1852 Boyce's City Express Post, New York N.Y., 2c black on green glazed paper, large to ample margins on three sides and only slightly touched at left, uncancelled on 1854 envelope (upper flap missing) with full contents to Philadelphia showing "New-York 5 Cts. FEB 18" integral-rate circular datestamp alongside, fine: about eight to ten covers known exhibiting the Boyce's City express post stamp (of which only a handful show the year date) as well as about five known off cover; signed in pencil by Jakubek (1974); ex Boker. (Image)

Abraham Lincoln Signed Document, Sixteenth President of the United States (1809-1865), Lincoln successfully led the country through its greatest constitutional, Military and Moral crisis - The American civil war (1861-65). He was assassinated at the close of the civil war in 1865. An Attractive vellum partly printed Civil war dated Naval document Signed by Lincoln, appointing "George Washington Hayward" a midshipman in the navy of the united states. Nicely signed at the conclusion in black ink by Lincoln, countersigned by Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, dated June 1st 1861, Measures 420mm x 315mm), a few intersecting storing folds as to be expected on a document this size (one through the opening stroke of the signature) and a few other light creases, though all writing including Lincoln's is very clear and bold. A great rarity. Note: This block has been generously donated to be sold on behalf of Medicines Sans Frontières and is sold without reserve, so please bid generously. (Image)

1852 Entire from Tasmania, Australia, to San Francisco, datelined Hobart Town, endorsed "pr Architect" and seemingly carried by favour and placed into the mails with San Francisco 15 May cds and a very fine strike of the fancy "SHIP / 6" hs, with interesting contents written by a ship's master who states "I am waiting the arrival of more American whalers to furnish me with more oil...Capt Libby and all the Ship's company has gone to the Victoria diggings...", "Colonial gold...and its quality and value per oz considerably exceed that of California gold. This is really a 2nd California. It is with great difficulty that good order can be maintained at the Mines. All kinds of depredations are being committed, as bad if not worse than California ever was", some minor foxing, an interesting cover. (Image)

1856 5c red-brown, four margins, neatly cancelled by a crisp New Orleans cds, a very fresh and fine example, cert PF (1989). (Image)

1859 Envelope to Sweden endorsed "via New York first closed mail", with "28", oval "STEAM SHIP" hs and Helsingborg arrival ds on obverse, reverse with New York and Hamburg ds, minor cover imperfections, fine and scarce. (Image)

1859 (Jun 4) Wrapper from New Orleans to Oberndorf am Neckar (Wurttemberg), paying the Prussian closed mail rate (as endorsed at top) with 1859 10c green, type V in vertical strip of three, tied by dispatch cds's. With Boston Br. Pkt. 7c cds indicating credit to Prussia, following conveyance of the Cunard SS "America" to Liverpool, showing red framed "AACHEN 28/FRANCO" hs on obverse, backstamped on arrival; an appealing usage. (Image)

1860-62 Two transatlantic stampless covers sent to Rome from the USA, one with large circular "Charleston" datestamp, endorsed "Steamer", with "New York Packet Paid" mark in red, both sent via Liverpool, London, Paris and Marseille, France, with transit mark "Civitavecchia Dalla Via di Mare", some opening tears to both, and one with lower left corner missing, but scarce examples of this mail by sea across the Atlantic. (Image)

1864 (Mar 28) Envelope to Scotland with 1861-62 12c vertical pair cancelled by magenta pen marks with ms despatch alongside, sent underpaid with "Short Paid" and "10" hs, reverse with Boston and Edinburgh arrival, some minor faults to reverse, fine. (Image)

1865 (Sep 25) Envelope from Bryan, Texas, sent to the King's official notary in Württemberg, franked with five 1861-62 3c tied by blue Bryan duplexes, New York transit, reverse with Hamburg, Württemburg, Stuttgart and Schorndorf ds, incl. original contents, fine and attractive. (Image)

1867 (Nov 30). Cover from New York to Genoa, paying the single rate with 1861-62 1c and 10c (2), tied by cork cancels, below red exchange cds on dispatch denoting fully payment, placed on board the C.G.T. "St. Laurent" with corresponding "ETATS UNIS/PAQ. FR. H N° 4/30 NOV 67" octagon; a scarce mail through this route and exhibiting a French ship mail datestamp. (Image)

1868 (Feb 8) Entire from New Orleans to France with 1861-66 15c Lincoln tied by New Orleans cds and cork cancel, with blue French "ET. UNIS / SERV. AM. CALAIS 3" blue cds, arrival bs, fine transatlantic cover. (Image)

1869 Pictorial 90c carmine, "shell" die proof, block of four, printed on yellowish wove paper, the portrait of Abraham Lincoln void centre, attractive, has been pinned to right. (Image)

1869 15c brown & blue, type I, wide margins, unusually fine centring, deep rich colours, neatly cancelled by cork cancel, prepaying 15c rate on small cover to Mulhouse, France, red "New York Paid Nov. 2 26" credit datestamp, various other French packet markings alongside, negligible cvr tear, a wonderful cover of superb appearance (Note: stamp was removed and small tear repaired, stamp put back on the cover expertly). (Image)

1869 (Jan 10) Envelope from Pittsburgh to Rome, underpaying the 19 cents rate for closed mail via the North German Union with 1867-68 5c and 10c, and therefore struck with red "4" credit hs at lower right, red framed "HAMBURG/FRANCO" ds after arriving with the HAPAG "Alemannia" and charged with 25 centesimi in ms on arrival, Verona and Rome bs, fine. (Image)

1873 3c green, showing complete "Skull & Crossbones" fancy cancel, very fine and rare; certs. Westminster Stamp Co. (1950) and Phil. Foundation (2015). (Image)

1882 (Aug 29) Envelope from Chicago Illinois to Victoria, Australia, with 1880-82 2c and two 5c, posted Aug 29th and handstamped "RETURNED / FOR POSTAGE", sent again on the 31st (with what looks like one 5c and 2c added) with hs erased in blue crayon, reverse with San Francisco transit and Melbourne arrival, minor imperfections, a unusual usage. (Image)

1887 (May 23) Cover sent from Tuna near Uppsala to Altona, Illinois, USA unfranked and with wonderful railway transit on reverse "PKXP Nr 2 B. UTR N" dated 24 May, postage due mark applied on arrival in New York Jun 3, with pair of 5c postage due stamp added, fine example. (Image)

1889 (Jun 1) Envelope from San Francisco to Tasmania, Australia, with 1879 10c and 1887 2c green tied by duplexes, reverse with Launceston and New Town arrival cds, some minor cover wrinkling, fine and scarce destination. (Image)

1897-1903 Specimen Booklet: Practically complete booklet showing seven out of eight panes of six of the Washington 2c red, with each stamp with Specimen ovpt, plus Specimen also on the booklet cover, front cover torn and repaired by tape, plus back cover part missing, still and extremely rare example of this booklet, practically never offered on the market, a true rarity. (Image)

1901 10c Pan American Exposition mint nh marginal imprint plate block of six with "Bureau, Engraving & Printing" and "1151", weak perfs vertically and probably expertly re-attached, still a very attractive and scarce positional multiple (Image)

1902-03 $2 Deep blue mint nh, very fine and fresh, cert. PF (1982) (Scott $2'475) (Image)

1919 (March 15) Cover to Suriname, South America franked with dramatic mis-perforation strip of three 1c greens and a 2c dark rose, tied by Chicago cds, arrival on reverse 28th April, a fascinating usage and visually appealing. (Image)

Guam. 1899, 1c green from the 1900 Special Printing, original gum with light hinge, "SPECIAL SURCHARGE" hs on reverse, very fine and very scarce; cert. PF (2009). (Image)

1899, 1c to $1 set of 11 and Special Delivery 10c with "Specimen" handstamps, all lightly hinged with large part original gum, the Special Delivery 10c with pulled corner perf, fresh colours throughout, fine to very fine. (Image)

1898-1902 Group of 16 covers/cards, incoming and outgoing mail, military cancels comprising Baker C-6, C-7, D-1, D-2, including 2c stationery to Germany, appealing miniature envelope, fragment with US forerunners from 1c to 8c in seven pairs tied by Baker D-1, postage dues, diff. frankings, soldier's letter cachets, military receiving soldier's cachet, and a 1902 cover from the Zug correspondence sent registered to Washington franked with 1c, 3c and 8c, tied by "AGANA ISLAND OF GUAM" cds, (ex Curtis) and a 1900 cover from Manila to Paris, franked by 10c type I, tied by Manila Military Station duplex cancel (Baker C-6), occasional usual faults; an interesting and unusual selection. (Image)