United States Stamp Treasures: The William H. Gross Collection continued...

DESCRIPTION

10¢ Green, Types II and III (14, 15), vertical block of 21 (three by seven) from Positions 1-3/11-13/21-23/31-33/41-43/51-53/61-63L1--the first three vertical rows from the top left corner of the left pane, which is one of the most fascinating sections of the 200-subject plate from a philatelic perspective--Positions 1L and 2L are the misplaced transfers of Relief B instead of Relief A, producing Type III stamps from those positions instead of Type II; also contained in the block are two major double transfers, Positions 31L and 51L, the former being the most pronounced of all 10¢ double transfers--the entire block contains ten Type II and eleven Type III stamps in alternating rows, mostly large margins except touching right and top, incredibly deep rich color and early impression, neatly cancelled by multiple strikes of Columbia Cal. Jan. 19, 1857” circular datestamp

PROVENANCE

According to George B. Sloane (Stamps, 2/11/1956), discovered on a cover used to enclose a large Valentine from Columbia, California, to Portland, Maine--originally a block of 30 (3 by 10), bottom three Type I stamps removed (91-93L1), then a block of six was removed (71-73/81- 83L1), which was later reduced to a block of four (71-72/81-82L1)

* B. L. Drew sale (as block of 21), 8/17/1922, lot 69, to Kennett for Hind

* Arthur Hind, Phillips-Kennett sale, 11/20-24/1933, lot 135, to Colson (as agent for Caspary)

* Alfred H. Caspary, H. R. Harmer sale, 1/16-18/1956, lot 482, to Mozian

* Robert Lehman, Robson Lowe Geneva sale, 4/30/1976, lot 1137

* Robert Faiman and Andrew Levitt (according to personal communication with Faiman; sold privately to Ishikawa through Garrett, 1979)

* Ryohei Ishikawa, Christie’s Robson Lowe sale, 9/28-29/1993, lot 163, to William H. Gross

CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES

* Stanley B. Ashbrook, The United States Ten Cent Stamp of 1855-1857, page 50

* --Special Service, #60, pp. 482-483 (sale history)

* Lester G. Brookman, United States Postage Stamps of the 19th Century, Vol. I, p. 165

* Mortimer L. Neinken, The United States Ten Cent Stamps of 1855-1859, p. 37

* Jonathan W. Rose, Classic United States Imperforate Stamps, p. 79

* World Stamp Show 2016 Court of Honor (Gross)

CERTIFICATION

* The Philatelic Foundation (1976)

CONDITION NOTES

* Extremely Fine and sound block; a few negligible faint wrinkles

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DESCRIPTION

10¢ Green, Type II (14), Positions 51-53L1 in an unused horizontal strip of three with ENGRAVERS. Phila. New York. B(oston)” portion of imprint and No. 1” plate number in sheet margin at left, large margins, Position 51L at left is a double transfer variety, rich color, bright and fresh paper

PROVENANCE

* Edgar B. Jessup (inherited by Pearce)

* Basil C. Pearce (Jessup’s son-in-law; inherited and sold privately)

* Ryohei Ishikawa, Christie’s Robson Lowe sale, 9/28-29/1993, lot 151, to Chapin

* John C. Chapin (collection sold privately to Shreves and then to William H. Gross, 2002)

CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES

* John C. Chapin, A Census of United States Classic Plate Blocks 1851-1882, p. 3

* Mortimer L. Neinken, The United States Ten Cent Stamps of 1855-1859, fig. 8, p. 16

CONDITION NOTES

* Extremely Fine appearance; two vertical creases--one through center stamp and the other between the center and right stamps--and a small scissors-cut in bottom margin between the same stamps

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DESCRIPTION

10¢ Green Type I (13), bottom row position on Plate 1, ample margins to slightly in at bottom, but still showing the type-defining full shell at bottom right, rich color, tied by San Francisco Cal. 20 Jun.” (1857) circular datestamp on complete illustrated San Francisco News Letter with printed dateline Per Steamer Golden Age. A Summary of Events from the 5th to the 20th June, 1857. Number 24.”, neatly addressed to Doctor W. S. W. Ruschenberger, U.S. Frigate Independence, Panama” with manuscript letter and writer’s dateline Robert Nuttall, 19 June 1857”, the printed newsletter contains an illustrated MAP OF SAN FRANCISCO SHOWING THE SUBDIVISION OF THE POTRERO VIEJO”, a notice of Pre-paid Postage Rates for the S.F. News Letter” from Postmaster C. L. Weller (dated April 15, 1857), and paid notices from Wells, Fargo & Co., Pacific Mail Steamship Co., and Freeman & Co.; the 20¢ rate from California to Panama was underpaid, clear strike of DUE 10” straightline handstamp applied in San Francisco

PROVENANCE

* Charles F. Meroni, John A. Fox sale, 11/10-14/1952, lot 1027, to Baker

* J. David Baker, Siegel Auction Galleries, 4/4/1978, Sale 526, lot 28, to Risvold

* Floyd E. Risvold, Spink Shreves Galleries sale, 1/27-29/2010, lot 529, to William H. Gross

CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES

* Hugh J. and J. David Baker, Bakers’ U.S. Classics, p. 123

* Jesse L. Coburn, Letters of Gold, p. 96

* Scott R. Trepel, The San Francisco News Letter 1856-1858,” Western Express 266, December 2017

CONDITION NOTES

* Extremely Fine cover; the stamp has a small pre-use nick in top left margin not touching design

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DESCRIPTION

10¢ Green, Types III-III-IV (15-15-16), Positions 62-64L1, horizontal strip of three, two stamps at left Type III, stamp at right is Type IV with recut lines at top and bottom--64L is the only double-line recut of the eight recut positions on the plate--marvelous condition with huge even margins all around, bright shade, used with 12¢ Black (17), full to large margins, intense shade and impression, the strip and single tied by lightly struck ultramarine Andover Ill. Feb. 25” (1856) circular datestamps on buff cover to Hudiksvall, Sweden, prepaid for 42¢ Prussian Closed Mail rate, red New -York Br. Pkt. Mar. 5” transit datestamp on back and 19” credit handstamp on front--carried on the Cunarder Asia from New York on March 5, arriving in Liverpool on March 18--entered Prussian mail system at Aachen with red AACHEN 19/3 FRANCO” (March 19) framed transit datestamp (also ties strip at left), blue manuscript f5” indicating prepaid 5 silbergroschen Prussian transit fee to Sweden, the back has St.P 20 Mar 56” Hamburg Stadpost oval transit datestamp and two double-circle datestamps also applied in Hamburg (one by the Royal Swedish Postal Agency), Helsingborg (March 23) datestamp

PROVENANCE

* Mortimer L. Neinken, Siegel Auction Galleries, 11/19-20/1970, Sale 384, lot 140, to Haas

* Marc Haas (collection sold privately to Stanley Gibbons International; the cover sold privately to Grunin, 1980)

* Louis Grunin, Christie’s Robson Lowe sale, Part One, 3/25/1987, lot 67, to Zoellner

* Robert Zoellner, Siegel Auction Galleries, 10/8-10/1998, Sale 804, lot 85, to William H. Gross

CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES