2013 Rarities of the World continued...

AN IMPORTANT NEW FIND IN UNITED STATES OFFICIAL ISSUES AND OFFERED TO THE MARKET FOR THE FIRST TIME. THIS "COMMODORE CALDWELL" COVER IS ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE 30-CENT NAVY DEPARTMENT STAMP ON COVER AND ONE OF THREE 12-CENT NAVY COVERS. ITS TWIN COVER FROM THE STARNES COLLECTION HAS LONG BEEN WIDELY REGARDED AS ONE OF THE "TOP TEN" OFFICIAL COVERS EXTANT. THIS NEWLY DISCOVERED COVER NOW TAKES ITS PLACE ALONSIDE THE STARNES COVER AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT UNITED STATES OFFICIAL COVERS.

When Siegel Auction Galleries sold the Starnes collection in 2007, the Caldwell 30c Navy Department cover was believed to be the only on-cover use of this stamp extant. The Starnes cover is an almost exact match to the cover offered here, but it was mailed in January 1877. A descendent of Commodore Caldwell was performing genealogical internet research on his ancestor and found the Siegel description for the Starnes 30c cover. He realized his family possessed several similar covers and consigned the group to Siegel for auction. In addition to this 30c Navy cover, the collection includes three 1c and 10c (2) combination covers (two offered in this sale as lots 389 and 390) as well as two other covers which are each unfortunately missing a stamp (one with a 6c Navy stamp missing a 15c, the other with a pair of 10c stamps missing a 1c). Les Lanphear, in his updated census of overseas Official covers, records 19 Navy Department covers, not counting the six newly-discovered Caldwell covers.

Commodore Charles H. B. Caldwell (1823-1877) was the commander of the U.S. Navy's South Atlantic Station, commanding the flagship U.S.S. Richmond from 1876-1877. As an officer during the Civil War, commanding the U.S.S. Itasca in the Gulf Blockading Squadron, Caldwell captured the Confederate schooner Lizzie Weston off Florida in January 1862 en route to Jamaica with a cargo of cotton. An obituary (included with lot) describes his heroics in the subsequent campaign to capture New Orleans in April 1862: "He personally commanded and directed the hazardous operation of cutting the chains across the Mississippi, between the forts, under heavy fire, which opened the way for Farragut in his memorable passage of the batteries." This action was memorialized in a drawing by M. J. Burns of Lt. Caldwell cutting the chains, which appeared in Scribner's Popular History of the United States in 1898 (p. 11). In late 1862, Caldwell commanded the USS Essex in the Union Mortar Flotilla which opened the bombardment of the Confederate works at Port Hudson, Louisiana.

These Navy Department Caldwell covers originate from the commander's son, Henry, who served as secretary aboard the Richmond. Henry kept a staff journal in 1876 and 1877 which recorded weather, location, and other information. A few photocopied pages of the journal accompany this lot. The journal abruptly ends in August 1877, close to the time of his father's death. Henry took the covers off the Richmond and they remained with him until his death in 1906. The covers then passed to Henry's younger brother, the descendents of whom retained them until now.

The 42c postage pays the double 21c rate to Brazil via Great Britain. At this time Brazil was not a member of the U.P.U. Therefore, the U.S. retained 5c of the 21c postage and credited G.B. with 16c for carrying the letter to Brazil. The double credit (32c) is expressed in centimes, as required by the U.P.U. regulations.

Accompanied by background information, some unpublished, provided by the family on Commodore Caldwell and his son Henry. (Image)

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VERY FINE. THIS NEWLY DISCOVERED 10-CENT NAVY "COMMODORE CALDWELL" COVER IS OFFERED TO THE MARKET FOR THE FIRST TIME. PRIOR TO THE DISCOVERY OF THE CALDWELL COVERS OFFERED IN THIS SALE, THERE WAS ONLY ONE 10-CENT NAVY COVER KNOWN.

A descendent of Commodore Caldwell was performing genealogical internet research on his ancestor and found the Siegel description for the Starnes collection Caldwell 30c Navy cover. He realized his family possessed several similar covers and consigned the group to Siegel for auction. In addition to this 10c Navy cover, the collection includes two other 1c and 10c (2) combination covers (one other offered in this sale as lot 390), as well as the twin to the heretofore unique 30c cover (offered as lot 388). Two other covers are each unfortunately missing a stamp (one with a 6c Navy stamp missing a 15c, the other with a pair of 10c stamps missing a 1c). Les Lanphear, in his updated census of overseas Official covers, records 19 Navy Department covers, not counting the six newly discovered Caldwell covers.

Prior to this find the only 10c Navy cover known was the famous U.S. Naval Observatory cover to Paris. The total now stands at four complete franking covers plus the cover with the missing 1c stamp

The 21c postage pays the single rate to Brazil via Great Britain. At this time Brazil was not a member of the U.P.U. Therefore, the U.S. retained 5c of the 21c postage and credited G.B. with 16c for carrying the letter to Brazil. The credit is expressed in centimes, as required by the U.P.U. regulations. (Image)

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FINE APPEARANCE. A NEWLY DISCOVERED 10-CENT NAVY "COMMODORE CALDWELL" COVER AND OFFERED TO THE MARKET FOR THE FIRST TIME. PRIOR TO THE DISCOVERY OF THE CALDWELL COVERS OFFERED IN THIS SALE, THERE WAS ONLY ONE 10-CENT NAVY COVER KNOWN.

A descendent of Commodore Caldwell was performing genealogical internet research on his ancestor and found the Siegel description for the Starnes collection Caldwell 30c Navy cover. He realized his family possessed several similar covers and consigned the group to Siegel for auction. In addition to this 10c Navy cover, the collection includes two other 1c and 10c (2) combination covers (one other offered in this sale as lot 389), as well as the twin to the heretofore unique 30c cover (offered as lot 388). Two other covers are each unfortunately missing a stamp (one with a 6c Navy stamp missing a 15c, the other with a pair of 10c stamps missing a 1c). Les Lanphear, in his updated census of overseas Official covers, records 19 Navy Department covers, not counting the six newly discovered Caldwell covers.

Prior to this find the only 10c Navy cover known was the famous U.S. Naval Observatory cover to Paris. The total now stands at four complete franking covers plus the cover with the missing 1c stamp

The 21c postage pays the single rate to Brazil via Great Britain. At this time Brazil was not a member of the U.P.U. Therefore, the U.S. retained 5c of the 21c postage and credited G.B. with 16c for carrying the letter to Brazil. The credit is expressed in centimes, as required by the U.P.U. regulations. (Image)

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ONLY FOUR 30-CENT WAR DEPARTMENT COVERS ARE RECORDED, AND THIS IS THE ONLY MULTIPLE FRANKING AMONG THEM. AN OUTSTANDING OFFICIAL HIGH-VALUE COVER.

John W. Kline was a well-known collector of coins, medals and numismatic literature. John Wanamaker, to whose care this package to Kline was directed, is known as the Father of the modern department store and commercial advertising (he was appointed Postmaster General in 1889).

The census by Alan C. Campbell (High Value Official Stamps on Cover, Chronicle 188, Nov. 2000, pp. 287-299) lists four 30c War Dept. covers, including three with singles and the 6c War. Since publication of that article, one additional cover (a label) has been found. This is the only 30c War multiple known on cover. The $1.20 postage may have paid the 10c per bound volume rate for 12 bound volumes, or possibly the 40x domestic 3c rate for 20 ounces.

Ex Hughes, Starnes and Lobdell. With 2011 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE $2.00 STATE DEPARTMENT WITH "SPECIMEN" OVERPRINT.

According to Scott Catalogue, the Officials with "Specimen" overprint were made in 1875 at the same time as the other Reprints, Re-Issues and Special Printings. They were issued without gum. Probably due to their official nature they received the "Specimen" overprint -- most other series issued at the same time (Scott 123-132 etc.) were valid for postage. Only 32 were sold.

Ex Sheriff, Lietzow and Lewenthal. Illustrated in Combs. (Image)

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VERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE $1.92 NEWSPAPER CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY SPECIAL PRINTING. ONLY 41 WERE SOLD.

No examples of this rarity were offered in either the Floyd or Lessin sales, and the Lyons copy was not as well centered. This is only the fourth example we have offered since keeping computerized records.

Ex Hoffman. With 2000 P.F. and 2005 P.S.E. certificates (F-VF 75, SMQ $15,600.00). This stamp is the only graded example, and it has far better centering than most we have encountered. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. A SCARCE MINT NEVER HINGED PLATE BLOCK OF THE 75-CENT PARCEL POST STAMP.

As an indication of rarity, Scott Catalogue prices a Mint N.H. plate block at almost four times the price of six Mint N.H. singles. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. A RARE SOUND AND CENTERED EXAMPLE OF THE $200.00 "SMALL PERSIAN RUG" -- ONE OF THE MOST COLORFUL STAMPS IN UNITED STATES PHILATELY.

With 1984 and 2012 P.F. certificates (Image)

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VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE AND DESIRABLE COMPLETE COLLECTION OF FEDERAL DUCK STAMP PRINTS FROM 1934 TO 2002, CONTAINING NUMEROUS BETTER EDITIONS. RARELY OFFERED AS AN INTACT COLLECTION.

A spreadsheet is linked which lists the edition of each print and contains comments on a number of prints. While the two most valuable Duck prints (1st edition Nos. RW6-RW7) are present here as 2nd editions (which are also very rare), most of the collection is made up of 1st edition prints, including the rare 1959 print (RW26). Executive edition prints make up the most recent years.

The widely used pricing guide for Federal Duck Stamp prints is the Stearns & Fink album and guide. Total retail value using Stearns & Fink is more than $170,000.00. Buyer will be responsible for pickup or Fedex shipping which, for domestic ground, will be approximately $1,000

For full inventory and condition notes, go to: http://www.siegelauctions.com/2013/1048/Duck_Prints.pdf (Image)

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