The Richard Drews Collection of U.S. 1861-1868 Issues continued...

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FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 3-CENT SCARLET WITH THE NEW YORK CITY OVAL DUPLEX CANCELLATION. ONLY A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF THIS ISSUE WERE ACTUALLY SENT THROUGH THE MAILS.

As documented by Jerome S. Wagshal in a series of Chronicle articles (Nos. 56, 60, 61 and 62), Carl F. Rothfuchs, a Washington D.C. stamp dealer, obtained a supply of the 3c Scarlet in 1893 -- probably from the Post Office Department in exchange for his assistance with the Columbian Exposition -- and sold them with pen marks and original gum. A small number were also used by J. W. Scott, who posted letters with some of his supply to validate his claim that these stamps were legitimate postage. Today, there are perhaps five copies cancelled in this manner. We offered one in 2001 (Twigg-Smith collection), another in our sale of the Wagshal collection and one in our auction of the Curtis collection.

Ex Natalee Grace and "Golden Oak". With 1994 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 3-CENT SCARLET WITH A NEW YORK CITY OVAL DUPLEX CANCELLATION AND THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE WITH THE "PO" INSTEAD OF STATION "D". ONLY A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF THIS ISSUE WERE ACTUALLY SENT THROUGH THE MAILS.

As documented by Jerome S. Wagshal in a series of Chronicle articles (Nos. 56, 60, 61 and 62), Carl F. Rothfuchs, a Washington D.C. stamp dealer, obtained a supply of the 3c Scarlet in 1893 -- probably from the Post Office Department in exchange for his assistance with the Columbian Exposition -- and sold them with pen marks and original gum. A small number were also used by J. W. Scott, who posted letters with some of his supply to validate his claim that these stamps were legitimate postage. Today, there are perhaps five copies cancelled in this manner, but this is the only one we record with the "PO" cancel. The others have Station "D", as seen in lot 162. (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTRAORDINARY EXAMPLE OF THE IMPERFORATE 3-CENT SCARLET PRINTING -- ONE OF FOUR RECORDED WITH JAMES MACDONOUGH'S MANUSCRIPT INITIALS AND DATE.

The story of the 3c Scarlet has been well-documented by Jerome S. Wagshal in a series of articles appearing in the Chronicle (Nos. 56, 60, 61 and 62). Wagshal quotes statements made in 1893 and 1910 by a Washington D.C. stamp dealer, Carl F. Rothfuchs, to the effect that Rothfuchs obtained a supply of the 3c Scarlet in 1893--probably from the Post Office Department in exchange for his assistance with the Columbian Exposition--and sold them with pen marks and original gum. The Rothfuchs lot is not from the same supply acquired by John W. Scott in the late 1870's, from which stamps exist uncancelled and cancelled with a New York City Station D oval.

We record four examples of the 3c Scarlet with the initials and date: one perforated and three imperforate, including one example in a pair. The "J.M. Jan. 31, 1868" was probably applied by James Macdonough, one of the National Bank Note Company founders. Although Wagshal offers some evidence dating the Scarlet to 1861, these 1868-dated examples suggest an alternate theory that the Scarlet was produced about the time of the 1868 regular-production grills. The existence of numerous essays and color varieties made in 1867 and 1868, as well as actual changes in the color and paper of stamps produced in 1868, show that National was experimenting with various means to prevent stamp re-use and to improve production efficiency and quality. The Scarlet may be related to this effort.

Ex Finkelburg. (Image)

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FINE CENTERING AND BRILLIANT COLOR. ONLY TWO UNUSED BLOCKS OF THE 5-CENT RED BROWN ARE KNOWN, BOTH SIMILARLY CENTERED.

There is one other unused block of the 5c Red Brown, with original gum and similar centering, ex Klein and Zoellner and currently in a private collection. Scott Retail as a block of four with original gum (Image)

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FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF THREE RECORDED USED BLOCKS OF THE 1862 5-CENT RED BROWN. ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE AS THIS IS USED FROM UNION-OCCUPIED NEW ORLEANS.

As recently as 1993, the Ishikawa block was thought to be unique. The three recorded used blocks are: 1) block of four, grid cancels, one stamp with corner crease ending in small tear, ex Ishikawa; 2) the block offered here, used from Union-occupied New Orleans, from our 1996 Rarities sale; 3) extensively rejoined and bleached to remove cancels (no longer appears used), offered in our Sale 847. (Image)

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