Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

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The Wildhorse Collection of U.S. Revenues and Encased Postage continued...

Civil War Encased Postage continued...

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

325

Drake's Plantation Bitters, 3c Rose (EP71). Stamp with good color and mica intact, well-struck and pretty "brassy" reverse, Extremely Fine, ex Summit, with 2008 P.F. certificate (Image)

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$ 500.00

SOLD for $475.00
Will close during Public Auction

326

Drake's Plantation Bitters, 10c Green (EP73). Deep rich stamp color, intact mica, Extremely Fine, ex Walton (Stack's Oct. 1963) (Image)

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$ 650.00

SOLD for $550.00
Will close during Public Auction

327

Drake's Plantation Bitters, 30c Orange (EP76). Stamp with strong color and positioned a bit to left, slight soiling, minor mica lamination, the case is a lovely olive brown shade and in excellent condition

VERY FINE. THIS IS AMONG THE FINEST OF THE FEWER THAN FIVE REPORTED SURVIVING EXAMPLES OF THIS 30-CENT DRAKE'S PLANTATION BITTERS ENCASED POSTAGE STAMP.

Col. Patrick H. Drake and Demas Barnes formed a partnership sometime around 1862 to manufacture and market Drake’s Plantation Bitters. Their partnership ended in 1867, and Plantation Bitters was sold thereafter by P.H. Drake & Co. The digestive aid — made with 38% alcohol — was sold in a distinctive log cabin-shaped bottle. This bottle design was patented in 1862, and Plantation Bitters was one of more than 40 cabin-shaped bitters bottles produced by various makers.

Ex Ford (where the stamp color was described as "typically faded," an opinion with which we disagree) and Summit (Image)

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$ 3,500.00

SOLD for $6,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

328

Gage Bros. & Drake, Tremont House, Chicago, 5c Red Brown (EP90). Stamp has beautiful rich color, slight crease, mica with a few trivial imperfections, the case is in excellent condition, Very Fine, ex Summit (Image)

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$ 750.00

SOLD for $600.00
Will close during Public Auction

329

J. Gault, 1c Blue (EP93). Stamp very well-positioned, rich color, slight mica lamination, case shows traces of original silvering, Very Fine and choice, ex Summit, Reed census reports 11-15 known (Image)

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$ 600.00

SOLD for $1,600.00
Will close during Public Auction

330

J. Gault, 3c Rose (EP95). Stamp with deep Brown Rose color, light bend, mica clear and intact (faint soiling in cross-lighting), the case is a beautiful light olive brown, Extremely Fine, rarely seen this nice, Reed census reports 11-15 known, ex Ford and Summit (Image)

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$ 600.00

SOLD for $1,400.00
Will close during Public Auction

331

J. Gault, New York N.Y., 10c Green, Plain Frame (EP97). Stamp with rich color, mica intact, case a deep brown, Extremely Fine, with 2007 P.F. certificate (Image)

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$ 700.00

SOLD for $475.00
Will close during Public Auction

332

J. Gault, 10c Green, Ribbed Frame (EP97a). Couple tiny pinpoint punctures in mica, case in excellent condition, Very Fine, ex Summit (Image)

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$ 650.00

SOLD for $1,600.00
Will close during Public Auction

333

J. Gault, New York N.Y., 24c Violet, Plain Frame (EP99). Stamp with rich color, mica beautifully intact, case in excellent condition

EXTREMELY FINE. A CHOICE EXAMPLE OF THE 24-CENT GAULT ENCASED POSTAGE STAMP.

During the Civil War, in response to speculation and hoarding, all forms of coins — silver, gold and even copper-nickel — disappeared from circulation, making transactions of one or two dollars difficult. Postage stamps, with a face value good for a government service, helped fill the void, but the use of stamps as currency was impractical, because the paper and gum made handling difficult. Postage envelopes were printed to hold stamps, but these paper envelopes were also problematic. John Gault, seeing opportunity, filed his patent for a Postage Stamp Case” on July 24, 1862. A few weeks later, on August 12, he was granted patent No. 1627. Gault’s New Metallic Currency” was promoted through Horace Greeley’s Tribune and other newspapers, and they soon became not only a form of currency, but an advertising medium for merchants, hotels and other businesses.

With 2000 A.N.A. certificate (Image)

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$ 2,000.00

SOLD for $2,800.00
Will close during Public Auction

334

Hunt & Nash, Irving House, New York, 5c Red Brown, Ribbed Frame (EP108a). Stamp has rich color, reverse is exceptionally beautiful with bright golden color, small mica flaw at top and an even more trifling imperfection at bottom, otherwise Extremely Fine, ex Summit (Image)

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$ 900.00

SOLD for $750.00
Will close during Public Auction

335

Hunt & Nash, Irving House, New York, 12c Black, Ribbed Frame (EP110a). Stamp lightly toned and minor mica flaws, excellent encasement condition with a brightly colored reverse

VERY FINE. ONLY TWO OR THREE OF THE 12-CENT IRVING HOUSE RIBBED-FRAME ENCASED POSTAGE STAMPS ARE KNOWN.

The Irving House was the only New York City hotel to order Gault’s encased postage. The new” Irving House hotel, located on the corner of Broadway and 12th Street, advertised its European Plan,” which allowed guests to pay a flat rate for the room, with additional charges for meals and other services. George W. Hunt took over as proprietor in 1862, and he brought in restaurateur Charles W. Nash to manage the food and catering services. Nash left in 1863 to open his own restaurant. The Irving House encasements have Hunt & Nash” as the proprietors. Examples are known with ribbing and non-standard postage, indicating they were made very early in Gault’s production.

The Ford sale catalogue (Stack's 6/23/2004, lot 528) reports "two or three known" of the 12c Irving House with ribbed frame.

Ex Summit (Image)

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$ 3,000.00

SOLD for $5,250.00
Will close during Public Auction