Lot 1209 S 1875-79 Official Special Printing, 1¢-90¢ complete less only the State Dollar values, overprinted "Specimen" (O1S-O67S, O72S-O93S), complete set of the Official Specimens lacking only the State Dollar values, including the soft paper (O10xS, O35xS, O57xS) and ribbed paper (O1Sb, O10Sa, O25Sb, O57Sb) varieties. Without gum as issued. Few small faults including some typical scissor separating. Fresh and F.-V.F. Scott $54,132 A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE AN EXTREMELY RARE COMPLETE SET OF SPECIAL PRINTINGS OF THE 1¢-90¢ OFFICIALS, OF WHICH ONLY 72 SETS WERE SOLD. The Officials were part of the special printing program requested by the Post Office Department in which regular and back of the book issues were reprinted. The Officials were overprinted with "Specimen" to prevent their re-use on ordinary mail by purchasers. As such they were sold in small quantities and are extremely rare today.

Realized $38,813

Lot 1233 1853, 13¢ dark red, thick white paper (6), huge to large margins, just touching at bottom right, neatly tied by red "Honolulu, U.S. Postage Paid, Dec 28" c.d.s. (M-H 236.05) on 1855 folded letter datelined "Hilo, December 7 1855" from B. Pittman, the Hilo Postmaster to Sag Harbor, Long Island N.Y., U.S. postage prepaid at Honolulu with U.S. 1851 12¢ black (17) full margins to just touching, tied upon arrival at San Francisco with Jan. 21 c.d.s., forwarded with neatly struck "Sag Harbor N.Y. Feb 18" c.d.s. and manuscript "Forward 3" due rating; some trivial soiling, file fold at center, Very Fine. Estimate 30,000 - 40,000 A RARE AND STRIKING MIXED COUNTRY FRANKING. Expertization: 1987 P.F. Certificate. Provenance: Seybold, Tows, Rust, Pietsch This is the earliest of three letters mailed from the Hilo postmaster, B. Pitman to W.R. Post at Sag Harbor, each containing a draft of proceeds received from Captain Leak of Ship Ontario. The three letters are dated Dec. 7, Dec. 13, and Dec. 23. All three were forwarded from Hilo to Honolulu and held for the Yankee that departed on January 3, 1856 and arrived at San Francisco on January 17. It is certain that the 12¢ stamps were affixed at Honolulu because the Dec. 23 letter had the 12¢ pasted over the Hawaiian postage and lightly tied by the Honolulu c.d.s. The correspondence was originally purchased intact by John F. Seybold. At the dispersal of his collection, each of the three covers went separate ways into the collections of Tows (Dec. 7), Knapp (Dec. 13), and West (Dec. 23).

Realized $83,375

Lot 1004 Washington, George (1732-1799), First President of the United States. ADS, Jan 7, 1774 folio on the appointment of Craven Peyton as attorney to oversee the lands of George William Fairfax in Culpepper and Fauquier counties of Virginia, lengthy document all in Washington's hand, signed "G. Washington", verso of document appointing Craven Peyton as collector of rents, June 18, 1773, signed "G.W. Fairfax" and co-signed by "Lancelot Lee" of Va., minor restoration not affecting the signatures, Fine. Estimate 25,000 - 30,000 AN IMPORTANT DOCUMENT CONTAINING SIGNATURES OF THE MOST PROMINENT FAMILIES IN VIRGINIA; WASHINGTON, FAIRFAX, AND LEE. At the early age of 16, George Washington helped survey Shenandoah lands for Thomas Fairfax, the sixth Lord Fairfax. Lord Fairfax was a friend and patron of Washington's early life. Over the following years, George Washington would develop a close relationship with George William Fairfax, the son of Thomas's first cousin. George William Fairfax returned to England in 1773, leaving Washington to look after the Fairfax's affairs in Virginia. Lancelot Lee was a cousin to Robert E. Lee descending from the "Stratford" line of the Lee family that originates from Richard Lee (1647-1714).

Realized $28,750

Lot 1013 Photographs signed by Indian Chiefs Geronimo, Sitting Bull and Rain-in-the-Face, three signed photographs comprising; Geronimo (1829-1909) Apache Indian Chief who who resisted government removal of their people from treaty-guaranteed reservations in the late nineteenth century, leading raids and by 1885 an all-out campaign against white settlements in parts of Arizona and New Mexico, he was taken federal prisoner in 1886. Real sepia-toned picture postcard of Geronimo and his wife, signed "Geronimo" in pencil; from the collection of L.B. Deming Jr. whose grandparents were personal friends of Geronimo, letter of provenance; Sitting Bull (1831-1890) Lakota Sioux Medicine Man and Chief prophesized the Custer massacre and was with Gall and Crazy Horse at the Battle of Little Big Horn, considered the last Sioux to surrender to the U.S. government, Cabinet Card photograph taken by George Scott of Dakota Territory, boldly signed "Sitting Bull" in ink on verso; Rain-in-the-Face (1835-1905) Lakota Sioux War Chief among the Indian leaders who defeated Custer at Little Big Horn, Cabinet photograph, half-length seated portrait taken by Army photographer George Spencer at the World's Fair in 1893, bold "Rain in the Face" signature in pencil on verso with "written by himself W.G.L." below; All three images professionally mounted and framed together, Very Fine. Estimate 25,000 - 30,000 AN EXCEPTIONAL DISPLAY OF THESE HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT INDIAN CHIEFS.

Realized $28,750

Lot 1082 () 1867, 10¢ yellow green, F. grill (96), vertical block of 15, unused, strong color on generally bright paper, average centering, left vertical strip rejoined, vertical crease in right strip and lower left stamp faulty, a unique block, being the largest recorded unused multiple of this stamp. Accompanying is a matching unused vertical strip of five which, judging from the downward trend of the horizontal perforations, would have been from the second vertical row to the right of this block; this strip is completely sound. Estimate 25,000 - 35,000 Provenance: Jefferson Jones Illustrated in Brookman’s "United States Postage Stamps of the 19th Century," volume.2, page 146.

Unsold

Lot 1143 1901, 2¢ Pan-American, center inverted (295a), well centered for this difficult invert with fresh color and original gum, small hinge remnant. F.-V.F. Scott $45,000 A PREMIUM MINT EXAMPLE OF THIS VERY POPULAR 20TH CENTURY RARITY. Expertization: 1978 P.F. Certificate. Only 155 mint examples of the 2¢ Pan American invert are believed to have been found and fewer have survived many of which are faulty and/or have disturbed gum.

Realized $38,813

Lot 1224 Wells, Fargo & Co. Pony Express, red type II East-to-West frank, 10c Green on white entire (U40), cancelled by "Philadelphia Pa Aug 16 1861" octagonal datestamp duplexed with dotted cork cancellation, printed frank endorsement to the "Agent of Pony Express, St. Joseph, Mo." and handwritten address to San Jose Cal.; top edge refolded slightly and nick at left, Very Fine and rare. Estimate 25,000 - 30,000 ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED PONY EXPRESS COVERS FROM PHILADELPHIA, THIS ONE BEING UNLISTED IN THE MOST RECENT CENSUS. Provenance: From the Collection of Robert Bureski This Pony Express usage was mailed on August 16, 1861 from the Philadelphia post office and treated as regular mail until it reached the Wells, Fargo & Co. agent at St. Joseph, Missouri. From there it made the 1861 August 22, westbound pony trip (WT-133) to California. At Placerville, it was carried by Wells, Fargo & Co. to San Jose. Similar to the other cover from this correspondence, the St. Joseph office did not apply a Pony Express datestamp. The other recorded Pony Express cover from Philadelphia is listed and illustrated as census number W53 in "The Pony Express, A Postal History". It is from the same correspondence as the example offered here, mailed only 10 days later on August 26. Both were sent during the fourth rate period from July to October 1861.

Realized $28,750

Lot 1178 1992, 29¢ N.Y. Stock Exchange, center inverted (2630c), o.g., never hinged. Extremely Fine and rare. Estimate 20,000 - 30,000 Only two panes of 40 containing this error have been discovered. Between the two there are 56 stamps with inverted centers.

Realized $26,450

Lot 1001 Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776), Printed document signed in facsimile, one page, large folio, from The American Archives, being an official rice paper copy of the Declaration of Independence, pulled from the Stone copper plate by Peter Force in 1843. Some typical tears that have been reinforced, Well preserved, archivally framed, Very Fine. Estimate 20,000 - 30,000 A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO OWN AN EARLY AND AUTHORIZED PRINTING OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DOCUMENT IN AMERICAN HISTORY. In 1823, Congress authorized the production of facsimile copies of the Declaration of Independence. Noted engraver, William J. Stone, was commissioned to use a new wet-ink transfer process to the copper-plate, which was then used for printing. There were 201 copies made in this early printing, of which only 31 examples are currently known with only twelve in private hands. In 1843, Peter Force used the original Stone copper-plate to print additional copies of the Declaration of Independence on rice paper for inclusion in Volume I of his multi-volume book, "American Archives". Congress authorized up to 1500 copies of the book to be printed, but subscriptions fell far short of this number. The actual number printed is unknown, with estimates ranging from about 500 to upwards of 1000 copies. All examples were folded for insertion on the inside of the front cover of Volume I, but today, most have been removed. Because the twelve privately owned 1823 parchment copies are prohibitively expensive, the remaining rice paper copies are highly desirable.

Realized $28,750

Lot 1177 1979, $1 Lamp, brown inverted (1610c), o.g., never hinged. Fresh and Extremely Fine. Scott $22,500 A CHOICE EXAMPLE OF THE "C.I.A. INVERT", ONLY ABOUT 95 OF WHICH HAVE BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR.

Realized $20,700

Table of Contents