Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

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United States and Confederate States Postal History continued...

Local Posts cont: City Dispatch thru Whittelsey's, Group Lots

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

1760

City Dispatch Post, New York N.Y., 2c Red (160L1). Vertical pair, large margins to just touched at top, deep shade, each stamp has a small thin spot and tear

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THE ONLY RECORDED MULTIPLE OF THE RARE CITY DISPATCH STAMP OF NEW YORK CITY.

We estimate that 15-20 examples of 160L1 exist. The only multiple is this unused pair, which probably comes from a larger block reported to have been broken into singles in the early 1900's.

Ex Caspary, Lilly, Middendorf, Golden and D.K. collection. With 2000 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail $19,000.00 (Image)

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E. $ 5,000-7,500

SOLD for $5,250.00
Will close during Public Auction

1761

Clark & Hall's Penny Post, St. Louis Mo., 1c Black on Pink (49L1). Ample to clear margins, uncancelled, used on cover to Miss Emily W. Smith, Setauket, Long Island N.Y., red "St. Louis Mo. 10 Feb. 27" integral-rate circular datestamp, docketed "Feb. 25, 1851, T. H. Sanford" (written in 1904), small tear at upper left corner clear of stamp, which is sound, some waterstains around edges -- typical of this small correspondence

A VERY FINE CLARK & HALL PENNY POST STAMP GENUINELY USED ON COVER. ONLY FIVE EXAMPLES OF THIS STAMP ARE RECORDED, EACH USED ON COVER. ONE OF THE GREATEST RARITIES OF AMERICAN LOCAL POSTS.

William J. Clark and Charles F. Hall advertised the opening of their "City Express and Penny Post" in the Feb. 13, 1851, edition of The Missouri Republican. Clark and Hall timed their opening to capture a share of the lucrative Valentine market. The first announcement noted that stamps were available for one cent each.

The five covers with 49L1 are recorded as follows (all 1851 dates): 1) uncancelled, red Feb. 27 datestamp, to Emily Smith, Long Island N.Y., the cover offered here, ex Ferrary, Lilly, Hall, Kuphal and Geisler; 2) uncancelled, red Apr. 23 datestamp, to Emily Smith (as above), ex Boker; 3) uncancelled, red May 29 datestamp, to Emily Smith (as above), ex Boker, Golden; 4) uncancelled, red Jul. 20 datestamp, to Emily Smith (as above), ex Boker; and 5) cancelled by three ms. X's on Valentine cover to Eliza Pettus, local street address, Feb. 14, 1851 enclosure, discovered in 1924 by Morris Pettus. No stamps off cover are known.

This cover was discovered by the family of T. H. Sanford and sold to C. H. Mekeel in September 1904. A copy of the original affidavit (in our files) accompanies the lot. In 1966 at a presentation before the Royal Philatelic Society of London, John R. Boker Jr. referred to this cover (ex Ferrary), stating that it had been "institutionalized" and "lost to collectors." He was evidently unaware that Lilly owned the cover. The Halls acquired it in the 1967 Lilly sale held by this firm.

Ex Ferrary, Lilly, Hall, Kuphal and Geisler. With 2009 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail $19,000.00 (Image)

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E. $ 4,000-5,000

SOLD for $5,500.00
Will close during Public Auction

1762

Cummings' City Post, New York N.Y., 2c Black on Yellow Glazed (55L3). Full to large margins, cancelled by dotted grid (not tied), affixed to (and possibly used on) large illustrated Valentine cover to local street address, red "Cummings' Express, 2 Cts." oval handstamp with locomotive, matching boxed "Paid A.H.C." handstamp, horizontal and vertical folds, some minor wear

VERY FINE. AN OUTSTANDING AND VERY RARE USE OF THE CUMMINGS' CITY POST "LETTER & HEART" STAMP ON A VALENTINE COVER.

Alfred H. Cummings operated Cummings' City Post as early as December 1845 (earliest reported cover) through 1847. Alfred H. Cummings and Robert Wright joined to take over the City Despatch Post Office from Abraham Mead by March 1847. The distinctive stamps picturing Cupid (55L4-55L5) and a letter sealed by a heart (55L1-55L3) tie the post's activities to the Valentine season. All are very scarce.

An identical Valentine cover with the same handwriting (different addressee) and handstamped markings, but without the adhesive stamp, was offered in our sale of the Kuphal collection (Sale 925, lot 1494A). It is unclear if a stamp fell off the other cover, or if one was added to this cover. Offered "as is" (our estimate would otherwise be two or three times greater). (Image)

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E. $ 1,000-1,500

SOLD for $1,200.00
Will close during Public Auction

1763

Davis's Penny Post, Baltimore Md., (1c) Black on Lilac, "Pennq" for "Penny" (57L1a). Type B (Position 2), large margins except touched at right, Davis's red circular handstamp

VERY FINE USED EXAMPLE OF THE "PENNQ" SPELLING ERROR, OF WHICH FOUR ARE RECORDED.

Ex Schwartz and D.K. collection. With 2003 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail $8,250.00 (Image)

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E. $ 2,000-3,000

SOLD for $5,250.00
Will close during Public Auction

1764

Dupuy & Schenck, New York N.Y., (1c) Black on Gray (60L2). Large margins to just touching inner frameline, tied by ms. cancel, red "Paid" straightline handstamp on Jul. 9, 1847 folded letter to local street address, Very Fine, a fresh and attractive cover bearing the Dupuy & Schenck Beehive stamp, ex Hall and Geisler, Scott Retail $1,000.00 (Image)

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E. $ 750-1,000

SOLD for $900.00
Will close during Public Auction

1765

Eagle City Post, Philadelphia Pa., (2c) Black (61L2). Type B with 46 points, large margins, pen cancelled on folded printed notice for Pennsylvania Rail Road Co. referencing meeting on March 14, 1849, to local address, red "Eagle City Post & Mag. Telegraph Messengering Dep't, Paid, Adams' Express, 80 Chestnut St., And all the Mag. Teleg. Offices" large double-circle handstamp, vertical file fold well away from stamp, Extremely Fine, ex Dr. Morris, with 1999 P.F. certificate (Image)

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E. $ 400-500

SOLD for $550.00
Will close during Public Auction

1766

Floyd's Penny Post, Chicago Ill., (1c) Blue (68L1). Large margins incl. top right corner sheet margins, rich color, tied by clear strike of "Floyd's Penny Post Chicago" double-oval handstamp on cover to the Ogden School principal -- J. Kimball, who took over Floyd's Penny Post in 1862 -- Extremely Fine Gem stamp and cover, ex Malcolm, Jarrett, Lake Shore and Senchuk, with 1989 P.F. certificate (Image)

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E. $ 1,000-1,500

SOLD for $4,250.00
Will close during Public Auction

1767

Floyd's Penny Post, Chicago Ill., (1c) Blue (68L1). Unused (no gum), large to huge margins, accompanying certificate mentions small horizontal crease and tiny scissors-cut at upper right of top margin, which are so far from design they might as well be on another stamp (could be trimmed off and still leave a massive margin), Extremely Fine Gem, with 2013 P.F. certificate, rare in unused condition and unpriced as such in Scott, this is the first we have offered (Image)

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E. $ 500-750

SOLD for $1,100.00
Will close during Public Auction

1768

Floyd's Penny Post, Chicago Ill., (1c) Brown (68L2). Huge margins all around, rich color, neatly cancelled by Floyd's circular sunburst handstamp, Extremely Fine Gem, very scarce, ex Schwartz and Twigg-Smith, with 2004 P.F. certificate, Scott Retail $1,000.00 (Image)

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E. $ 750-1,000

SOLD for $2,300.00
Will close during Public Auction

1769

Floyd's Penny Post, Chicago Ill., (1c) Green (68L3). Original gum, h.r., large to ample margins, tiny pinhole

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. NO MORE THAN A DOZEN EXAMPLES OF FLOYD'S GREEN STAMP ARE KNOWN TO US, AND OF THESE ONLY THREE ARE IN UNUSED ORIGINAL-GUM CONDITION.

John R. Floyd advertised the start of his Penny Post in July 1860. In June 1861, after the outbreak of the Civil War, Floyd sold the firm to Charles W. Mappa, but continued to assist in managing the post for several months before leaving for war in January 1862. Mappa in turn sold out to Kimball & Waterman in May 1862, and the post continued at least until November 1862 and then closed.

The Brown and Blue stamps were the first issued, and the Blue continued to be issued from 1860 through 1862. The Green stamps are known used only in October and November 1862, thus they appear to be the last printing, probably by Kimball & Waterman before the post was closed. The Blue is the most common, and the Brown is extremely scarce. The Green is by far the rarest, with only two recorded covers, six or seven used stamps off cover, and three or four unused stamps (three with original gum) known to us.

With 2000 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail $4,500.00 (Image)

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E. $ 1,000-1,500

SOLD for $750.00
Will close during Public Auction

1770

Glen Haven Daily Mail, Glen Haven N.Y., 1c Black on Dark Green, "Gien" for "Glen" (71L1a). Three large to huge margins, two left corner ornaments just touched, uncancelled, fine clear impression showing the "Gien" error variety, used on back of lady's small cover to Burnt Hills N.Y., 3c Dull Red, Ty. III (26) tied by "Scott N.Y. Jan. 29" circular datestamp, with original letter enclosure datelined "Glen Haven Jan. 28th/59", very fresh

EXTREMELY FINE. ONLY ONE OTHER STAMP WITH THE GLEN HAVEN "GIEN" ERROR IS KNOWN TO US. A FASCINATING AND VERY UNDERRATED RARITY OF AMERICAN LOCAL POSTS.

The Glen Haven Daily Mail differs from most local posts in that it served an area in which there was no post office by bringing mail to neighboring post offices. Beginning in the late 1840's, Glen Haven became a popular health resort and location of water-cure sanitariums. In 1848 Glen Haven also became the site of women's dress reform, led by Amelia Jenks Bloomer, for whom a particular type of ladies' undergarments was nicknamed. A post office was established in Glen Haven in 1859, which ended the Daily Mail operation. (Source: Patton book, pp. 320-322).

Beginning around 1854, typeset stamps were used on letters from Glen Haven, always in conjunction with United States postage. The one-cent supplemental fee paid for a letter to be brought to the post office at Scott, about three miles away, or, if the roads were favorable, to Homer, about ten miles from Glen Haven. The stamps remained in use until very early in 1859, probably stopping at the time the post office was established. Although the Scott Catalogue lists 71L1 as the first stamp in the series, it is almost certainly the last printed and used. Only four genuine 71L1 and one 71L1a covers are known to us, all dated in October-December 1858 or January 1859. The 71L2-71L4 types were used during the five years prior to 1859. The great rarity of 71L1 makes sense if it comes from a printing that occurred just before the service was terminated in 1859.

Typeset stamps are by nature more prone to variation. Typesetters composing a sheet of stamps were sometimes forced to sacrifice uniformity to complete the setting. Fonts or border pieces were interchanged. Even individual characters were used incorrectly, if misread by the typesetter or deliberately substituted for used-up type. Stamps such as the Honour's "Conours" and "Bents" (4LB8c), Davis's "Pennq" Post, Moody's "Henny Dispatch" (110L1b) and Hoyts "Lettcr" (85L1) are a few prominent examples of typographical errors among the carrier and local issues.

There is one other example of the "Gien" stamp known to us, uncancelled on piece, ex Hollowbush and Hall. To the best of our knowledge, these are the only examples of 71L1a extant.

Ex Golden and D.K. collection. With 1999 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail $6,250.00. (Image)

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E. $ 2,000-3,000

SOLD for $3,500.00
Will close during Public Auction