Sale 316

The Aristocrat Collection
of First Day Covers and Earliest Documented Usages


1861 Issue
 
 
Lot Photo Description
Lot 37

"Old Stamps/ Not Recognized" (U9), bold straightline along with "Due 3" handstamp on 3¢ red, die 5 entire (U9), grid cancel and "Philadelphia Pa Aug 17 1861" octagon datestamp, addressed to New Hope, Pa.; tiny edge tears at corners, Very Fine.
Estimate 10,000 - 15,000

A SUPERB STRIKE AND THE FIRST DAY OF USE FOR THE PHILADELPHIA "OLD STAMPS NOT RECOGNIZED" HANDSTAMP.

Expertization: 2004 P.F. Certificate.

The Nesbitt entires were valid for use at Philadelphia until August 16, 1861. On August 17, they were demonetized and no longer valid for postal usage. This is therefore the earliest possible day of use for the "Old Stamps Not Recognized" handstamp.

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Lot 38

1861, 10¢ dark green, First Design (62B), used with 5¢ buff (67) and 30¢ orange (71) two singles, each tied by circular grid cancel on 1861 folded Payen correspondence cover to Lyon, France, red "New York Paid Sep. 17" c.d.s., magenta "60" credit, red French (10.1) entry and matching framed "P.D." handstamp, endorsed "Steamship Arabia"; some minor edge splitting, top 30¢ with perf fault, a Very Fine and choice usage.
Estimate 20,000 - 30,000

A HANDSOME AND IMPORTANT 1861 USAGE, THIS BEING THE EARLIEST DOCUMENTED USAGE OF THE 1861 10¢ FIRST DESIGN.

Expertization: Signed and with pencil notes on reverse by Ashbrook.

Provenance: Mason, Herzog, Paliafito, Sevenoaks

Described in Collector's Club Philatelist (Vol. 10, No. 4, p. 446).
Illustrated in Baker's U.S. Classics (p. 247).
Illustrated in the Chronicle (Feb. 1971, p. 33).
Illustrated in Stamp Collector (Dec. 18, 2000, p. 50).

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Lot 39

1861, 1¢ blue (63), used with 3¢ rose (65) tied by circled grid cancellations on Morton correspondence cover to Academia Pa., matching "Philadelphia Pa Aug 21 1861" octagon d.s., some manuscript doodling; 3¢ faulty and with tying stain, Fine, prepaid 1¢ carrier fee plus 3¢ domestic rate.
Estimate 750 - 1,000

THE EARLIEST DOCUMENTED USAGE OF THE 1861 1¢ BLUE.

Provenance: Fisher, Evans

There are five recorded usages of the 1861 1¢ blue on August 21, 1861 used from Philadelphia Pa. and Pittsburg Pa.

Discussed in Don L. Evans, The United States 1¢ Franklin 1861-67, Linns, 1997, pp.153-154.

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Lot 40

1861, 1¢ blue (63), used with 3¢ rose (65) tied by circled grid cancellations on Morton correspondence cover to Academia Pa., matching "Philadelphia Pa Aug 21 1861" octagon d.s., original 1861 enclosure included, manuscript verse at left; cover and 3¢ faulty, Fine, prepaid 1¢ carrier fee plus 3¢ domestic rate.
Estimate 1,000 - 1,500

THE EARLIEST DOCUMENTED USAGE OF THE 1861 1¢ BLUE.

Provenance: Unicover Museum, Evans

There are five recorded usages of the 1861 1¢ blue on August 21, 1861.

Discussed in Don L. Evans, The United States 1¢ Franklin 1861-67, Linns, 1997, pp.153-154.

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Lot 41

1861, 3¢ pink (64), bright color, tied by blue "Baltimore Md. Aug 17" c.d.s. on orange Goshen correspondence cover to Frederick Md., docketing at left "Agt 17 -1861"; 3¢ with piece out at top; otherwise Extremely Fine and clean.
Scott $17,500

THE ONLY RECORDED FIRST DAY COVER OF THE 1861 3¢ PINK, A PREMIER SHOWPIECE OF THE 1861 ISSUE AND 19TH CENTURY FIRST DAY COVERS.

Expertization: 1999 P.F. Certificate.

August 17, 1861 was announced in Baltimore Md. newspapers as the first day of issue for the new 1861 stamp designs. The only other first day cover of the 1861 issue is offered in lot 43, being the 3¢ rose pink.

This cover was discovered by Matthew Bennett when a group of 5,000-6,000 1851 3¢ covers was poured over looking for rare color varieties such as this. It was offered in our Sale 212.

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Lot 42

1861, 3¢ pigeon blood pink (64a), distinctive color, tied by boldly struck "Lancaster Aug 21 1861" c.d.s. on small yellow piece; stamp with tiny corner crease, otherwise Very Fine.
Scott $3,750+

THE EARLIEST DOCUMENTED USAGE OF THE RARE 1861 3¢ PIGEON BLOOD PINK SHADE.

Expertization: 1999 P.S.E. & 2000 A.P.S. Certificates.
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Lot 43

1861, 3¢ rose pink (64b), intense color, tied by blue "Baltimore Md. Aug 17" c.d.s. on clean orange cover to Philadelphia Pa., clear 1861 docketing; Extremely Fine and choice.
Scott $23,000

A SUPERB AND UNIQUE FIRST DAY COVER, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT 19TH CENTURY FIRST DAY COVERS.

Expertization: 1973 P.F. Certificate.

Provenance: Fisher
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Lot 44

1861, 5¢ brown yellow (67a), tied by perfectly struck "Boston Br. Pkt. Paid Aug 21" red c.d.s. on large part of folded lettersheet to Halifax, Nova Scotia, black "5" rating handstamp, Very Fine.
Estimate 1,000 - 1,500

THE EARLIEST DOCUMENTED USAGE OF THE 1861 5¢ BROWN YELLOW, USED ON THE FIRST DAY OF ISSUE AT BOSTON.

Expertization: 1998 P.F. Certificate.

A newspaper notice announcing the availability of the 1861 style stamps was placed by the Boston postmaster on August 21, 1861. This is the only recorded example mailed on this day.

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Lot 45

1862, 24¢ deep red lilac (70), handsome rich color, tied by red grid and "N. York Br. Pkt. 'Paid 19' Jan 7" c.d.s. on 1862 yellow cover to Norwich, England, Norwich (1.20.1862) receiving backstamp and docketing at top, endorsed "Pr Steamship Niagara fr. Boston", a Very Fine and choice usage.
Estimate 10,000 - 15,000

THE EARLIEST DOCUMENTED USAGE OF THE 24¢ RED LILAC SHADE, THE FINEST OF THREE RECORDED USED ON THIS DATE.

Expertization: Signed and with notes on reverse by Ashbrook.

Provenance: Knapp, Fisher, Sevenoaks

The three recorded usages are all solo usages from New York to England and carried by the Cunarder
Niagara from Boston on January 8, 1862 as follows:
1. Cover to Darby Griffith at Reading, England. Illustrated in Herzog, The Chronicle, Issue 109, Feb. 1981, pp. 42.
2. Cover to Mr. John Carver at Norfolk, England. Ex-Hyzen. P.F. Certificate #185513.
3. Cover to Henry W. Bibby at Manchester, England. The example offered here.

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Lot 46

1861, 30¢ orange (71), tied by neat circular grid cancellation on cover to the "Ship Nile" at Honolulu, Sandwich Islands, matching "New London Ct. Aug 20 1861" c.d.s.; stamp with faults, Fine.
Estimate 7,500 - 10,000

THE EARLIEST DOCUMENTED USAGE OF THE 1861 30¢ ORANGE.

Expertization: 1996 A.P.S. Certificate.

Provenance: Sloane, Hollowbush, Fisher, Martin

The present cover is referenced in an undated letter from the then current owner, C. Fred Washburn, responding to an article by George B. Sloane in Stamps magazine of June 13, 1936 regarding early dates of stamp use. He says he purchased the cover from a daughter of Capt. Fish some years ago while working as an office boy at the firm of Williams & Haven, whaling merchants who were the owners of the Ship
Nile. He also says upon Mr. Elliott Perry's urging, "he hunted through the files of the New London papers for August 1861 and found the postmaster's ad, stating the old stamps could not be used after August 21, so Mr. Perry informed me mine was a first day cover." The full letter is reproduced in Fisher's article.

The second earliest use is the famous 30¢ thru-the-lines Adams Express cover that entered the mails at Louisville Ky. on Aug. 22, 1861. (Ex-Paliafito, Sevenoaks).

Discussed by Fisher, First Days, Sep.-Oct 1968, pp. 14-15.

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Lot 47

1863, 2¢ black (73), prooflike color and impression, cancelled by clear "Philadelphia Pa. Jul 1 1863" town cancellation, fresh and Fine.
Estimate 1,500 - 2,000

THE UNIQUE FIRST DAY USAGE OF THE 2¢ BLACK JACK.

Expertization: 1999 A.P.S. Certificate.

The 2¢ Black Jack was issued for prepayment of the new local letter rate that took effect on July 1, 1863. The stamp was issued on the same day, July 1 to satisfy the new 2¢ rate. This is from a new discovery and offered at public auction for the first time. The legendary Allen, Rorke and Metzger collections did not include this key Black Jack piece.

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Lot 48

1862, 5¢ red brown (75), used with 10¢ green (68) tied by N.Y. foreign mail star in circle cancellations on small piece showing red Calais Jan. 13, 1862 entry c.d.s., Very Fine.
Estimate 1,000 - 1,500

THE EARLIEST DOCUMENTED USAGE OF THE 5¢ RED BROWN.

Expertization: 2000 P.F. Certificate.

Ashbrook discusses this dated piece in the Special Service, assigning a date of January 2, 1862. This was either an estimation of the origin date derived from sailing tables to France, or an error. The Scott catalog has the date of January 2 assigned.

Ashbrook Special Service.

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