United States Stamp Treasures: The William H. Gross Collection continued...

DESCRIPTION

1¢ Blue, Type Ib (5A), Position 5R1E--the fifth stamp in the top row of the right pane of Plate 1 Early, showing nearly full design elements at top and bottom--large top sheet margin and full margins on other three sides, showing all of the ornamentation that distinguishes this type from all others, beautiful bright early printing shade--known to collectors as Robin’s Egg Blue--tied by single clear strike of grid cancel in dark red with matching PAID” handstamp, Boston Mas. Jul. 1” 1851 First Day of Issue circular datestamp struck in a much brighter and more vivid shade of red on blue folded circular with printed dateline OFFICE OF PATHFINDER RAILWAY GUIDE } BOSTON, JUNE 30, 1851” from Snow & Wilder, publishers of the Pathfinder Railway Guide, a routine request for changes to advertisements for the recipient’s railroad line, addressed to Silvanus Bourne, Superintendent of the Cape Cod Branch Railroad in Sandwich, Massachusetts, receipt docketing June 30, 1851, Snow & Wilder”

PROVENANCE

* Robert S. Emerson, Daniel F. Kelleher, 10/19/1937, Sale 394, lot 42 with Emerson’s pencil note DFK Type I-B 5R1E” on back, which points to Daniel F. Kelleher as the source of the cover

* Clara DeWindt (according to Ashbrook and Hulme)

* Lester Downing (according to Hulme)

* Morris Fortgang (his pencil note on back); additional pencil note on back Sam Paige” possibly as a dealer source

* Laurence S. Fisher, Shreves Philatelic Galleries sale, 5/30/1996, lot 11, to William H. Gross

CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES

* Stanley B. Ashbrook, The United States One Cent Stamp of 1851-1857, 1938 edition, Vol. 1, fig. 15-U, p. 120

* Lester G. Brookman, United States Postage Stamps of the 19th Century, Vol. I, fig 161, p. 116

* W. Wilson Hulme, II July lst 1851 Usages of the U.S. 1851 Issue,” The 1851 Issue of United States Stamps: A Sesquicentennial Retrospective, p. 119

* Mortimer L. Neinken, The United States One Cent Stamp of 1851 to 1861, fig. 10-U, p. 78

* World Stamp Show 2016 Court of Honor (Gross)

CONDITION NOTES

* Extremely Fine stamp and folded circular with vertical file fold

* Pencil note on back by Morris Fortgang, describing this as the only recognized first day 1¢ 1851 in circulation,” at a time when the one other recorded cover (New York July 1, 1851, with 1¢ Type II strip) was in the Jefferys collection at the Franklin Institute

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DESCRIPTION

1¢ Blue, Type Ib-I Combination Pair (5A-5), Positions 6-7R1E--the sixth and seventh stamps in the top row of the right pane of Plate 1 Early, including the coveted Type I with the complete ornamentation all around--horizontal pair with huge top sheet margin and mostly large margins all around, deep Plate 1 Early shade and impression, cancelled by two strikes of blue Nashville Te. Nov. 14” (1851) circular datestamp, bright and fresh paper and color

PROVENANCE

As a strip of three, Positions 6-8R1E:

* George H. Worthington, J. C. Morgenthau sale, 8/21-23/1917, lot 40, to Stanley B. Ashbrook

* John H. Clapp (died in 1940; collection sold to Spencer Anderson)

* Harmer, Rooke sale, 4/26/1944, lot 52

* Greg Manning sale, 9/23/1983, lot 30

Right stamp removed, sold as a pair, Positions 6-7R1E:

* James Hewitt, Steve Ivy Philatelic Auctions AMERIPEX sale, 5/26/1986, lot 93, to Allan Fox

* Allan Fox, Spink Shreves Galleries, 3/24-25/2011, lot 11, to William H. Gross

CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES

* Waghal census no. 5-MUL-063

* https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/5

CERTIFICATION

* The Philatelic Foundation (1983) for strip of three

CONDITION NOTES

* Extremely Fine

* Part of Stanley B. Ashbrook signature in pencil remains

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DESCRIPTION

1¢ Blue, Type I (5), Position 7R1E, beautiful bright Plate 1 Early color and sharp impression, full to large margins showing trace of Position 8R1E at right, only the tips of the upper left side ornaments are shaved (and barely so), lightly tied by blue Philadelphia Pa. 1 Paid Feb. [day]” (1852) integral-rate circular datestamp on blue folded printed First Annual Report of the United States Life Insurance, Annuity & Trust Company with beautiful two-tone illustration of building on inside, also printed on a large part of address panel, neatly addressed to J. F. Van Nort in Newburgh, New York

PROVENANCE

* Alfred H. Caspary, H. R. Harmer sale, 1/16-18/1956, lot 186, to K.E.”

* J. David Baker, Siegel Auction Galleries, 4/24/1968, Sale 333, lot 612, to Vogel

* Raymond Vogel, Siegel Auction Galleries, 12/7/2010, Sale 998, lot 1, to William H. Gross

CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES

* Wagshal census no. 5-COV-074

* https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/5

* ANPHILEX 1996, Alumni Exhibits (Vogel)

CERTIFICATION

* The Philatelic Foundation (2011)

CONDITION NOTES

* Extremely Fine stamp and folded circular with horizontal fold at top well clear of stamp

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DESCRIPTION

1¢ Blue, Types II and IV (7, 9), the complete unused (no gum) pane of 100 from the right of Plate 1 Late, with Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co. BANK NOTE ENGRAVERS. Phila. New York, Boston & Cincinnati” imprint and No. 1” plate number at right and interpane margin and centerline at left, Position 4R is Type II--the only subject on the plate that was not recut--and the other 99 positions are Type IV with recut lines at top and/or bottom, the top row includes all of the former Type I (7R1E) and Ib positions (3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9R1E) that were transformed into Type IV when the plate was reworked, Position 89R is another interesting plate variety with a wide break in the bottom curved line

PROVENANCE

* Samuel L. Richey (sold privately)

* Mortimer L. Neinken (sold privately to Ishikawa)

* Ryohei Ishikawa, Sotheby Parke Bernet sale, 6/24/1980, Sale 46, lot 103

* Roland H. Cipolla II, Barry Reiger sale, 4/5/1983, lot 20

CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES

* Stanley B. Ashbrook, The United States One Cent Stamp of 1851-1857, 1938 edition, Vol. 1, p. 141 and fig. 16-Q, p. 143

* Mortimer L. Neinken, The United States One Cent Stamp of 1851 to 1861, fig. 11-P, p. 128

CONDITION NOTES

* The following faults are insignificant in this unique artifact: two creases between rows; some stamps are thinned where the pane was apparently stuck down; patched hole in Position 81R, small piece missing from sheet margin at upper left; stains in three stamps

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DESCRIPTION

1¢ Blue, Type IIIa/Ia (8A/6), Positions 85-86/95-96L4, block of four containing combination of Types Ia (bottom pair) and IIIa (top pair), original gum, lightly hinged, deep Plate 4 color on bright fresh paper, large margins including sheet margin at bottom, just barely into top of upper right stamp

PROVENANCE

* Henry J. Duveen (listed in Phillips’s November 1922 book as a block of six; sold privately to Hind through Phillips)

* Arthur Hind, Phillips-Kennett sale, 11/20-24/1933, lot 110 as a block of six, Positions 84-86/94-96L4--left vertical pair (84/94L) had faults and was removed after sale (according to Ward)

* Henry C. Gibson, Sr. (sold privately to Ward)

* Philip H. Ward, Jr. (bought privately, estate sold to Weills, 1963)

* Benjamin D. Phillips (bought from Weills out of Ward estate, 1964; collection sold privately to Weills, 1968)

* Siegel Auction Galleries, 1969 Rarities of the World, 3/25/1969, Sale 350, lot 23, to Grunin

* Louis Grunin, H. R. Harmer sale, 12/14-15/1976, lot 2089, to Klein

* Walter C. Klein, Christie’s Robson Lowe sale, 9/27/1988, lot 45, to Zoellner

* Robert Zoellner, Siegel Auction Galleries, 10/8-10/1998, Sale 804, lot 21, to William H. Gross

CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES

* National Philatelic Museum, 1951, p. 358

* Jonathan W. Rose, Classic United States Imperforate Stamps, p. 45

* Philip H. Ward, Jr., United States Early Unused Blocks 1847-1869,” 1960 Congress Book

* ANPHILEX 1996 Invited Exhibits (Zoellner)

CONDITION NOTES

* Essentially sound block with bottom pair of Scott 6 Extremely Fine; faint horizontal crease touches top of bottom pair, minute surface scuff specks barely visible without magnification

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DESCRIPTION

1¢ Blue, Type Ia (6), Positions 97-99R4, the finest horizontal strip of three extant, with large bottom sheet margin providing a backdrop to the key element of each Type Ia stamp--the complete ornamentation at bottom, including both plumes--intense Plate 4 shade and early impression, each stamp neatly cancelled by fancy Star of David cancel, Chicopee Mass. May 14” circular datestamp on orange-buff cover to Miss Frances Olcott in South Windsor, Connecticut

PROVENANCE

* Saul Newbury, Siegel Auction Galleries, Part 2, 10/17/1961, Sale 244, lot 97, to Haas

* Marc Haas, Stanley Gibbons Auctions Ltd. (London), 5/9/1980, lot 19, to Grunin

* Louis Grunin, Christie’s Robson Lowe sale, Part One, 3/25/1987, lot 2, illustrated on catalogue front cover, to Zoellner

* Robert Zoellner, Siegel Auction Galleries, 10/8-10/1998, Sale 804, lot 24, to Hackmey

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

CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES

* Lester G. Brookman, United States Postage Stamps of the 19th Century, Vol. I, fig. 156, p. 114

* ANPHILEX 1996 Invited Exhibits (Zoellner)

CERTIFICATION

* The Philatelic Foundation (1998)

CONDITION NOTES

* Extremely Fine strip and pristine cover

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