Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

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A Portion of the George J. Kramer Grand Prix Collection of United States Domestic Mails 1776-1869 continued...

Independent Mails, Carriers & Locals

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

128

Hartford Conn. Mail Route, (5c) Black on Yellow Glazed (80L1). Three ample margins to in at left, manuscript "South" precancel (trace of adjacent precancel at left) with "Paid" on March 4, 1845 folded letter from Hartford to the Western Hotel in New York City, central file fold, stamp with small spot of puckering at top left

VERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL SOUTHBOUND HARTFORD MAIL ROUTE COVER IN UNUSUALLY CHOICE CONDITION.

According to published research by Francis E. Stern (Collectors Club Philatelist, Vol. 41, No. 3), the Hartford Mail stamps were prepared by E. W. Parsons and a partner named Fuller. Parsons was a Hartford bookseller who later became the New England superintendent for Adams Express Company and then a prominent figure in the Hartford insurance business. Mr. Fuller was an agent for Thompson & Co.'s express in Springfield Mass. The apparent function of the Parsons-Fuller Hartford Mail was to carry mail between Hartford and other cities. They also linked with other inter-city expresses that served the region, such as Adams and Hale. The more than 60 surviving covers indicate that the Hartford Mail did not deliver mail between correspondents within the city. The operation commenced in 1844 -- the earliest known cover dates from August 1844 -- and it appears to have discontinued service on June 30, 1845, the latest recorded date and the point when inter-city letter expresses were outlawed.

With 1979 P.F. certificate (Image)

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E. $ 5,000-7,500

SOLD for $4,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

129

Pomeroy's Letter Express, 5c Black on Yellow (117L1). Large margins to barely in, cancelled by manuscript "X", red "Boyd's City Express Post, Sep. 5 9 O'C" octagonal datestamp on 1844 folded letter datelined "Buffalo Sept. 3, 1844" to New York, Very Fine conjunctive use carried by Pomeroy's from Buffalo to New York City then by Boyd's to recipient, Pomeroy's ceased service in late September 1844 (Image)

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E. $ 500-750

SOLD for $300.00
Will close during Public Auction

130

Livingston, Wells & Pomeroy's Express. Office: No. 2 Wall St. N. York, 5 Exchange, Albany, 1 Exchange St. Buffalo. Orange label on folded letter datelined "Albany 19th July 1844" to New York, red "Cd." handstamp usually found on covers carried by Pomeroy's Letter Express with the 5c adhesive stamp, vertical file fold and some edgewear, Very Fine (Image)

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E. $ 500-750

SOLD for $750.00
Will close during Public Auction

131

Wells & Co's. Buffalo, Albany & New York Express. Black on white label with 159 Main St. Buffalo address and depictions of train and steamboat, on blue folded letter to Ludlow Beebe in New York "From Ex. Bank, with Bag of Coin", letter datelined Buffalo Jan. 22, 1849 and lists $1,500 worth of various type coins, Very Fine (Image)

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E. $ 200-300

SOLD for $850.00
Will close during Public Auction

132

(Greig's) City Despatch Post, New York N.Y., 3c Black on Grayish (40L1). Neatly cut with large octagonal margins, slight crease in top margin, tied by orange-red "Free" in frame, matching "City Despatch Post N.Y. Jul. 5 9 O'Clock" Type I double-line circular datestamp on small folded letter to local street address, Very Fine, ex Golden, signed Perry, Scott Retail for tied on cover $2,500.00 (Image)

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E. $ 500-750

SOLD for $1,500.00
Will close during Public Auction

133

U.S. City Despatch Post, New York N.Y., 3c Black on Light Blue Unsurfaced (6LB3). Large margins, orange-red "U.S." in frame cancel, tied by matching "U.S. City Despatch Post Sep. 1, 1 O'Clock" Type I double-line circular datestamp on folded cover to street address, lightly cleaned, stamp lifted and placed back

VERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL TIED EXAMPLE OF THE FIRST STAMP ISSUED UNDER THE POST OFFICE’S AUTHORITY.

Although no year date is shown, it is definitely September 1, 1842, because orange-red canceling ink was used in 1842, not 1843, and 6LB3 was superseded by other printings by September 1843.

Ex Middendorf and Golden. With 2000 P.F. certificate (Image)

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E. $ 2,000-3,000

SOLD for $3,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

134

Honour's City Post, Charleston S.C., 2c Black on Yellow (4LB7). Three huge margins, ornaments touched at right, tied by red "Charleston S.C. Oct. 9/10" integral-rate circular datestamp on bright white cover to Thompson Conn., 1849 docketing, trivial flap tear and small opening tear at top right

VERY FINE. A COLORFUL AND EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE HONOUR'S 4LB5 STAMP TIED BY THE CHARLESTON DATESTAMP -- ONLY TWO OTHER SIMILARLY-TIED COVERS ARE KNOWN TO US.

The "Honour's/City Post/2 Cents" stamp on Yellow paper was evidently the first of the rectangular typeset stamps that followed the first oval issue. This October 1849 use is very early (most others are used in 1850). We are aware of two other covers with this stamp tied by the red datestamp and used alone.

Ex Caspary, Boker and Golden. With 2000 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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E. $ 5,000-7,500

SOLD for $10,500.00
Will close during Public Auction

135

(Honour's) City Post, Charleston S.C., 2c Black (4LB3). Ample margins to just touching ornaments, tied by manuscript, used with 3c Dull Red, Ty. II (11A), mostly clear margins to just touching, cancelled by manuscript line and tied by blue "Charleston S.C. Paid Sep. 16" (ca. 1854) circular datestamp on small cover to Effingham S.C.

VERY FINE. A RARE COMBINATION OF THE CHARLESTON "CITY POST" CARRIER STAMP AND 3-CENT 1851 ISSUE ON COVER.

Larry Lyons recorded only nine full covers with 4LB3, including three used in combination with a 3c 1851 stamp (The Penny Post, October 2007). We are aware of perhaps three other covers with this rare combination.

Ex German Sale, Hessel and Golden. With 2000 P.F. certificate (Image)

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E. $ 2,000-3,000

SOLD for $4,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

136

Baker's City Express Post, Cincinnati O., 2c Black on Pink (6L1). Large margins showing bits of frames from adjoining stamps at left and bottom, clear at right, uncancelled as always, used to forward a blue folded letter written in German from Baltimore, May 1, 1849, to Cincinnati, blue "Cumberland Md. May 3" circular datestamp, matching "Paid" and "10" in oval, street address written at bottom, stamp has a small repaired spot at top with letters "XP" expertly drawn in, repositioned slightly from its original place on cover

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF FOUR RECORDED COVERS BEARING THE BAKER'S CITY EXPRESS STAMP -- A REMARKABLE USE OF THE LOCAL STAMP TO FORWARD AN INBOUND LETTER.

This was the discovery example of the Baker's stamp, first reported in 1902 and sold by Dr. Bowers thru John Luff to George H. Worthington (cost notation dated "11/8/02" on back). It is an extremely rare local stamp on or off cover, and is one of the more bizarre portrayals in philately -- Cupid carrying a letter and whip on horseback -- which more accurately depicts a zaftig bare woman riding a jackal. A review of auction catalogues and Sloane's notes produced only four covers with 6L1 (all uncancelled):

1) Dec. 8 (1849), to Carrolton Ky., ex Hollowbush, Golden (Siegel Sale 817, lot 462, realized $10,500 hammer)

2) Dec. 12 (1849), bottom sheet margin stamp (finest known), to Jersey City N.J., ex Schenck, Knapp, Isleham, Meyersburg and Kuphal (Siegel Sale 925, lot 1275, realized $13,500 hammer)

3) Jan. 8 (1850?), corner of cover cut out and replaced, to Piqua O., ex Ferrary and Boker

4) Used to forward letter from Cumberland Md. to Cincinnati, May 3, 1849, the cover offered here.

Ex Bowers, Worthington, Caspary, Middendorf and Golden. With 1991 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail $12,500.00 (Image)

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E. $ 4,000-5,000

SOLD for $5,750.00
Will close during Public Auction

137

Philadelphia Despatch Post, Philadelphia Pa., 3c Red (15L1). Octagonal margins mostly clear of red circle, shows small part of circular rim from an adjoining stamp, clear impression with "3 P.M." time at center, usual manuscript "R & Co" initials, red "Paid" and an unusual red cancel comprising five dots inside a small circle, affixed with small dab of glue on folded letter dated Feb. 15, 1843, addressed to Thos. G. Hollingsworth, 136 South 2nd St., in the hand of and signed by Rembrandt Peale (American portrait artist residing in Philadelphia), red "Phila. Despatch Post 10 A.M." circular datestamp with manuscript "16th" (February date), in the letter Peale eloquently comments on the review of his students' drawings

EXTREMELY FINE. THE EARLIEST AND ONE OF THE FINEST OF THE FIFTEEN RECORDED COVERS BEARING THE PHILADELPHIA DESPATCH POST RED STAMP -- ALSO NOTEWORTHY AS AN AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED BY THE FAMOUS AMERICAN PORTRAIT ARTIST, REMBRANDT PEALE.

The Philadelphia Despatch Post is documented in an advertisement in the Philadelphia Public Ledger (Dec. 8, 1842) and in an expanded version with some differences (go to www.siegelauctions.com/enc/carriers/robertson.jpg for an image of the revised ad). In the later ad, the stamps are priced at 3c individually, 31c per dozen and $2 per hundred. Valuable-letter registration for 6-1/4c and a 6c rate on letters beyond two miles are quoted (no examples of either special service are known). The firm's address is 93 Chesnut Street, not 83 South Second Street as in the earlier advertisement.

This cover is the earliest of the dated Red stamps (15L1). A 15L2 Black stamp is known on a folded letter or cover year-dated 1842, according to the Caspary catalogue description; if correctly year-dated, it must be December 1842, the earliest recorded use of any Philadelphia Despatch Post adhesive.

This stamp is obviously not on "Bluish" paper, as described in the Scott Catalogue. The paper is noticeably pinker (or more rose-colored). It is also somewhat thicker and more highly finished on the surface -- the smooth surface has an almost glazed quality. While we do not believe subtle paper differences among these rarities qualifies them for separate Scott Catalogue classification, the precise texture and color of the paper are important to note for the record. Robson Lowe also noticed the paper color and described it as yellowish in his Oct. 1974 catalogue that featured this item on the front cover.

Another distinctive feature of this 15L1 cover is the tiny fancy cancellation struck in red, almost centered on the stamp. Consisting of five dots in a small circle, the cancel indentation is strong enough to pass thru the stamp, the glue used to affix the stamp, and the lettersheet.

Dr. Vernon R. Morris Jr. has recently published his own comprehensive census, which updates and expands the census previously published by our firm.

Ex Caspary, Lowe and Golden. With 1976 and 1999 P.F. certificates (Image)

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E. $ 7,500-10,000

SOLD for $11,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

138

Philadelphia Despatch Post, Philadelphia Pa., (3c) Black on Grayish, "R & Co" Initials (15L3). Large margins all around, fine impression, tied by red outline "3" (struck again on stamp), matching "Phila. Despatch Post" in circle on folded cover to local street address, stamp with small scissors-cut in margin at top left and small toned spots

EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF THE CHOICEST COVERS EXTANT WITH THE 1843 STRIDING MESSENGER -- THE WORLD'S FIRST PICTORIAL STAMP. THIS IS ESPECIALLY RARE TIED BY THE RED "3" RATE HANDSTAMP.

The Striding Messenger stamp, issued in 1843 by the Philadelphia Despatch Post, is the first pictorial stamp in the world. It depicts a gargantuan letter carrier -- the "City Despatch Post" bag slung over his shoulder -- stepping over the Merchant's Exchange Building, which housed Philadelphia's post office. The image conveys the private posts' superior speed and reliability.

Ex Judd and Golden. With 2000 P.F. certificate (Image)

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E. $ 5,000-7,500

SOLD for $17,000.00
Will close during Public Auction