2008 Rarities of the World continued...

VERY FINE. REPORTED TO BE THE ONLY KNOWN EXAMPLE IN THIS COLOR.

Ex Lake Shore (Image)

VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A RARE LARGE DIE TRIAL COLOR PROOF OF THE 15-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE.

The last example we offered in Black realized $4,500 hammer in our Sale 900. (Image)

VERY FINE AND CHOICE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 15-CENT TYPE I 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE WITH SPLIT GRILL. OUR COMPUTERIZED RECORDS CONTAIN ONLY ONE OTHER EXAMPLE OFFERED IN ONE OF OUR AUCTIONS.

With 2008 P.S.E. certificate. The only other unused example contained in our computerized records was offered in our 1983 Rarities sale. (Image)

VERY FINE. THIS IS PROBABLY THE FINEST EXAMPLE OF THIS ESSAY IN EXISTENCE.

We have sold one one other, which was cut down from full size and stained. Accompanied by note from dealer Jim Lee, who doubts there are more than three which are full size. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 15-CENT TYPE II 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE WITH THE FRAME PRINTED IN THE DISTINCTIVE DARK BROWN SHADE.

With 2007 P.F. certificate as normal shade (VF-XF 85, SMQ $6,750.00) (Image)

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A SCARCE AND ATTRACTIVE THREE-COLOR COMBINATION FRANKING TO PERU FROM THE DAVIS CORRESPONDENCE.

The franking pays double the 22c rate via American Packet and thence by British Mails via Panama.

Ex Lafayette. With 2003 P.F. certificate (Image)

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THIS IS THE LARGEST RECORDED MULTIPLE OF THE 15-CENT TYPE II ON COVER. A WONDERFUL EXHIBITION ITEM.

The franking paid three times the 34c rate via American Packet and thence by British Mails via Panama.

Ex Lafayette. With 2003 P.F. certificate and accompanied by photo before restoration (Image)

VERY FINE CENTERING AND AN ATTRACTIVE USED EXAMPLE OF THE 15-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL INVERT. ONLY 93 COPIES ARE RECORDED IN OUR CENSUS.

Our census of 1869 Inverts, published in the February 1999 Chronicle and updated with three new stamps, contains 93 examples of the 15c Invert, including three unused and 90 used (one in the British Library's Tapling collection).

Census No. 119b-CAN-SW12 (Image)

VERY FINE AND CHOICE. AN ATTRACTIVE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 24-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE.

With 2006 P.F. certificate (VF-XF 85, SMQ $16,500.00) (Image)

VERY FINE AND IMPORTANT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE COVER, COMBINING THE 10-CENT AND 24-CENT VALUES FOR THE 34-CENT BRITISH MAIL RATE VIA SOUTHAMPTON, BUT CREDITED FOR THE FASTER ROUTE VIA MARSEILLES AND MOST DEFINITELY CARRIED BY THAT ROUTE.

Only three 24c 1869 covers to China are recorded in the 1869 PRA Census. This cover is the third earliest of all known 24c 1869 covers, preceded by an April 7 usage to Shanghai (ex Mack, Siegel Sale 876, lot 122) and an April 23 usage from New York to Mobile. Use of the Hong Kong-Singapore Marine Sorter backstamp is also quite rare.

Comparing this cover with the ex-Mack cover to Shanghai is instructive. Both covers were prepaid 34c and marked by the sender to go via Southampton. The ex-Mack cover did travel on the slower Southampton route and took 57 days to reach the Hong Kong transit ship (NY 4/7, London 4/17, Hong Kong Marine Sorter 6/3-8, the split dates referring to departure and scheduled arrival dates). The cover offered here, contrary to the sender's directive, was bagged for the British route via Marseilles and appropriately credited 32c, not 24c. The 32c credit comprises 24c for British overseas postage and 8c extra for fast transit via Marseilles. (Perhaps a clerk in the New York foreign-mail office was feeling charitable toward a naval officer). Comparing the transit dates with the ex-Mack cover, this journey was 10 days shorter (NY 4/24, London 5/8, Hong Kong Marine Sorter 6/10-17, for a total of 47 days to reach Hong Kong transit ship).

Ex Coulter. With 2006 .P.F. certificate (Image)