Session Three (lots 360-563): Thursday, October 29, 2020, at 1:30pm continued...

5¢ Red Brown (1), margins to in, deep shade and intermediate impression, trace of red circular datestamp from first use, re-used with two 1¢ Blue, Ty. IV (9) and 3¢ Dull Red, Ty. II (11A), margins to in except 3¢ four margins, cancelled by penstrokes, one 1¢ tied by red "Exeter N.Y. Jan. 1" (ca. 1856) circular datestamp on small black-bordered mourning envelope to Augustin W. Hale in San Francisco, California, receipt docketing at top left, accompanied by a cover from the same correspondence with 1¢ Blue, Type IV (9) and a strip of three 3¢ 1851 stamps

PROVENANCE

Daniel F. Kelleher sale, 1/6/1922, lot 21

Henry C. Gibson, Sr., Philip H. Ward, Jr sale, 6/14/1944, lot 21

Creighton C. Hart, Robert G. Kaufmann sale, 4/30/1990, lot 349

Guido Craveri, Bennett sale, 9/20/2003, lot 1165, to Hackmey

Joseph Hackmey (collection sold privately to William H. Gross, 2010)

CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES

USPCS census no. 5706 https://www.uspcs.org/resource-center/censuses/1847-cover-census/

Hugh J. and J. David Baker, Bakers' U.S. Classics, p. 181

Jesse L. Coburn, Letters of Gold, p. 42

CERTIFICATION

The Philatelic Foundation (1990)

CONDITION NOTES

Very Fine; 5¢ stamp small nick at bottom center

HISTORY AND COMMENTARY

Illegal Re-use of 1847 Stamp in 1856

This black-bordered mourning envelope is an extraordinarily late use of the demonetized 1847 Issue. The 5¢ stamp is combined with 1¢ and 3¢ 1851 Issue stamps to make up the 10¢ rate to the West Coast. Since that rate went into effect on April 1, 1855, this was probably mailed in January 1856 from Exeter, New York, to San Francisco. Another cover from the same correspondence is similarly dated and has a strip of 3¢ and single 1¢--it is included with the cover offered here.

Upon close examination, the 5¢ stamp shows evidence of re-use. Traces of a red circular datestamp are visible at the bottom, indicating that the lightly cancelled stamp was removed from another cover and affixed by the sender. Re-use of stamps was illegal, and surviving examples are rare. The re-use of a stamp that was demonetized at least five years earlier was especially audacious. Perhaps the mourning envelope evoked the Exeter postmaster’s sympathy, or perhaps he was half-blind.

Biographical information about the addressee is available at the Online Archives of California (OAC). The following is excerpted from the website entry:

Augustin Ward Hale (1814-1902), a resident of New Jersey and New York, sailed for California in January 1849 on the brig Pacific. He was a member of a joint venture called the New England Mining and Trading Company (Mark Hopkins was also a member of the company, which was disbanded shortly after its arrival in California). The ship reached San Francisco in August. Hale traveled to Sacramento City and then to the mining camp Mormon Island. Along with mining, Hale spent the 1850s investing in various business ventures, most of which failed. In 1851 Augustin created the Saucelito Water Company, one of his more successful businesses. By 1855, Hale was back in the mines, including Michigan Bluff and Big Bar, but this time he also worked as an engineer constructing flumes, waterwheels and pumps. In 1857 Hale returned east to visit his family. He returned to California and tried his hand at bee keeping. Between 1860 and 1862, Hale was in Silver City and Gold Hill, Nevada, where he was participating in the opening of the Comstock Lode as an engineer.

Including this cover, there are only three or four 1847 covers used in the post-April 1855 period when the 10¢ transcontinental rate was in effect. This cover was first sold at auction in 1922 in a Daniel F. Kelleher sale. It became part of Henry C. Gibson, Sr.’s 1847 collection and later was owned in succession by Creighton C. Hart, Guido Craveri and Joseph Hackmey. The entire Hackmey collection was acquired by William H. Gross in a private transaction in 2010. (Image)

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5¢ Red Brown (1), large margins to clear, bright shade and sharp impression from cleaned plate, affixed with red wax seal, black "Alexandria Va. Mar. 25" circular datestamp on folded letter datelined "Carmont near Alexandria Va., 24th March 1853", matching "5" handstamp for postage due from recipient, docketed "French Forrest notice of Emily his daughters death 24 March 1853", stamp with creases partly caused by wax seal, Very Fine appearance, an extremely late attempted use of the 1847 Issue, illustrated in Chronicle 1973 Silver Anniversary issue (p. 32), discovered by John Birkinbine II in the Forrest estate, ex Hart and Boker (Image)

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