California Mails and Western Expresses, Carriers, Locals and Independent Mails continued...

THE UNIQUE TETE-BECHE BLOCK OF THE BALTIMORE ONE-CENT BLUE CARRIER STAMP. THE LARGEST RECORDED BLOCK AND ONE OF TWO TETE-BECHE MULTIPLES OF THE 1850-55 ISSUE. A SPECTACULAR EXAMPLE OF THE WORK-AND-TURN METHOD OF TYPOGRAPHY USED TO PRINT SHEETS.

One other tete-beche multiple is recorded: a strip of five with one inverted stamp at top, heavily creased. This block is illustrated in the Kelly series (Collectors Club Philatelist, Vol. 51, No. 4, p. 221).

Signed Costales. Ex Hollowbush, Golden and D.K. Collection. With 2000 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail $5,500.00. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. THE FAMOUS AND UNIQUE PAIR OF THE RARE GREEN BALTIMORE CARRIER STAMP. ONE OF TWO RECORDED USED MULTIPLES OF ANY BALTIMORE CARRIER ISSUE AND A SIGNIFICANT EXAMPLE OF THE 2-CENT RATE PREPAID BY STAMPS.

Denwood N. Kelly describes this pair in his Collectors Club Philatelist series (Vol. 51, No. 3, p. 157): "The only piece known to the writer that offers definite evidence that such a two cent fee [for delivery from the post office] was occasionally prepaid is the pair of one cent green stamps (Scott 1LB4) used on a small piece of cover, pencil cancelled... This rare pair, formerly in the Frank A. Hollowbush collection, was sold to a professional in 1946 by a Baltimorean who claimed to have torn it off a letter as he was destroying some family correspondence... the supposition is that the pair of stamps was used by some person temporarily out of the city who mailed a letter home and used the stamps to prepay its delivery by carrier when it arrived in Baltimore, having taken the stamps with him for the purpose. There is also the good possibility that the pair paid a special two cent rate for a bulk mailing of a magazine or other printed matter... This is one of only two examples on record of used multiples of Baltimore carrier stamps."

Ex Hollowbush, Boker, Golden and D.K. Collection. With 2000 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail $5,500.00. (Image)

VERY FINE. THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE RARE GREEN BALTIMORE CARRIER STAMP TIED BY THE BLUE GRID CANCEL. ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING OF ALL BALTIMORE CARRIER COVERS.

Denwood N. Kelly describes this cover in his Collectors Club Philatelist series (Vol. 51, No. 4, p. 211): "This rare cover is now in a prominent Eastern collection [Middendorf] and in addition to being a fine example of late usage is also an example of a drop letter delivered by carrier for the rate of one cent, as specified under the Act of April 3, 1860, the Baltimore circular date stamp showing that the letter had first been handed in at the Post Office and then turned over to the Carrier Department for delivery." Our records and a thorough search of auction catalogues turned up no other example of the Green stamp tied by the blue grid.

Ex Caspary, Middendorf, Golden and D.K. Collection. With 2000 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail $3,500.00 without premium for markings. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE OF THE RED-ON-WHITE BALTIMORE CARRIER STAMP -- RARE IN ANY FORM AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE TIED ON COVER.

Accompanied by a note from Daniel F. Kelleher: "Dear Doctor Cleveland -- Being aware of your fondness of nice items, I am taking the liberty of submitting this item for your approval. Only 5 or 6 copies are known to exist. This example being the finest existing on cover. The price is very reasonable. It lists $850.00 on cover." (1951).

Ex Emerson (Kelleher Sale 402, lot 186), Golden and D.K. Collection. With 1950 and 2000 P.F. certificates. Scott Retail $4,500.00. (Image)