Sale 263

United States Stamps and Postal History


Postmasters' Provisionals through 1857
 
 
Lot Photo Description
Lot 1001
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Brattleboro, Vt., 1846, 5¢ black on buff (5X1), pos. 1, virtually complete framelines on all four sides. Partial strike of red straight line "Paid" cancel. Thin spots, small tear and tiny corner crease. Very Fine appearance.
Scott $10,000

A MOST ATTRACTIVE EXAMPLE OF THIS VERY POPULAR AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE POSTMASTER PROVISIONAL.

Expertization: 1985 P.F. Certificate.

Provenance: Wall

There are only 50-60 examples recorded, of which quite a few are on cover. Many of the off-cover stamps are with faults due to the soft nature of the paper. This is one of the more handsome examples.

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Lot 1002
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St. Louis, Mo., 1845, 5¢ black on greenish (11X1), type II, pos. 3, large margins to just nipping frameline top left, wonderfully fresh with strong color. Single pen stroke cancel. Couple tiny thin specks, light vertical crease ending in a tiny tear at top. Very Fine appearance.
Scott $4,500

Expertization: clear 1977 P.F. Certificate, W.H.C. (Colson) backstamp.

Because of the tissue thin paper on which these stamps were printed, they are prone to faults and, indeed, faults are endemic to this issue. In this context, the faults on this example are very minor, for what, in reality, is a most attractive stamp.

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Lot 1003
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St. Louis, Mo., 1845, 10¢ black on greenish (11X2), type II, pos. 4, fresh color and paper. Red town c.d.s. Expertly repaired bottom corners. Extremely Fine appearance.
Scott $4,000
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Lot 1004
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1847, 5¢ dark brown (1a), large margins and deep color with a beautiful prooflike impression and a light red grid cancel. Fresh and choice Extremely Fine.
Scott $625

Expertization: 2001 P.F. Certificate.
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Lot 1005
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1847, 5¢ red brown (1), ample to large margins, rich color. Red 12 bar grid cancel. Very Fine.
Scott $550

Expertization: 2002 P.F. Certificate.
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Lot 1006
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1847, 10¢ black (2), large margins including partial sheet margin at right (pos. 10R). Neat red grid cancel. Fresh and Very Fine.
Scott $1,350

Expertization: 2002 P.F. Certificate.
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Lot 1007
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1847, 10¢ black (2), strip of 3. Large margins all around, cancelled by two overlapping strikes red straight line "PHILADA RAIL ROAD". Left and right stamps with slight inconspicuous faults. Fresh Very Fine appearance. An extremely rare and particularly handsome multiple.
Scott $10,500

Expertization: 1999 P.F. Certificate.
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Lot 1008
 
1847 (1875 Reproduction), 5¢ red brown (3), left sheet margin single with large margins other sides, particularly strong color and impression. Without gum as issued. Extremely Fine and handsome. Rare with any sheet margin as most were cut away prior to sale.
Scott $725

Expertization: 1999 P.F. Certificate.
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Lot 1009
 
1847 (1875 Reproduction), 5¢ red brown (3), ample to large margins, rich color. Without gum as issued. Very Fine.
Scott $725
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Lot 1010
 
1847 (1875 Reproduction), 10¢ black (4), four large margins, crisp color and impression. Without gum as issued. Fresh and Extremely Fine.
Scott $900

Expertization: 1999 P.F. Certificate.
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Lot 1011
 
1847 (1875 Reproduction), 10¢ black (4), full to large margins, rich color. Without gum as issued. Trifling thin speck. Very Fine appearance.
Scott $950
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Lot 1012
 
1847 (1875 Reproduction), 10¢ black (4), without gum as issued, large margins, sharp impression. Tiny and insignificant corner crease. Very Fine.
Scott $900
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Lot 1013
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1851, 1¢ blue, type I (5, 5A), Pos. 7-8RIE. Virtually clear to large margins, irregularly separated at left and in at bit at bottom left, deep color on fresh paper. Light grid cancels. Light vertical creases - not immediately obvious, especially on type I. Otherwise Very Fine appearance.
Scott $70,000

A HANDSOME AND MOST DESIRABLE PAIR, CONTAINING THE RARE TYPE I.

Expertization: 1965 P.F. and 1997 PSE Certificates.

The recently published "Wagshal Census of 7RIE" records a total of 90 confirmed examples including unused stamps, covers and multiples containing this position. The pair offered here is one of only seven off-cover combination type I-Ia pairs (three are position 6-7 and four are position 7-8).

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Lot 1014
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1851, 1¢ blue, type Ia (6), corner margin single with portions of sheet margins to right and bottom, virtually clear other sides. Incredibly deep and fresh color on bright paper, exceptionally sharp impression. Manuscript "X" cancel. Very Fine and choice.
Scott $5,000

THE BRILLIANT COLOR AND PAPER, AS WELL AS THE PROOFLIKE IMPRESSION TRULY ACCENTUATE THE TYPE CHARACTERISTICS.

An imperforate type Ia of the one cent 1851 issue is among the rarest of the regularly issued 19th century United States stamps. The scarcity of this type is due to the fact that only 18 positions out of a total of 1,000 produced this type and all of these positions were located on the short-lived plate 4. While imperforate 1¢ stamps were produced over a six year period, plate 4 was employed for imperforates for only three months.

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Lot 1015
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1851, 1¢ blue, type III (8), wonderfully fresh with saturated color and a prooflike impression on crisp white paper. Town c.d.s. and a bit of red postmark. Very Fine.
Scott $3,000

Expertization: 2002 P.S.E. Certificate.
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Lot 1016
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1851, 1¢ blue, type IIIa (8A), wide margins all around, intense plate 4 color and exceptionally fresh paper, neat town cancels. Extremely Fine.
Scott $1,050

A HANDSOME AND CHOICE EXAMPLE OF THE VERY SCARCE TYPE IIIA FROM PLATE 4.

Expertization: photocopy of 2000 P.F. certificate.
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Lot 1017
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1851, 1¢ blue, type IIIa (8A), position 54R4, large margins to clear at left, dark color and fresh paper. Light town cancel. Very Fine.
Scott $1,050

Expertization: Plated and signed by Ashbrook, 2002 P.F. Certificate.
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Lot 1018
 
1852, 1¢ blue, type IV (9), clear to large margins, bright color. O.g. Very Fine.
Scott $750

Expertization: 1989 P.F. Certificate.
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Lot 1019
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3¢ 1851 color study (10/11), selection of 63 stamps arranged by year on printed cards by Dr. Amonette, includes seven #10, an experimental orange brown, and a plum; several with pen cancels, a Fine and very desirable study.
Estimate 2,000 - 3,000
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Lot 1020
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1851, 3¢ orange brown (10), unused. Clear to large margins, rich coppery shade. Very Fine.
Scott $1,500
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Lot 1021
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1852, 3¢ dull red (11 var.), ample to large margins, striking delicate shade and sharp impression from a small printing made in 1856, black grid struck at center. Very Fine.
Estimate 400 - 500

AN ENORMOUSLY RARE SHADE; FAR MORE ELUSIVE THAN THE MORE WELL KNOWN PLUM AND ALMOST NEVER OFFERED AT AUCTION.
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Lot 1022
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1852, 3¢ dull red, "Chicago" perf 11 (11 var.), horizontal block of 6. Positions 57-59/67-69R2L, unused, very well centered, light staining. Very Fine and rare (Scott values singles at $1,500 each).
Estimate 15,000 - 20,000

A MOST IMPORTANT MULTIPLE FOR THE 3¢ 1851 SPECIALIST.

Expertization: 1986 P.F. certificate.

The so-called "Chicago" perforations were applied by Elijah W. Hadley, a Chicago dentist, using a perforating machine he built in hopes of selling it to the Post Office Department. According to W. Wilson Hulme, II, in his article in the May-August 1997 Chronicle, there are only 33 unused examples known, including a block of nine, another block of six, and a block of four. All come from the same pane of 100, a right pane from plate 2L. They were perforated in June of 1855 on a prototype machine with a gauge of about 11 using a "sewing machine" type perforator. By April of 1856 Hadley had redesigned his machine using a "comb" perforating process guaging about 12½. All known used examples were perforated on the newer machine

The catalogue value of $1,500 is quite understated as it is likely based upon a transaction that took place many years ago.

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Lot 1023
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1855, 10¢ green, type IV (16), position 64L1, recut once at top and once at bottom, four large margins, particularly deep color, fresh paper and neat San Francisco town cancel. Choice Very Fine.
Scott $2,000

Expertization: 1998 P.F. certificate.

Position 64 is the only position on the plate to have both the top and the bottom outer lines recut.

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Lot 1024
 
1851, 12¢ black (17), ample to large margins including partial bottom sheet margin, intense prooflike color and impression. Full o.g. that is lightly hinged. Choice Extremely Fine.
Scott $5,250

A SUPERB AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE MINT 12¢ 1851.

Expertization: 2002 P.F. Certificate.

Choice mint examples of the 12¢ are much more rare than one might imagine. There were none in many of the most famous collections including Zoellner and Floyd. This magnificent example meets the criteria of the most discerning collector.

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Lot 1025
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1851, 12¢ black (17), unused. Clear double transfer (position 79R), ample to large margins, rich color, clear impression. Fresh and Very Fine.
Scott $2,250

Expertization: 1971 and 1989 P. F. Certificates.
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