Nelson Berman began collecting in the late 1970s and came within nine issues of having a complete collection of classic-era United States stamps.

Highlights of the first part of the collection include Large Dragons, Dowagers and Chinese Imperial Post Coiling Dragons issues.

The stamp is the 1871 500-mon blue green type I Dragon stamp with the vignette showing the Japanese characters of value inverted.

With such an expansive variety of items available, bidders are sure to find something of interest to add to their collections.

“Be prepared for selected small and large rarities as well as unique items,” Gaertner said in a May 8 press release announcing the sale.

The U.S. offerings include “many nice high quality and desirable stamps along with a host of accumulations and collections,” Dutch Country said.

Daniel F. Kelleher Auctions describes this massive sale as “a bonanza for collectors of US and foreign alike.”

The CIA Invert in the Cherrystone sale is accompanied by a 2014 graded extra fine-90 certificate from the Philatelic Foundation in New York City.

The impressive Concord U.S. collection was assembled over more than 40 years.

For 50 years, Forster collected postal history of the 1869 Pictorial stamps with discipline, patience and a keen eye for items considered the finest of their kind.

All three collections are marked by substantial depth and breadth and present collectors with myriad opportunities to add items of notable quality to their collections.

Up for bids will be the Magnolia collection of classic Uruguay stamps and covers and the Magnolia collection of Japanese foreign mail and post offices.

Highlights among the United States offerings include graded stamps and an extensive selection of essays and proofs.

Kelleher describes the sale as its largest ever quarterly sale of collections, stocks and accumulations in terms of physical size.

Collectors of U.S. revenue stamps will want to look closely at the 47 lots of revenue multiples that will be up for bids.

First to cross the auction block is part 3 of the Melvin Getlan collection of United States vending- and affixing-machine perforations.

Bidders will find substantial offerings of China and Asia. A number of attractive covers are among the United States material up for bids.

The auction includes more than 1,400 lots and features material from a diverse selection of seven name collections.

Countries represented with significant items include Albania, Austria, France and colonies, Germany, Great Britain and British Commonwealth.

The cover is franked with a 3¢ red brown Caribou with a manuscript “Aerial Atlantic Mail JAR.”