The David Wingate Collection of United States Stamps continued...

FINE. A SCARCE SOUND FOUR-MARGIN EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT ST. LOUIS POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ON GREENISH PAPER.

With 1994 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A RARE SOUND FOUR-MARGIN EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT ST. LOUIS POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ISSUE ON GRAY LILAC PAPER. ONLY ONE POSITION ON THIS STATE OF THE PLATE IS A 5-CENT STAMP. ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE CANCELLED SOLELY BY THE RED CIRCULAR DATESTAMP.

The St. Louis "Bears" stamps were printed from a single plate of six subjects (two horizontal by three vertical) that was modified twice to change the denominations of two positions. The original plate contained three 5c stamps at left and three 10c stamps at right. All stamps from the first state of the plate were printed on Greenish paper. The plate was then altered by burnishing out the "5" on Positions 1 and 3 and engraving a new "20" denomination. A small printing on Greenish paper was made from this altered plate. 5c stamps (Position 5) and 10c stamps (Positions 2/4/6) on Greenish Paper cannot usually be identified as original or altered plate impressions (the 20c on Greenish paper is a great rarity). The larger portion of stamps from the altered plate are on Gray Lilac paper. However, because only one of six subjects was a 5c value, the 5c on Gray Lilac is an extremely rare stamp -- perhaps even rarer than the 20c on Gray Lilac. The plate was modified again by burnishing out each "20" and engraving the old "5" denomination (third state). At the time of this second alteration, a large ball was engraved inside the end curl of the numeral "5" on Position 5. As far as we know, all stamps from the third state of the plate were printed on a very thin pelure paper. These were the last stamps used before the 1847 Issue was placed on sale in St. Louis.

Sound examples of this issue are rare, and this stamp has margins on all sides. It is also cancelled solely by a red circular datestamp, barely visible at bottom right, so the stamp appears unused. We have offered only one other cancelled solely by the circular datestamp since keeping computerized records, and the other has a clearly visible fault.

Ex Twigg-Smith. With 2001 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT ST. LOUIS POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ON GRAY LILAC PAPER.

With 1998 P.F. certificate (Image)

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FINE APPEARANCE. OUR RECORDS INDICATE ONLY TWO OTHER EXAMPLES OF THE 20-CENT ST. LOUIS POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ON GRAY LILAC PAPER EXIST OFF COVER WITH A RED TOWN DATESTAMP AND WITHOUT A PEN CANCEL.

The census of 20c St. Louis Bears published in the Faiman catalogue (Bennett, Oct. 31, 2003) contains twelve off-cover singles. Virtually all have pen cancels.

Ex Ferrary. With 1967 and 1997 P.F. certificates (Image)

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VERY FINE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT ST. LOUIS "BEARS" PROVISIONAL ON PELURE PAPER. ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE CANCELLED SOLELY BY THE RED CIRCULAR DATESTAMP, AND ACCOMPANIED BY THE ORIGINAL PIECE OF COVER.

Pelure paper was used for the last printing after the 20c denomination on Positions 1 and 3 was burnished out and the 5c values were re-engraved. At the time of this modification to the plate, Position 5 was slightly altered by adding a dot within the bottom ball of the figure "5", as visible on this example. Pelure stamps are almost always faulty and often seriously defective.

A survey of our Levi records and auction catalogues produced a tally of approximately 35 examples of the 5c Pelure off and on cover. The vast majority have faults or margins cutting into the design. Most are pen cancelled.

Ex Storrow, Colonel Green (as a full cover) and Faiman. With 1978 P.F. certificate (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE GEM. THE 10-CENT ON PELURE PAPER IS ONE OF THE RAREST AND MOST DIFFICULT OF ALL ST. LOUIS BEAR PROVISIONALS TO OBTAIN IN SOUND CONDITION WITH WIDE MARGINS. THIS STAMP IS WITHOUT QUESTION ONE OF THE FINEST IN EXISTENCE.

A survey of our Levi records and auction catalogues produced a tally of approximately 35 examples of the 10c Pelure off and on cover. The vast majority of these stamps have faults, many severe, or margins cutting into the design. This is one of the finest we have encountered. This is also the first we have offered since 2013.

Ex Twigg-Smith. Signed in pencil and with light blue backstamp. With 1953 and 1991 P.F. certificates (Image)

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