Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

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2020 Rarities of the World continued...

1847 Issue

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

15°

5c Dark Brown (1a). Large to huge margins all around, deep rich color in the Dark Brown shade though described as Blackish Brown on one of the two accompanying certificates, deep impression, red grid cancel

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SPECTACULAR USED EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT 1847 ISSUE IN THE DARK BROWN SHADE, GRADED SUPERB 98 BY BOTH THE P.F. AND P.S.E. -- THE HIGHEST GRADE AWARDED.

With 2016 P.F. certificate as Dark Brown (Superb 98). With 2009 P.S.E. certificate as Blackish Brown (Superb 98; SMQ $4,500.00 as Dark Brown). This is the highest grade awarded to a Scott 1a and it is shared by only three others. (Image)

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E. $ 3,000-4,000

SOLD for $4,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

5c Red Brown (1). Full to large margins, beautiful rich First Printing shade and impression, red 7-bar grid precancel at upper right corner, clear strike of blue "PAID" straightline cancel, deep thin causing tiny pinpoint break in paper

EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. A BEAUTIFUL LOOKING EXAMPLE OF THE RARE WHEELING RED GRID PRECANCELLATION ON THE 5-CENT 1847 ISSUE.

The post office in Wheeling, Virginia (later West Virginia), received its first supply of 1847 stamps on August 8, 1847--1,200 5c and 400 10c--and soon after applied a red 7-bar grid to the center of blocks of four before or at the time the stamps were sold. We do not know if the red grids were struck on all 25 blocks in a pane of 100 stamps, or if they were applied to smaller units, but all of the known examples have the red grid in one corner of the stamp. There are seven recorded covers with the Wheeling grid precancel, including three 5c and four 10c covers. In addition to the covers, a few off-cover 5c and 10c stamps are known with the red grid precancel.

Signed in pencil by Kelleher and Ashbrook. Scott value $6,350.00 (Image)

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E. $ 2,000-3,000

SOLD for $1,800.00
Will close during Public Auction

5c Dark Brown (1a). Block of four, dark shade and early impression, appears to have full to large margins, vertical pre-printing crease in right pair, red St. Louis circular datestamp with "Jul. 27" date slug on its side (a peculiar orientation), repaired with sealed tear across bottom left and part of bottom margin and design added, Very Fine appearance, used blocks of the 5c 1847 are rare, and this block of the Dark Brown shade is extremely rare, so much so that the condition may be forgiven -- the more common Red Brown shade (Scott 1) is valued at $27,500.00 as a used block, the Dark Brown (Scott 1a) is not valued as a used block (Image)

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E. $ 2,000-3,000

SOLD for $5,500.00
Will close during Public Auction

5c Red Brown, 10c Black (1, 2). Large margins to barely in at top left of 5c, slightly overlapping and tied by lightly struck blue Philadelphia circular datestamps on piece, 5c faint stain at bottom, 10c tiny crease at bottom right corner not mentioned on accompanying certificate

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A BEAUTIFUL COMBINATION PIECE WITH THE FIRST GENERAL ISSUE STAMPS OF THE UNITED STATES.

Ex Ishikawa, Koppersmith, Saadi (who used this as the frontispiece of his exhibit) and Gross. With 1988 and 1992 P.F. certificates. (Image)

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E. $ 3,000-4,000

SOLD for $2,800.00
Will close during Public Auction

5c Red Brown, 10c Black (1, 2). Two 10c, first with large margins all around, second 10c and 5c three large margins and just in at bottom, tied by light strikes of red "New-York 19 Apr. 9" 19c credit datestamp on small piece, part of "19" credit handstamp at left, light file folds do not affect stamps, right 10c has small diagonal crease at top right

VERY FINE. A RARE AND ATTRACTIVE COMBINATION OF THE 5-CENT AND 10-CENT 1847 ISSUES ON A PIECE OF A COVER TO GREAT BRITAIN.

The 25c postage and 19c credit markings indicate this was originally a letter to Great Britain, prepaid at the 24c treaty rate with a 19c credit for Cunard packet service. Full-size covers showing the 24c treaty rate prepaid by a combination of 1847 Issue stamps are great rarities.

With 2007 P.F. certificate (Image)

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E. 3,000-4,000

SOLD for $2,500.00
Will close during Public Auction

5c Red Brown, 10c Black (1, 2). 5c huge margins to full, trace of frameline of adjoining stamp at top, used with 10c vertical pair and single, the pair with large margins to slightly in at bottom, the single has four large margins, sharp impression, tied by vivid orange-red grid cancels on piece of cover

VERY FINE-EXTREMELY FINE. A SPECTACULAR COMBINATION USE OF 1847 ISSUE STAMPS, INCLUDING A SCARCE VERTICAL PAIR OF THE 10-CENT.

Although there is nothing to help us reach a definite conclusion, we believe it is possible this combination of stamps paid the 34c Retaliatory Rate on a transatlantic cover (1c overpayment).

"R.H.W. Co." (Weill) backstamp (Image)

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E. $ 5,000-7,500

SOLD for $4,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

5c Brown (1). Large even margins, deep shade, tied by double-struck black grid cancel, "N. Brunswick N.J. Apr. 19" small circular datestamp and large "5" rate handstamp on envelope to 36 South St., New York City, manuscript "X" thru rate handstamp, diminutive "2 Cents" in manuscript just above date, also faint "2c" to the right of stamp

EXTREMELY FINE. A REMARKABLE COVER WITH THE 5-CENT 1847 ISSUE PAYING THE INTER-CITY POSTAGE AND THE "2 CENTS" MANUSCRIPT MARKING INDICATING A POSTAL FEE PAID OR DUE.

The 2c rate on this cover is enigmatic. The New York City postmaster reestablished carrier service in December 1848 with a 1c fee for delivery from the post office to the addressee. The "2 Cents" on this cover was applied either at the originating office (New Brunswick N.J.) or at the New York office, possibly to indicate an advertised fee.

USPCS census no. 5106. Ward backstamp. Ex "Sevenoaks" and Craveri. With 2003 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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E. $ 4,000-5,000

CLOSED
Will close during Public Auction

5c Red Brown (1). Three enormous margins, just in at lower left, cancelled by green "5" in frame, matching "Princeton N.J. Oct. 24" circular datestamp on 1850 folded letter to Springfield N.J., stamp with small corner crease, cover with central vertical file fold and two small tears clear of stamp

VERY FINE. AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE OF THE DISTINCTIVE GREEN NUMERAL "5" OF PRINCETON ON THE 5-CENT 1847 ISSUE.

Ex Eno, Arch and Craveri. With 2000 P.F. certificate (Image)

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E. $ 1,500-2,000

SOLD for $1,100.00
Will close during Public Auction

5c Red Brown (1). Horizontal pair, huge margins including sheet margin at left, ample at bottom, tied by three neat strikes of blue "10" in fancy rectangular frame handstamp, matching "Huntsville Al. Jul. 24" circular datestamp on brown envelope to Midway Ky., skillfully cleaned, small mended erosion spot at bottom edge

VERY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED USE OF THIS PRE-STAMP FRAMED "10" RATE HANDSTAMP ON A COVER WITH THE 1847 ISSUE.

Ex Gibson, Sampson, Rohloff, Haas, Dr. Kapiloff, Boker and Gross (Image)

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E. $ 4,000-5,000

SOLD for $3,750.00
Will close during Public Auction

5c Orange Brown (1b). Two, wonderful vivid Orange Brown shade, one with left sheet margin, each with irregular "torn" margin slightly into design, tied by blue grid cancels, matching "Lockport N.Y. Apr. 9" (1851) circular datestamp on blue folded letter addressed in blue manuscript to Cayuga N.Y., mostly clear strike of rare red "U. STATES" in ornate scroll frame handstamp applied at Buffalo, "Queenston U.C. Apr. 10 1851" circular datestamp, backstamped in red at Hamilton and Indiana (Apr. 11), Very Fine cover, scarce and early use of the 1847 Issue to pay the new U.S.-Canada 10c treaty rate (effective Apr. 6, 1851), this type of red "U. States" marking is extremely rare and the cover was pictured in an article by Susan M. McDonald (Chronicle 67), where noted "used on the fourth day of the whole rate, shows a handstruck 'U. STATES' in an elaborate foliate arc in red (A-23). This marking was applied at Buffalo. It appears also on cover No. 10, again in red, and is recorded on a stampless cover dated July 17, 1851. Strangely, its use seems limited to this very early period", USPCS census no. 5815, ex J. Waldo Sampson (backstamp) and Hart (Image)

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E. $ 1,000-1,500

SOLD for $950.00
Will close during Public Auction

5c Red Brown (1). Large margins including right sheet margin, bright shade, used with Canada, 1851, 3p Red on Laid (1), full to large margins, rich color, both stamps tied by bold strikes of Canadian 7-ring target cancel on large piece of blue folded cover (including part of back), red "Kingston U.C. JU 4 1851" circular datestamp, red "10" rate handstamp, 5c toned spot in bottom right margin and creased by a vertical file fold

FINE APPEARANCE. AN ATTRACTIVE AND VERY RARE PIECE WITH A MIXED FRANKING OF THE FIRST ISSUES OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA, CANCELLED IN CANADA TO PAY THE NEW TREATY RATE.

For decades there had been no easy way to pay postage on letters between Canada and the United States. Postage on each side was calculated based on distance to the border, and letters would be delivered marked postage due for the receiving country's share. The 1851 U.S.-Canada postal treaty created a reciprocal postage rate--6 pence in Canada and 10 cents in the U.S.--without any need for cumbersome postage collection. The new agreement went into effect on April 6, 1851. On April 23, 1851, Canada's first issue of postage stamps became available--the 3p Beaver issue. At the same time in the U.S., Congress had established lower postage rates and authorized new stamps to pay them, set for release on July 1, 1851. On that day the old 1847 Issue would no longer be valid for postage, and a three-month redemption period would commence. For years before, the 1847 stamps had been supplied to Canadian post offices and used there to prepay the U.S. postage on letters addressed to the states. After the 1851 U.S.-Canada postal treaty took effect, Canadian postmasters accepted the U.S. stamps in payment of the Canada 6-pence rate (roughly equivalent to 10c U.S.), even after the 1847s were demonetized in the their own country of origin.

The time between the release date of Canada's first issue and the last day the 1847 Issue was valid for postage in the U.S. is 69 days. During this brief period, the first issues of both countries, printed by the same firm--Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson--could be used on the same letter, but only under very unusual circumstances, which technically skirted the rules of the new treaty, but were nonetheless practiced and accepted by post offices on both sides. Only three full covers with 1847 and Canada mixed frankings are recorded. This piece has both stamps tied by the Canadian target cancels, which proves they were affixed and cancelled in Canada.

Illustrated in Winthrop S. Boggs, The Postage Stamps and Postal History of Canada (p. 87). Ex Dale-Lichtenstein and Dr. Robertson. (Image)

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E. $ 5,000-7,500

SOLD for $6,750.00
Will close during Public Auction