Sale 256

Worldwide Stamps and Postal History


James Gough Postage Due Collection: U.S. and Possessions
 
 
Lot Photo Description
Lot 515
 
1855 (Aug. 4) cover from Buffalo to Leominster, Mass., showing "Buffalo N.Y. 3 Paid/Aug. 1" c.d.s. and matching "Paid" handstamp Aug. bearing Leominster Postage Due Label, rhomboid-shaped label in bluish green stamped "Forwarded, 1855./Due 3 Cents.", "Leominster/Ms." c.d.s. (Aug. 7) at left and label partly pasted over both, then readdressed to Boston, pencil "due 3" at top right; with original enclosure which begins, "I know not where to direct my letters, but that is of course no excuse for neglecting to write." Very Fine, an outstanding and extremely rare usage.
Estimate 1,000 - 1,500

From the mid-1850s to the early 1860s, this Massachusetts postmaster utilized a number of labels with instuctional marks, based entirely on personal whim rather than any post office regulation, though today postal historians recognize these provisional labels as important and unique forerunners of the practice of postage due labels.

The example offered here is considered the first type Leominster label and is the earliest of the two recorded labels.

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Lot 516
 
Neat cover to Leominster readdresed to Boston, bearing 3c dull red (26) cancelled by target, matching "Dedham Mass. Sep. 2" c.d.s., Leominster Postage Due Label, oblong magenta label with handstamped text in black: "Forwarded/ Due 3 Cents." and tied by "Leominster Ms. Sep. 4" c.d.s., label creased from various filtings to read postmark, cover slightly reduced at right, Very Fine, a stunning example of the 2nd type of Leominster label, one of six recorded, and the only tied example that we know of. A showpiece.
Estimate 1,500 - 2,000

Provenance: Ex Piller
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Lot 517
 
1857 (Feb.) small cover to a street address in South Brooklyn, N.Y., bearing Blood's Penny Post (1¢) bronze on lilac (15L14), four margins, acid tied, additional "Held for Postage", handstamp, with 3¢ brownish carmine (11) large margins.
Estimate 750 - 1,000
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Lot 518
 
1857, 10¢ green, type I (31), with wide lower margin, well tied by 5-point shaded star in blue on pale yellow cover to Byron Michigan, with matching "Marysville Cal. Jun. 9" c.d.s. and "Detained/ For/ Postage" with brackets added in pen by the Marysville clerk, manuscript "Via Los Angeles" at top left, indicating this was to go via the Butterfield overland route, there is an additional Marysville postmark on reverse with a May date (possibly 3 or 23); cover with some edge tears, stamp with very trivial toning in corner perfs at top left, still Fine, a seldom offered auxiliary marking, one of four recorded examples.
Estimate 750 - 1,000
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Lot 519
 
1859 (Aug. 9) cover to Havana, Cuba, bearing 1¢ blue type V, 3¢ dull red (24, 26), single of first, three of latter, tied by bold strikes of "Newark/ N.J." c.d.s. and red New York exchange c.d.s., clear "NA1" in oval, reverse with early example of the so-called "Good Samaritan" label from Newark, attractively printed in black on lilac blue, with "one postage stamp" deleted in pen and "10 cents" written in, tied by Havana receiving postmark; cover opened to display both sides, 1¢ with some small wrinkles in one corner, Very Fine usage, a rare example of this label on trans-ocean usage.
Estimate 750 - 1,000

Because domestic mail could not go unpaid, charities and enterprising individuals started the practice of franking mail for senders who either neglected to use stamps or could not afford them. The "Good Samaritan" would attach a label requesting reimbursement from the addressee. Begun in Newark, N.J. at some date after the Act of March 3, 1855 which made prepaid domestic mail compulsory, the practice continued well into the Bank Note period, though examples with the 1857 Issue are quite rare.

This foreign-bound usage, which technically speaking lay outside the concerns of the Newark Samaritans, may be unique.

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Lot 520
 
1862 (May 28) cover (with original enclosure) to Helston in Cornwall (June 13), redirected to Redruth (June 29) and after several unsuccessful attempts at delivery, returned to sender, showing various c.d.s., including "N. York/Am Pkt/21" c.d.s. (May 31) and "Returned/LOBH./London" c.d.s. (July 7), the envelope then resealed and placed in printed "Post Office Department/ Returned Letter Office/ Due 6 cents" (deleted and changed to "30") envelope to Cheshire Mines. These envelopes were introduced for uniform use during the Civil War when the disruptions resulted in a plethora of returned letters, and the envelopes had pre-printed values which were normally for domestic letters, thus this provisional change of rate contrary to regulations is apparently unique, only seven Post Office Department envelopes are recorded with returned letters; also 1857 (Apr. 20) "P.O. business" printed folded letter to Springfield, Mass. advising of detained letter for non-payment of postage showing "San Francisco, Cal./Free" c.d.s.
Estimate 200 - 300
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Lot 521
 
1873, 3¢ green (158), tied "New York Apr. 10" duplex on cover to Honolulu, Sandwich Islands, showing additional "Short Paid" in box and pencil "Due 3", both of which have been deleted in blue pencil, reverse with a further example of 3¢ tied by Apr. 12th duplex, manuscript notation on flap "Unpaid postage affixed by Geo. F. Hopper Supt. New York Post Office", first stamp partly cut away when cover opened, an important and very rare usage.
Estimate 750 - 1,000
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Lot 522
 
1879 (June 19) cover to Warrensburgh (June 20), bearing 3¢ green (184) tied by segmented cork type with matching "Port Edward/N.Y." c.d.s. adjacent and Postage Due 3¢ brown (J3) tied by light purple cancel showing matching "Warrensburg/N.Y./20 June 1879" c.d.s. alongside, a unique pre-first day usage of the first U.S. Postage Due stamps, authorized by the Act of Congreess approved March 3, 1879 and effective July 1st; cover cleaned to reduce tone spots at left and back flap added, Fine and one of the key usages in the field of postage Dues.
Estimate 10,000 - 15,000
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Lot 523
 
1885 (June 8) 2c brown on fawn postal stationery envelope (U281), to Weymouth, New Zealand (Aug. 1) via Tampa (June 9), and San Francisco (June 19 and returned Apr. 11, 1886?), bearing 1c (206) and 2c (210) tied by "Braiden…/Fl." c.d.s., the rate actually being 12 cents, so additional 2¢ and 5¢ (205) applied over c.d.s. and cancelled by cork type, showing framed "Held For Postage" handstamp and manuscript "Due 7¢", purple "Foreign" straight line in address, some toning and stains at top edge, affecting stamps otherwise Fine.
Estimate 750 - 1,000
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Lot 524
 
1887 (May 27) cover from Philadelphia to Germantown, bearing attempted use of a "Cut-Out", single 5¢ Jefferson cut from a Fractional Currency Note and tied by bold "Philadelphia Pa. May 27 "87" duplex on cover to Germantown, manuscript box address at top left ("Return to W." etc), clear "Held For Postage" (which was originally deleted in pencil and later lighted for exhibit apprearance), and same day receiving postmark on back; "stamp" with the usual creases and over-all wear common to these notes, cover with some light creases, still a Fine usage. Twenty years earlier this might have goten through, but the out of period design was destined to be caught, presumably at the Germantown office, and paid by the addressee. Possibly unique.
Estimate 2,000 - 3,000
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Lot 525
 
1887 (Nov.) "The Publisher's Weekly" large part wrapper from New York to San Francisco, bearing on reverse 2¢ and 10¢ (209, 213) pair and single cancelled by "New York/2" oval handstamp and Postage Dues 30¢ brown (J6) pair and single with 1¢ 2¢ and 5¢ (J15, J16, J18) tied by San Francsico c.d.s., showing large "Due 98" of N.Y.P.O. in addition to bold "Writing U.D. N.Y." (Writing Undercover Division) adjacent, wrapper with couple of tears and small nick, none affecting stamps, Fine and rare. The fraudulent use of discounted classes of mail for the sending of letter class mail often incurred high postage penalties when detected in random checks by the divsion.
Estimate 2,000 - 3,000
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Lot 526
 
1888 (Feb.1) cover from Almena to Tiffin, Ohio, bearing attempted use of 1875 Revenue 2¢ (R152a) tied by cork and Postage Due 3¢ brown vertical half used as 2¢ (J3 var.) tied by cork "Almena/Kas." c.d.s. and "Due 2ct" struck alongside bisect, Tiffin receiving postmark on reverse, cover with small tear at right from opening, the overall appearance of the cover suggests a commercial use, Fine and very rare.
Estimate 1,000 - 1,500
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Lot 527
 
1889 cover from Haiti to a New York post office box, bearing 1882 7¢ (11) strip of three and singles (3) and 1887 1¢ (21) strip of six and pair, tied by "Port de Prince/Haiti" c.d.s. and additionally by "12" in barred ovals, prominent strike of "U.S. Charge/to/Collect" "2/60 cents" and "T" in circle handstamp, and on reverse Postage Due 50¢ red brown (J21) horizontal strip of five, well centered, natural straight edge at right, tied by four strikes of "New York PO" oval with 10¢ red brown (J19), cover with folds from filing and two tears at top from opening, none of which affect the postage dues, which are sound and Very Fine.
Estimate 10,000 - 15,000

There remains the possibility that additional Haiti stamps fell off or were removed at lower right during transit - this would help explain such a large deficiency in postage; another explanation put forth is that a shortage of stamps existed because of the Civil War; whatever the reason, this is a magnificent and very rare usuage.

Only four covers are reported for all printings of the 50¢ Bamnk Note Postage Due, this being the largest known on-cover multiple of the 50¢.

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Lot 528
 
1889 (Sept. 27) cover from London to New York (Oct. 5), bearing 1d and 2½d cancelled by Lombard Street duplex and on reverse Postage Due 3c (J17) horizontal pair tied by neatly struck "New York/P.O." oval handstamp, showing "U.S. Charge/To Collect", "6 cents", and octagonal "T" handstamp; cover opened a little roughly at top without affecting the stamps. Because of the reduction of the domestic postal rate from 3¢ to 2¢ in 1883 and the large quantities of the previous 3¢ still on hand, only a small printing was made of the 3¢ 1884 stamps; approximately ten covers, all from New York, have been found.
Estimate 500 - 750
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Lot 529
 
1895 (Jan.) cover from Boston to Aurora, N.Y. (Jan. 19-22), posted unfranked, marked "Due 1 Cent" in blue with 1¢ (219) tied by "Boston/G" oval handstamp and Postage Due 30¢ bright claret (J27) and 5¢ bright claret (J25) indistinctly cancelled, showing large pointing hand of Aurora office "Returned to Writer Unclaimed" and additionally marked "Due 35¢" in blue pencil, presumably representing all mail returned to the United Society of Christian Endeavor of Boston, the return to sender charge on printed matter mail (a stack of 35 such covers being returned), cover with two small edge tears, Fine and rare, only eight covers reported for all three colors of the Bank Note 30¢ Dues, the claret printing being the most elusive.
Estimate 2,000 - 3,000
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Lot 530
 
1899 (Mar. 1) local Ithaca drop cover, bearing Postage Due 30¢ brown and 50¢ brown (J6, J7), the 30¢ with partly cut in top margin prior to use and 50¢ creased, tied by "Ithaca, N.Y." c.d.s., Ithaca duplex of same date alongside, blue pencil "Due 80" at foot and penciled "40 (x) 2 / 80" on reverse, Fine and very rare, the 80¢ would have represented the total due on a bundle of forty unpaid covers to Mr. Williams, being an early and striking example of the practice of using business reply envelopes; it is also the only known usage with the 50¢ value of 1879.
Estimate 3,000 - 4,000
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Lot 531
 
1902 legal size cover from Ecuador to San Francsico, bearing 5¢ (2) and 10¢ pair cancelled by c.d.s. in blue and Postage Dues 50¢ bright claret (J28) and 10¢ claret singles (2) tied together by light strikes of cork type, showing large fancy "T" in circle and "U.S. Charge/To Collect/70 cents" with amount written in pencil, San Francisco backstamp; cover with small edge tears and nick at top, nevertheless Fine and a very rare usage.
Estimate 3,000 - 4,000
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Lot 532
 
1857-1925 (c.) covers (6) with various Postage Due usages, including cover to Philadelphia "per British Princess" with circular "Ship" handstamp bearing on reverse Postage Due Banknote 2¢ pair, 5¢ pair and singles (2), and 10¢ (3), one 5¢ pair reused by the Post Office, some damage upon opening (ex Green, Waud, Kaufman), and 1885 cover from "U.S. Legation, Bogota" to New York bearing Colombia 5c pair cancelled "9" on arrival and Postage Due Bank Note 10c pair precancelled by dotted circular "NY" in blue.
Estimate 400 - 500
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Lot 533
 
Canal Zone, 1907 (Sept. 2) cover from Barbados to the Canal Zone (Sept. 10), showing origin c.d.s. and circular "T" handstamp, bearing Provisional "Postage Due" handstamp on Panama 10c violet from the left of the sheet cancelled by initials in pencil as was the case for two of the ten reported covers (the others uncancelled) and showing "Pedro Mission C/Rec'd" c.d.s. on reverse. These Provisional Dues were authorized by the U.S. postmaster Bliss to deal with the influx of unpaid mail sent to migrant Canal workers mainly from the Caribbean; because of the harsh damp conditions very little mail survived.
Estimate 500 - 750
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Lot 534
 
Canal Zone, 1914 (Sept. 22) censored cover from Ceylon to Cristobal (Dec. 2), posted unfranked, "Opened under Martial Law" and resealed, bearing Postage Due 1914 "Canal Zone" overprint on U.S.A. 10¢ rose carmine (J3) cancelled by cork type, Very Fine and rare use of this short-lived Due which was superseded for political reasons by the first issue of Panama Dues the following year.
Estimate 300 - 400
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Lot 535
 
Canal Zone, 1914 (Dec. 28) cover from Barbados to Cristobal (Jan. 11, 1915), showing origin c.d.s. and bearing Postage Due 1914 "Canal Zone" overprint on U.S.A. 2¢ rose carmine (J3) "L" shaped plate number strip of five cancelled by "Cristobal/Canal Zone" oval handstamp, Very Fine and rare.
Estimate 300 - 400
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Lot 536
 
Canal Zone, 1927 (Jan. 14) cover from Barbados to Ancon (Jan. 28), showing "Barbados/St. George" origin c.d.s. and bearing Postage Due 1924 "Canal Zone" overprint on 10c deep claret (J14) cancelled by bars, showing framed "Advertised/Ancon, C.Z." d.s. (Mar. 1) handstamp in purple and matching framed "Rebut" handstamp adjacent.
Estimate 300 - 400
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Lot 537
 
Cuba, 1900 (Dec. 21) cover from Westfield, Mass. to Havana (Dec. 26), bearing U.S.A. 2¢ cancelled by duplex and Postage Due 1899 "Cuba/2 ¢./de Peso" surcharge on 2¢ deep claret strip of three cancelled by mute type, showing circular "6" handstamp adjacent and unframed "Lock Box Dept./Havana, Cuba" date stamp in violet on reverse; also 1899 "Cuba/1c./de Peso" overprint on 1¢ (221) applied as Dues on cover front to Havana.
Estimate 200 - 300
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Lot 538
 
Danish West Indies, 1902 (July 18) cover from St. Lucia to St. Johns (July 24) via St. Thomas (July 24), showing "Castries/St. Lucia" origin c.d.s. and bearing on reverse Postage Due 10c dark blue (J4) cancelled by "St. Jan" c.d.s., Very Fine and rare as almost all known examples of Postage Due on cover were uncancelled as per post office regulations.
Estimate 400 - 500
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Lot 539
 
Puerto Rico, 1867 (July) official cover front to Toa Baja, bearing Cuba 1864 ½r green on pink (19) block of nine, large to ample margins, tied by elliptical handstamp, showing "Toa Baja/Puerto-Rico" c.d.s. (July 30) and "Puerto-Rico" c.d.s. (July 31) adjacent, as well as fancy "Cosierno Capitanie General de la Isla de/Pto Rico" official sender's cachet, filing crease crosses vertical right hand row of the block, spectacular and remarkable use known only on official mail sent postage due or on incoming mail.
Estimate 2,000 - 3,000
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Lot 540
 
Puerto Rico, 1899 (Jan. 28) advertising cover from New York to Ponce, bearing 2¢ cancelled by duplex and U.S.A. Definitive 3¢ purple applied as Due and tied by duplex, showing double circles "T/Centimes/15/N.Y." handstamp adjacent, small cover fault at lower left corner.
Estimate 200 - 300
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Lot 541
 
Puerto Rico, 1904 cover from Spain to San Juan (Mar. 24), posted unfranked as official letter to former Spanish Colony showing Crowned handstamp in violet but properly noted by Spanish authorities as unpaid with framed "T/Espagne" handstamp, and bearing on reverse Postage Due 1899 "Porto Rico" overprint 1¢ deep claret (J1, a) block of ten with both angle overprints se-tenant, cancelled by mute type and showing arrival c.d.s. adjacent, Very Fine and scarce franking.
Estimate 500 - 750
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