The William H. Gross Collection: United States Postal History continued...

5¢ Red Brown (12), full margins to clear at bottom, bright color, used with two 3¢ Dull Red, Type I (11) and 10¢ Green, Type III (15), one 3¢ with large margins to slightly in, other cut in, 10¢ large margins to in at bottom, tied by red segmented grid cancels, matching "New Bedford Mass. Paid Mar. 27" (1856) circular datestamp on cover to Paris, France, addressed to George Hussey Jr., red "New-York Am. Pkt. Mar. 29" circular datestamp--carried on the Collins Line Ericsson, departing New York on March 29, 1856, and arriving at Liverpool on April 12--"Etats-Unis Paq. Am. Calais 14 Avril 56" arrival datestamp (American Packet service via England), "8" decimes due handstamp for French inland postage, Paris receiving backstamp (April 15)

Very Fine and colorful; most of backflap removed and two small tears at top.

This cover is the earliest documented use of the 5¢ 1856 on transatlantic mail--the earliest of all dates is the March 24 cover to Nova Scotia offered in lot 217. It is also an extremely rare example of the 5¢ 1856 Imperforate used to make up the American Packet rate to France. Only five fully prepaid 5¢ 1856 covers to France by American Packet are recorded, three of which are offered in this sale (lots 224-226).

There were two American Packet services to France available: Collins Line via England--21¢ per half-ounce rate with 8 decimes per 7.5 grams due for British transit and French inland postage; and Havre Line direct to France--20¢ per half-ounce rate with 6 decimes per 7.5 grams due for French inland postage.

Only two of the five recorded 5¢ 1856 Issue fully prepaid American Packet covers were carried by the Collins Line via England. They are both correctly prepaid 21¢--one is this three-color franking, and the other has a strip of 5¢ and 1¢ single (ex Hargest and Beane; illustrated in Hargest book, p. 53). The other three covers were carried by the Havre Line direct to France.

Ex Daniel F. Kelleher sale, 11/21/1921, ex Paul C. Rohloff, D. Scott Gallagher, "Sevenoaks", Frederick R. Mayer and Joseph Hackmey. Ashbrook index card notes at The Philatelic Foundation identify the sender of this cover as Dr. L. F. Potter. Illustrated in Frajola-Mayer, The United States Five Cent Stamp of 1856 (p. 55). With 1977 and 1998 P.F. certificates. (Image)

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5¢ Red Brown (12), block of four, margins full to slightly cut in, used with 1¢ Blue, Type II (7), Plate 1E, each stamp cancelled by rimless grid which ties 1¢, the 5¢ block tied by "Donaldsonville La. Sep. 8" (1856) circular datestamp on blue folded cover to Maubourguet, France, addressed to Pascal Labusquierre, red "New-York Am. Pkt. Sep. 20" circular datestamp--carried on the Havre Line Fulton, departing New York September 20, 1856, and arriving at Havre October 3--red "Outre-Mer Le Havre 3 Oct. 56" arrival datestamp for incoming ship (non-contract) mail, manuscript "12" decimes due (7.5-15 grams), French receiving backstamps

Fine overall; 5¢ block has small faults, 1¢ gum soaks, cover refolded at bottom, toning affects stamps.

Our records contain four 5¢ 1856 blocks on cover. An intact block of six on cover is the largest of all recorded multiples (offered in this sale as lot 234). The cover offered here is also an extremely rare example of the 5¢ 1856 used to make up the American Packet rate to France. Only five fully prepaid 5¢ 1856 covers to France by American Packet are recorded, three of which are offered in this sale (lots 224-226).

There were two American Packet services to France available: Collins Line via England--21¢ per half-ounce rate with 8 decimes per 7.5 grams due for British transit and French inland postage; and Havre Line direct to France--20¢ per half-ounce rate with 6 decimes per 7.5 grams due for French inland postage. The two ships of the Havre Line, Fulton and Arago, made only 12 trips during the one-year period from March 1856 (earliest use of 5¢ 1856) until the new 15¢ U.S.-France treaty rate was implemented in April 1857.

Two of the five recorded American Packet covers were carried by the Collins Line via England. They are both correctly prepaid 21¢--one has a three-color franking (lot 225 in this sale), and the other has a strip of 5¢ and 1¢ single (ex Hargest and Beane; illustrated in Hargest book, p. 53).

Three covers were carried by the Havre Line direct to France. Only one has the correct amount of postage for the 20¢ rate (ex Walske, Sale 1119, lot 536). The other two are overpaid 1¢ (the cover offered here and lot 224 in this sale). It is believed that the practice of prepaying the slightly higher rate was a way to ensure that a letter would be sufficiently prepaid for the earliest available sailing from New York. The cover offered here is an example of a letter prepaid 21¢ for Collins Line service via England, but sent by the Havre Line direct to France (20¢ rate). This usage would be extraordinary with any composition of stamps, but the presence of an intact 5¢ 1856 block is truly miraculous. In New Orleans, where a large volume of 5¢ stamps were used, they were usually cut into strips. The river town of Donaldsonville in Ascension Parish was a low-volume source.

Ex Henry W. Hill, Rudolf Wunderlich, Louis Grunin, Ryohei Ishikawa and Frederick R. Mayer. Signed by Stanley B. Ashbrook and illustrated in his Special Service, #1, p. 3, photo 3. Illustrated in Hill, The United States Five Cent Stamps of 1856-1861 (p. 13) and Frajola-Mayer, The United States Five Cent Stamp of 1856 (p. 57). With 1993 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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5¢ Red Brown (12), large margins including part of adjoining stamp at right, rich color, used with 1¢ Blue, Type II (7) pair and 3¢ Deep Brownish Carmine, Type I (11), 1¢ mostly large margins except slightly in at bottom right, 3¢ clear to large margins, 1¢ and 3¢ stamps tied together by grid cancels, pair and 5¢ tied by "New Orleans La. Feb. 10" (1857) circular datestamp on blue folded cover to Nantes, France, from the Garnier correspondence, red "New-York Br. Pkt. Feb. 18" circular datestamp--carried on the Cunarder Africa, departing New York on February 18, 1857, and arriving at Liverpool March 2--red Liverpool datestamp on back and Calais arrival datestamp (both dated March 3), "GB/1F60C" framed Anglo-French accountancy handstamp, "8" decimes due handstamp crossed out and re-rated "16" decimes for double rate (7.5 to 15 grams), Paris transit backstamp (March 4)

Extremely Fine. This beautiful cover to France from the "Three Months" period is the only one recorded with this three-color combination of 1851 Issue stamps. It is generally regarded as the most visually appealing of the covers from this rate period of U.S.-France mails.

The "Three Months" period, from January 1 through March 31, 1857, is defined by the introduction of new markings on mail from the U.S. to France via Great Britain, carried by British or American Packet. The changes reflect the new G.B.-France postal treaty, effective January 1, 1857. The most obvious marking, the "GB/1F60C" Anglo-French accountancy handstamp, indicates the British bulk mail charges on letters to France transiting Great Britain. On April 1, 1857, this transitional period came to an end when the new U.S.-France postal treaty went into effect, and the 15¢ rate became the new standard.

Covers to France are often seen with a single-rate U.S. prepayment and double-rate French postage charge. This is due to the difference in weight standards, with the U.S. using a half-ounce increment versus the French 7.5 gram metric increment. However, "Three Months" covers with prepaid double-rate U.S. postage are rare. This cover is the only recorded example with the unusual 5¢ 1856 plus 1¢ and 3¢ combination franking. A letter exceeding the half-ounce U.S. single-rate weight limit would weigh more than 14.17 grams and come close to exceeding the 15-gram limit for the French double rate--this was just under 15 grams.

Ex Sir Nicolas Waterhouse, J. David Baker, Louis Grunin, Frederick R. Mayer and Joseph Hackmey. Illustrated in Bakers' U.S. Classics (p. 282) and Frajola-Mayer, The United States Five Cent Stamp of 1856 (p. 65). With 2005 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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5¢ Red Brown (12), large even margins, rich color, tied by neatly struck "New Orleans La. Jan. 19, 1857" circular datestamp on light blue folded letter to Massevaux, France, sender's blue oval handstamp, red "New-York Am. Pkt. Feb. 1" circular datestamp--carried by the Collins Line Atlantic, departing New York on February 1, 1857, and arriving at Liverpool February 14, the last American Packet sailing of the "Three Months" period--red Liverpool transit backstamp (February 16), "GB/40c" oval Anglo-French accountancy handstamp, Calais arrival datestamp (February 16), "5" decimes due handstamp for postage from England to France, French transit and receiving backstamps (February 18), Extremely Fine--the postage should have been prepaid 21¢ for the American Packet rate, but this was accepted with only the 5¢ stamp, it is recorded as the only 5¢ 1856 known on an American Packet cover to France during the "Three Months" period--ex Dr. Martin, Mayer and Hackmey, illustrated in Frajola-Mayer, The United States Five Cent Stamp of 1856 (p. 69), signed Ashbrook, with 1985 P.F. certificate (Image)

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5¢ Red Brown (12), horizontal strip of three, full margins to clear at top, rich color, tied by lightly struck "New Orleans La. Sep. 30, 1857" circular datestamp on blue folded letter to Port Vendres, France--sender's directive to go on the Cunard October 7 steamer sailing, but the New York exchange office held it for the next American steamer sailing scheduled for October 10, which was cancelled; instead, it went on the Inman Line City of Washington, departing October 15, 1857, and arriving at Liverpool October 28 under a special contract with the Post Office Department--"New York Paid 6 Oct. 10" 6¢ credit datestamp (American Packet), red Calais arrival datestamp (October 28), French receiving backstamps including Port Vendres (October 29), Very Fine, ex Caspary and Mayer, from our 1976 Rarities of the World sale, illustrated and described in detail in Frajola-Mayer, The United States Five Cent Stamp of 1856 (p. 77), signed Ashbrook (Image)

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5¢ Red Brown (12), horizontal strip of three, large bottom margin, others mostly clear, rich color, tied by lightly struck "New Orleans La. May 10, 1857" circular datestamps on blue folded letter to Paris, France, red "New York Paid 12 May 27" 12¢ credit datestamp--carried by the Cunarder Asia, departing New York on May 27, 1857, and arriving at Liverpool June 8--French arrival datestamp (June 9), red framed "P.D." handstamp, Paris receiving backstamp (June 9), left and bottom back panels removed, vertical fold between two left stamps, otherwise Fine, ex Tapp, Rohloff, Reed, Mayer and Hackmey, illustrated in Frajola-Mayer, The United States Five Cent Stamp of 1856 (p. 73), signed Ashbrook (Image)

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5¢ Red Brown (12), large side margins, clear or touching at top and bottom, deep shade, used with 10¢ Green, Type II (14), large margins, rich color, tied by lightly struck "New Orleans La. Apr. 6, 1857" circular datestamp on blue folded letter to Bordeaux, France, red "New York Paid 12 Apr. 15" 12¢ credit datestamp struck twice--carried by the Cunarder Asia, departing New York on April 15, 1857, and arriving at Liverpool April 28--French arrival datestamp (April 28), receiving backstamps including Bordeaux (April 30)--the French postal clerk erroneously rated this as a pre-treaty letter with manuscript "5" decimes due (American Packet) and re-rated "8" (British Packet), but nothing was due since the new 15¢ treaty rate was paid (undoubtedly the clerk was unfamiliar with the new procedures)--some wear and paper loss along folds, 5¢ slightly wrinkled, otherwise Fine, ex Moody, Walter Hubbard, Mayer and Hackmey, illustrated in Frajola-Mayer, The United States Five Cent Stamp of 1856 (p. 72), with 2006 P.F. certificate (Image)

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5¢ Red Brown (12), vertical strip of three, huge margins, used with 10¢ Green, Type III/II/III (15/14/15) vertical combination strip, both strips have large margins and are tied by "New Orleans La. Jul. 14, 1857" circular datestamps on light blue folded letter and prices current report to Trie sur Baise, France, bold red "New York Paid 36 Jul. 22" 36¢ credit datestamp--carried on the Cunarder Arabia, departing New York on July 22, 1857, and arriving at Liverpool August 2--red Calais arrival datestamp (August 3), Paris transit and Trie receiving backstamps (August 4)

Very Fine; certificate notes some toning along right side of 5¢ strip (top of strip partly lifted off cover) and 10¢ strip with small paper adherences and faint creasing--utterly trivial flaws which do not diminish the quality or importance of this stellar multiple-rate franking and cover.

The 1851-56 Imperforate issues are rarely found paying the 45¢ triple treaty rate on covers to France, because the triple rate is unusual and perforated issues began to replace imperforate stamps in the summer and fall of 1857, just months after the treaty went into effect on April 1, 1857. We have found references to two other covers with strips of three of the 5¢ 1856 and 10¢ 1855 Issues in the Ashbrook index card records at The Philatelic Foundation: 1) from Boston, date unknown, ex Waterhouse 1924 sale, strips cut in; and 2) from New Orleans, August 20, 1857, ex Ackerman. However, despite these written notes, we have been unable to find photos or more current sale records for these two covers. It is significant that we have no computerized record of having offered a 45¢ rate cover with the 5¢ 1856, nor can we find another in a search of auction catalogues or in our Scott 12 census (other than the Waterhouse and Ackerman citations).

This cover ranks among the most important of classic United States imperforate issue covers. Its provenance has eluded us, and it is believed to have originated from a long-dormant collection when it surfaced in a 2007 Cherrystone auction. This is the first major name sale in which this cover has been offered, and we expect it will achieve proper recognition in the context of the Gross sale.

Ex Joseph Hackmey. With 2007 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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5¢ Red Brown (12), horizontal block of six, margins to cut in at sides, rich color, tied by four strikes of "Richmond Va. Jul. 23, 1857" circular datestamp on blue folded letter to Bremen, Germany, redirected to Münder Springe (Hanover), sender's directive (partly covered by block) to go by Havre Line Arago from New York--carried on that steamer, departing New York July 25, 1857, and arriving at Southampton August 6--red "N. York Am. Pkt. 7 Paid Jul. 25" 7¢ credit datestamp for Prussian Closed Mail, red "AACHEN 7/8 FRANCO" (August 7) framed datestamp, red crayon "1-1/2" silbergroschen rate for forwarding, blue Münder receiving backstamp (August 9)

This block was originally folded over the top edge of the folded letter. The letter has been opened up, the crease in the block has been pressed out (small faults), and the letter seam along top has been trimmed and repaired with backing paper. A vertical file fold is reinforced with tape, causing slight staining. With modest professional paper conservation, this important artifact certainly could be made more attractive.

Our records show 11 blocks of the 5¢ 1856 Issue, including two unused blocks of four, five off-cover used blocks, and four blocks on cover. This block of six is the largest of all recorded multiples on or off cover. The Rohloff collection contained a block of five on cover (originally a block of six, from which one stamp was removed), and all others are blocks of four, including those cut from a larger pen-cancelled multiple.

Ex J. M. Bartels sale, 3/18-21/1921; ex Dr. Clarence H. Eagle, J. C. Morgenthau sale, 4/4-10/1923; ex Mercury Stamp Co. sale, 3/14-15/1946; ex Ezra D. Cole, Stephen D. Bechtel (1993 Rarities of the World sale, Sale 755, lot 46), Frederick R. Mayer and Joseph Hackmey. Illustrated in Hill, The United States Five Cent Stamps of 1856-1861 (p. 13) and Frajola-Mayer, The United States Five Cent Stamp of 1856 (p. 115). With 1994 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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5¢ Red Brown (12), large margin at left to clear or just touched on other sides, used with 1¢ Blue, Type IV (9) and vertical pair of 12¢ Black (17), 1¢ three large margins and slightly in at top, 12¢ mostly clear, matching grid cancels, "Wilmington Del. Feb. 20" (1857) circular datestamp on cover to Schorndorf, Wurttemberg, Germany, red "N. York Am. Pkt. 7 Paid Feb. 21" 7¢ credit datestamp for Prussian Closed Mail--carried on the Ocean Line Washington, departing New York February 21, 1857, and arriving at Southampton March 7--red "AACHEN 8/3 FRANCO" (March 8) framed datestamp, German transit and receiving backstamps including Schorndorf (March 11), docketed with name of sender and state of origin across lower half of cover tying 1¢ stamp, 12¢ bottom stamp has crease and tear, small piece of backflap removed, otherwise Fine, only two foreign-destination covers are recorded with this combination of 1851 Imperforate denominations, ex Mayer and Hackmey, illustrated in Frajola-Mayer, The United States Five Cent Stamp of 1856 (p. 113), with 2006 P.F. certificate (Image)

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