HR Harmer's June 6-8 philatelic auction in California will be led by a fine selection of United States and Possessions stamps, with a 1916 1c Green postcard expected to draw strong attention, valued at $2,500-3,000.

The postcard will surely sell well due to its pristine condition and rarity

The 1c Green, printed from Die I, is affixed to grey rough-surfaced card, which is in pristine condition with sharp corners.

The card features no printed address, which is an extremely scarce find - the cards were only sold to printers for addressing in full sheets, between December 1916 and February 1917, and none were sold singly at the post office.

Also featuring in the sale is a stunning left margin horizontal strip of three of the 1847 5c Dark Brown, which holds the highest estimate of the sale at $10,000-15,000.

The horizontal strip boasts good margins, yet is marred by creasing

A fantastic show piece, this strip boasts rich colours and a crisp impression, with ample margins at the right and bottom. Sadly, there is creasing along the bottom of all three stamps, though the overall condition outweighs this minor fault.

This was the first stamp issued in the US to hold a value over 90c

A block of four $1 stamps from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition issue, which was produced to celebrate the 1893 event in Chicago, will sell with a $4,000-5,000 estimate.

Showing a design based on Antonio Munoz Degrain's painting Isabella Pledging Her Jewels, with engraving completed by Robert Savage, the $1 was the first US stamp to hold a value above 90c.

It is also one of the first that was primarily intended as a collector's piece, boosting revenue for the postal service while paying no particular postage rate.

See Paul Fraser Collectibles' selection of rare stamps for sale.