Lot 181
1858 (Jan. 29) Erie Pa. to Hildburghausen, Saxony, buff envelope with illustrated woodcut portrait of the famous Sauk Indian Chieftain Keokuk, the namesake of Keokuk Iowa, bearing 5¢ red brown (12) vivd color, large margins on three sides, just touched at top, tied by "Erie Pa. Jan 29" c.d.s., black "New-York Br. Pkt. '23' Feb 3" exchange office debit c.d.s., reverse with red "Aachen 17 2" transit c.d.s. and blue manuscript "45" due rating, crossed out and rerated "12 ¾", backstamps include "Hildburghausen 19 2" receiver; light vertical file fold, Very Fine, the 30¢ rate to Saxony via Prussian Closed mail. Illustrated in Frajola and Mayer, p. 109, fig. 9-7.
Estimate 15,000 - 20,000
THE ONLY RECORDED 1856 5¢ USAGE ON AN ILLUSTRATED COVER.
Expertization: 1991 Holcombe and 1992 P.F. Certificates.
The cover was prepaid at the British open mail rate of 5¢ but the New York clerk disregarded the prepayment and sent the cover as part of the Prussian closed mail. It was exchanged with a 23¢ debit to Prussia shown in the exchange handstamp. The cover was carried in closed bag by the Cunard Line steamer Europa, which departed from New York on February 3, 1858, and arrived at Liverpool on February 15, 1858. The cover was rated as 45 kreuzer due in Aachen. This amount was crossed out and restated in the currency of Saxony as 12¾ neugroschen, which was equivalent to the total rate of 30 cents. The cover bears an arrival backstamp of February 19.
The purpose of the portrait is unknown. It may be related to a product, or brand, named Keokuk. It seems that the Prussian mail clerk added the moustache to the image in the same blue ink he used to rate the cover, giving the chief a Persian appearance.
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| Realized $16,000 |
