The Wilson Born Collection of U.S. Telegraphs continued...

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VERY FINE. THIS IS THE UNIQUE 10-CENT VALUE OF THE COLUSA, LAKE & MENDOCINO TELEGRAPH ISSUE. ALONG WITH THE 25-CENT OFFERED IN THE FOLLOWING LOT, THIS IS ONE OF THE TWO GREATEST RARITIES OF TELEGRAPH STAMP COLLECTING.

The Colusa, Lake & Mendocino was incorporated in 1875, with 260 miles of line extended through the counties of Colusa, Lake, Mendocino and Napa. Three stamps were issued for prepayment -- 5c, 10c and 25c. Only one example each of the 10c and 25c is known, and the 5c is very scarce.

The story of the Colusa, Lake & Mendocino Telegraph Co. issues is told in the Kramer book on page 51, quoting in part from the 1947 Rich monograph. Rich reported that four examples of the 10c stamp were known in collections prior to 1916 and stated that one may have been destroyed in the 1923 Berkeley fire (along with the second 25c example, see following lot for details). The stamp offered here is the only illustrated copy and the only reported copy for nearly 100 years and is believed to be unique. It was offered by Siegel Auction Galleries as part of the single-owner Carl W. Schedler sale in 1975 (Sale 476, lot 478, illustrated on front cover). Edward N. Lipson was the buyer of both the 10c and the 25c offered in the following lot. George Kramer acquired both stamps in 1988, and they were sold to Wilson Born in the Siegel firm's 1994 auction of the Kramer Telegraph Stamps collection (Sale 758).

Ex Schedler, Lipson and Kramer (illustrated in his book, page 53). (Image)

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VERY FINE. THIS IS THE UNIQUE 25-CENT VALUE OF THE COLUSA, LAKE & MENDOCINO TELEGRAPH ISSUE. ALONG WITH THE 10-CENT OFFERED IN THE PREVIOUS LOT, THIS IS ONE OF THE TWO GREATEST RARITIES OF TELEGRAPH STAMP COLLECTING.

The Colusa, Lake & Mendocino was incorporated in 1875, with 260 miles of line extended through the counties of Colusa, Lake, Mendocino and Napa. Three stamps were issued for prepayment -- 5c, 10c and 25c. Only one example each of the 10c and 25c is known, and the 5c is very scarce.

The story of the 25c Colusa, Lake issue is told in the Kramer book on page 51, quoting in part from the 1947 Rich monograph. Two examples of the 25c stamp were discovered in 1902 and chronicled by Joseph P. Rich in the American Journal of Philately in 1903. Rich bought one of the copies and sold it to the Nassau Stamp Company in 1916. It was subsequently placed with A. H. Weber of Berkeley, California, and destroyed in the great Berkeley fire of 1923. The second copy, offered here, was purchased by Hiram Deats, passed through other unknown hands and was eventually sold in 1943 by Spencer Anderson as part of the John H. Clapp collection. Carl W. Schedler acquired the stamp in the Anderson sale and 32 years later Siegel Auction Galleries offered the stamp as part of the single-owner Schedler sale (Sale 476, lot 479, illustrated on front cover). Edward N. Lipson was the buyer of both the 25c and the 10c offered in the previous lot in the Schedler sale. George Kramer acquired both stamps in 1988, and they were sold to Wilson Born in the Siegel firm's 1994 auction of the Kramer Telegraph Stamps collection (Sale 758).

Ex Deats, Clapp, Schedler, Lipson and Kramer (illustrated in his book, page 53). This lot also includes a Colusa, Lake & Mendocino imprint cover with its original telegram sending slip (ex Kramer), which is a rare item worth $750-1,000, but together with the stamp rarities will make an impressive exhibit or album page. (Image)

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