repair (perf. added at bottom), signed Phillip Kosack, presentable appearance of this rare inverted center which is only known used, with clear 2000 APS certificate, O Catalog #69a Catalog Value $ 14,000 | Unsold |
 | Lot #439 RUSSIA 1902 (vertically laid paper) 7r black and yellow, frame inverted, lower left sheet corner margin single, stamp never hinged and post office fresh, folded in margin, incredible example of this rarity, ex-Philip Kosack, with 2006 Mikulski certificate ("the best quality, it is the finest known example of this variety") ** Catalog #70a | Price Realized $15,000.00 |
 | Lot #440 RUSSIA 1915 10r carmine lake, yellow and gray, groundwork inverted, right sheet-margin single, which captures the full inverted groundwork, bright and fresh, h.r., v.f., with Mikulski cert., * Catalog #109d Catalog Value $ 500 | Price Realized $400.00 |
 | Lot #441 RUSSIA 1917 1r pale brown, brown and red orange, center inverted, complete sheet of 50, fresh colors, n.h., light stain affects two stamps and minor edge flaw, v.f. and spectacular item, with 2002 PFC  **Catalog #131a | Price Realized $1,600.00 |
 | Lot #442 RUSSIA 1917 5r dark blue, green and yellow (error), additional variety yellow groundwork inverted, h.r., v.f., signed Romeko, with 2007 Buchsbayew certificate. An incredibly rare double error, only a few recorded * Catalog #133a,var | Price Realized $2,700.00 |
 | Lot #443 RUSSIA 1917 5r dark blue, green and pale blue, green groundwork inverted, left sheet-margin single, l.h., v.f., signed Champion, with Mikulski cert. A rare stamp, * Catalog #133b Catalog Value $ 4,000 | Price Realized $1,100.00 |
 | Lot #444 RUSSIA 1917 7r dark green and pink, center inverted, oval railroad cancel "Busdjak", pink color shifted to left (as it is on the other two known examples), large margins all around except just into frameline at top left and also a scissor cut at top left, strong colors, nearly very fine, one of only three (!) examples recorded, making this one of the most important and rarest of all known Inverted Centers of the World, with 1996 (photocopy) and 2006 Mikulski certificates ("until today, only 3 copies of this error are known, all used on money orders as postage due for delivery"). A seriously undercatalogued stamp, O Catalog #134a Catalog Value $ 7,250 | Unsold |
 | Lot #445 RUSSIA 1917 10r scarlet, green (instead of yellow) and gray, upper right sheet corner margin imperf. single, additional variety green groundwork inverted, minor h.r., marginal gum bends at top, stamp v.f., with Mikulski certificate stating that this is a genuine proof for the 10r stamp, background color in bright green was not accepted, also with APS cert. A very rare double error (green background instead of yellow, furthermore inverted) * Catalog #135a,var | Price Realized $2,600.00 |
 | Lot #446 RUSSIA 1924 definitives (typographed), 2r rose, green, original printing on thin, grayish paper, imperf. single, double impression one inverted, also red only (head) printed (inverted) on gum, invalidating horizontal perforations at top, n.h., v.f., with APS cert. ** Catalog #Standart 056Pa | Unsold |
 | Lot #447 RUSSIA 1924 definitives (typographed), 2r rose, green, original printing on thin, grayish paper, sheet margin imperf. block of four, double impression, one inverted, invaliding horizontal perforations displaced diagonally, n.h., v.f., with APS cert. **Catalog #Standart 056Pa | Price Realized $160.00 |
 | Lot #448 RUSSIA 1927 Esperanto, 14k green & brown, imperforate vertical pair (watermarked), brown vignette / center inverted at left, vertical invaliding perforations, n.h., v.f., rare, with Buchsbayew cert. ** Catalog #373var | Price Realized $1,600.00 |
 | Lot #449 RUSSIA 1944 Leningrad, imperforate souvenir sheet of four, text inverted, unused with full original gum, insignificant gum creases and four corner hinge remnants, size tolerably reduced (138,5x102,5mm), fresh and v.f., with Buchsbayew cert. Also included two used souvenir sheets for comparison, one with slightly displaced text (Liapine Block 4/P2) *Catalog #959a Catalog Value €10,000 | Unsold |
