The William H. Gross Collection: 1847 and 1851-56 Issues continued...

A RARE USE OF THE 12-CENT 1851 BISECT TO PAY THE 10-CENT RATE TO NEW BRUNSWICK. THIS IS ALSO A "COMPLETE SET" COVER--EACH OF THE THREE STAMPS ISSUED IN 1851 IS REPRESENTED.

Effective July 1, 1851, the postal rates were changed and the 1847 Issue was demonetized. Three new stamps--1c, 3c and 12c--were issued. A new 10c was issued in 1855 and a new 5c was issued in 1856. Covers with all three of the new denominations are rare and desirable, especially when one is in bisected form.

Ex Hackmey. With note on back from Ashbrook who plated the 1c stamp and notes it shows bottom of the Type Ib stamp (Position 6R1E). (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THE ONLY RECORDED USE OF THE 5-CENT 1856 ISSUE ON COVER TO BERMUDA. AN IMPORTANT POSTAL HISTORY RARITY OF THE CLASSIC IMPERFORATE PERIOD.

The recipient worked as a portrait artist and engraver, and in 1851 travelled to San Francisco with his friend, Jacob Bailey Moore. Brown worked for Moore for the next several months, gathering specimens and making drawings in the California countryside. In March of 1852, he was commissioned by John Russell Bartlett, head of the U.S.-Mexico Boundary Commission and a friend of Moore's, to draw views of landscapes and Indians in Northern California, assist with collecting Indian vocabularies, and make maps of the area. From 1856 to 1859, he served as U.S. Consul for Bermuda. Little is known of his life after that date, his health was poor at the time of his resignation in 1859.

This cover was franked to pay the 10c direct rate by American Packet. The "NOT PAID" was likely applied in error in New York, though this may have gone as a private outbound ship letter.

Ex Krug, Mayer and Hackmey. With 2006 P.F. certificate. (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE EXAMPLE OF A BRITISH PROPAGANDA ENVELOPE USED FROM THE UNITED STATES TO ENGLAND WITH THE TREATY RATE PAID BY THE 1851 ISSUE.

The Ocean Penny Postage movement was started by an American, Elihu Burritt. Burritt had settled in Worcester Mass. as a blacksmith, where he began to study languages and became known as "The Learned Blacksmith". On a trip to England in 1847 Burritt founded the League of Universal Brotherhood. He also advocated Ocean Penny Postage and the use of propaganda envelopes, believing it would promote trade and commerce (and therefore greater understanding) between nations. Very few propaganda envelopes were used from the United States. His plan was never adopted (as witnessed by the 24c in postage on this cover). In 1865 he was appointed by President Lincoln as U.S. Consular Agent for Birmingham, England.

Ex Emerson, West, Haas, Ishikawa and Hackmey. (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

A SPECTACULAR FOUR-COLOR IMPERFORATE 1851-55 ISSUE FRANKING ON AN ATTRACTIVE FOLDED COVER TO HONG KONG AND FOOCHOW. PREPAID FOR THE 38-CENT PRUSSIAN CLOSED MAIL RATE, BUT SENT BY AMERICAN PACKET VIA ENGLAND INSTEAD.

The franking pays the 38c Prussian Closed Mail rate via Trieste, but instead it was sent by the Collins Line's Ericsson, which departed New York on October 25, 1856, and arrived at Liverpool on November 8. It appears from the docketing that the addressee received the letter in Foochow on February 2, 1857, one day after its delivery in Hong Kong. The addressee worked as an agent for and later as a partner of the famous firm Augustine, Heard & Co. He went to China in 1849, and it is believed he drowned in the Indian Ocean on his way home to Providence in 1859.

Ex "Sevenoaks", Rogers and Hackmey. With 1999 P.F. certificate (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

A REMARKABLE FRANKING PAYING THE 65-CENT RATE TO HONG KONG VIA MARSEILLES--ADDRESSED TO A MEMBER OF COMMODORE PERRY'S EXPEDITION.

The addressee, Dr. James Morrow, was appointed by Secretary of State Everett as agriculturalist on Commodore Matthew C. Perry's expedition to Japan. Commodore Perry initially opposed the inclusion of any civilians on his expedition. Morrow brought seeds and plants to Japan where they were gratefully accepted. The Japanese were fascinated with the quality of flour produced by an American corn mill, and Morrow was intrigued with the Japanese version of a cotton gin and the bark they used to produce strong paper. The Japanese had never seen a garden engine with a hose that would pump water, and a crowd of over 200 people gathered to watch the water being pumped into the air. Morrow notes that they looked carefully at the suction hose as though they thought they had learned the secret of putting out fires.” His position gave him more leeway than most on the expedition to explore the Japanese countryside. The expedition resulted in a three-volume report, which contained a list of plants collected in Japan and compiled by Asa Gray.

Ex Craveri and Hackmey. With 1999 P.F. certificate. (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THE ONLY RECORDED USE OF THE 5-CENT 1856 ISSUE ON A COVER TO SHANGHAI. A WONDERFUL RARITY.

Ex Mayer and Hackmey. With 1981 P.F. certificate. (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

FINE APPEARANCE. A COLORFUL COVER TO HONG KONG WITH THE 1851-55 ISSUE PAYING THE 21-CENT RATE BY AMERICAN PACKET VIA ENGLAND.

This cover comes from the well-known correspondence of Lieutenant Earl English, who served on board the U.S. Sloop Levant.

Ex Ishikawa and Hackmey. (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

VERY FINE. A WONDERFUL COVER PAYING THE 33-CENT RATE TO SHANGHAI BY BRITISH MAILS VIA SOUTHAMPTON.

Ex Piller, Giamporcaro and Hackmey. With 1993 P.F. certificate. (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A SPECTACULAR COVER BEARING A COMPLETE "SET" OF THE THREE NEW 1851 ISSUES TO PAY THE 20-CENT RATE TO FRANCE VIA AMERICAN PACKET DIRECT.

Effective July 1, 1851, the postal rates were changed and the 1847 Issue was demonetized. Three new stamps--1c, 3c and 12c--were issued. A new 10c was issued in 1855 and a new 5c was issued in 1856. Covers showing all three of the new denominations are scarce and desirable, especially prepaying the 20c American Packet Direct rate to France.

Illustrated in North Atlantic Mail Sailings 1840-75 (p. 111). Ex Hackmey. (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A DESIRABLE COMPLETE "SET" OF THE 1851 ISSUE USED TO PAY THE 21-CENT BRITISH OPEN MAIL RATE TO ITALY VIA AMERICAN PACKET.

Effective July 1, 1851, the postal rates were changed and the 1847 Issue was demonetized. Three new stamps--1c, 3c and 12c--were issued. A new 10c was issued in 1855 and a new 5c was issued in 1856. Covers showing all three of the new denominations are scarce and desirable, and this use of the stamps to pay the 21c British Open Mail rate to Italy via American Packet might be the only one extant.

Ex Piller, Giamporcaro and Hackmey. With 1993 P.F. certificate. (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

EXTREMELY FINE GEM STRIP AND AN IMMACULATE TREATY-RATE COVER. UNQUESTIONABLY THE FINEST 10-CENT 1855 IMPERFORATE TYPE I MULTIPLE KNOWN ON COVER.

This August 1857 cover is a late use of the imperforate 10c stamp, which was issued in mid-1855 and available in perforated form as early as July 1857. However, the strip shows an extremely early impression and shade, which one would not expect to find two years after the original printing. Likewise, the existence of perforated 10c stamps with similar color and impression is further evidence that sheets from the earliest printing of the 10c 1855 were on hand in mid-1857. The practical reason for this anachronistic use of early impressions is the stack principle of production, whereby the first sheets off the press were stacked toward the bottom, and the last sheets were placed on top. Thus, the early printings might be issued or run through the perforating machine much later, as in this case.

Illustrated and cited in Ashbrook's article on the Newbury collection (Stamp Specialist, 1941). Also illustrated in Brookman Vol. I (p. 161). Ex Newbury, Lehman, Grunin, Zoellner and Hackmey. With 1998 P.F. certificate (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com