2009 Rarities of the World continued...

VERY FINE. ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL LOCAL POST STAMPS -- FIVE GENUINE EXAMPLES ARE REPORTED TO EXIST.

Researchers have argued over the origins of this post, but the best evidence available indicates that it was run briefly in 1856 as American Express Co. (no relation to the well-known firm by the name name) by proprietors Smith and Dobson, and was changed to Smith's City Express Post after Dobson departed. Several excellent forgeries of this stamp exist (the example in the Golden sale is evidently one of the forgeries). An article by William W. Sammis (Penny Post, April 2005) reports a fifth genuine copy of 4L1.

Ex Ferrary and Schwartz (Siegel Sale 824, lot 380, realized $8,000 hammer) (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. A CHOICE EXAMPLE OF THE RARE BENTLEY'S 10L2 STAMP WITH "PAID" CANCEL. ONLY SIX OF THE SEVEN RECORDED STAMPS ARE AVAILABLE TO COLLECTORS.

Ex Schwartz. (Image)

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A FINE EXAMPLE OF THIS EXTREMELY RARE STAMP, OF WHICH SEVEN EXAMPLES ARE RECORDED.

This Brigg's usage is enigmatic. There is no street address for Wm. H. Newbold, but the sender did mark the letter "Paid", and the Brigg's stamp is cancelled (but not tied). The docketing identifies the sender as George S. Robbins & Son, a well-known New York City firm. The cover entered the Philadelphia post office and was rated "5" with their distinctive blue handstamp. If the stamp originated on this cover and Brigg's was involved, it must have been carried outside the mails to Philadelphia and given to Brigg's for delivery -- without a street address, the cover was dropped at the post office. Refusing to accept it as a drop letter, Philadelphia rated it 5c due. The alternate explanation is that the cover came into Philadelphia by railroad and was never handled by Brigg's, which would of course make the stamp superfluous to the cover. Because of the possibility that this genuine 25L1 stamp has been added to the cover, it is offered on its own merits.

Ex Souren, Gibson, Boker and Golden. With 1999 P.F. certificate affirming the genuineness of the stamp but declining opinion as to whether it originated on this cover (Image)

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VERY FINE STAMP AND A RARE COVER. ONLY NINE BRIGG'S DESPATCH "HAND & ENVELOPE" STAMPS ARE KNOWN ON ANY COLOR OF PAPER -- THIS STAMP ON DISTINCTLY YELLOW PAPER IS ONE OF SEVEN RECORDED 25L1'S ON COVERS.

Patton's history of Brigg's Despatch follows earlier accounts in attributing ownership to George W. Briggs, who Patton states is listed in Philadelphia city directories as a "currier" (mis-spelling for carrier) from 1841 through 1855. Based on surviving stamps and covers, Brigg's started his post in 1848 and probably closed the business in 1850. His office was located at 61 South 8th Street. Blood's office was located at 48 South 3rd Street in 1848 and moved to 28 South 6th Street in 1849. The similarity in design and issue dates between the Brigg's "Hand & Envelope" and Small "Paid" stamps and Blood's "Dove & Envelope" and Small "Paid" stamps suggests that Brigg's was a small copycat post.

Our records of the "Hand & Envelope" issue contain two off-cover stamps (one added to a cover) and seven covers, including the unique example on Blue paper (25L2, ex Golden). The design of the stamp is stylistically identical to Blood's "Dove & Envelope" (15L11), issued about the same time in 1848. Although the Scott Catalogue describes 25L1 paper as "Yellow-Buff", a comparison of the two 25L1 stamps offered in the Golden sale shows that one is on Yellow paper (as is the stamp on the cover offered here) and the other is on Rose paper (Golden lot 786). Other recorded 25L1 stamps are not available for comparison (nor are there any color photographs or accurate descriptions), so it is impossible to say how many are Yellow or Rose, or if other color varieties exists. The 25L1/25L2 examples we record (updated from the Golden sale) are as follows: 1) 25L1, Yellow paper, cut to shape, ms. "X" cancel, on Jul. 26 (1847-48) local folded letter to Wilkins, Golden (Siegel Sale 817, lot 785, realized $10,500 hammer), 2) 25L1, Rose paper, ms. "X", on folded letter with Philadelphia "5" handstamp, docketed Nov. 11, 1849, PFC "decline opinion" as to use, ex Souren, Gibson, Boker, Golden (Siegel Sale 817, lot 786, realized $9,500 hammer), 3) 25L1, Yellow paper, ms. "X" cancel, Jun. 7, 1848 folded letter to Rev. Ward, Washington D.C., part blue Philadelphia datestamp, the cover offered here, ex Caspary, Hall (Siegel Sale 830, lot 508, realized $6,250 hammer), 4) 25L1, ms. "X" cancel, tied by Philadelphia Jun. 29 datestamp on 1848 folded letter to Pennypacker, West Chester Pa., ex Boker, 5) 25L1, ms. "X" cancel, on local cover to Burrows, Costales photo files, 6) 25L1, smudged cancel (pen?), added to a cover to Adele U. Picot, Jul. 18 datestamp, Harmer, Rooke sale, Mar. 6-7, 1951, lot 241, and P.F. records as "did not originate", 7) cut to shape, pen cancel, faults, Lyons collection, 8) 25L1, Yellow paper, ms. "X" cancels, Jul. 26 (1848) datestamp on folded letter to Mary A. Clark, Norwalk Conn., private collection, and 9) 25L2 on Blue paper, on printed circular to 28 S. Front St., Southwark, blue Philadelphia May 20 (or 30) datestamp, PFC "decline opinion" as to use, ex Caspary, Boker, Golden (Siegel Sale 817, lot 787, realized $7,000).

Ex Caspary and Hall. (Image)

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FINE. THE BROWNE & COMPANY 2-CENT IS A GREAT RARITY ON COVER, ESPECIALLY TIED IN COMBINATION WITH THE 3-CENT 1851 ISSUE.

The 1c stamp, 29L1, was designed with the "Brown & Co." spelling error. The correct spelling, Browne (with an "e"), appears on the 2c stamp and the markings used by the post. If the spurious Cincinnati "Dec. 7" carrier and local covers are disregarded, this is believed to be the only known combination tied in this manner.

Ex Piller. With 1959 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE NEW ORLEANS CITY DISPATCH POST OFFICE ISSUE. ONLY THREE ARE RECORDED, INCLUDING ONE ON COVER AND TWO OFF COVER.

The three recorded examples of the City Dispatch Office 5c on Green paper (43L1) are: 1) Tied by New Orleans cds (Dec. date) on 1846 folded letter to Capt. W. H. T. Walker in Albany, ex Boker, 2) Uncancelled stamp affixed to cover but did not originate, the stamp offered in this lot, ex Caspary, Lilly, and 3) an uncancelled copy shown in the Sloane records with notation that it was found in "one of the departments in Washington in 1916 on covers from New Orleans dated 1847".

From the Estate of Dr. Hubert C. Skinner. With 2009 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. ONLY FIVE EXAMPLES OF THE NEW ORLEANS CITY DISPATCH POST OFFICE 5-CENT ON PINK STAMP ARE RECORDED, INCLUDING THREE GENUINE COVERS (NONE CANCELLED).

According to Huber's The Great Mail, the New Orleans "City Dispatch Post Office", as it was named, advertised in the Daily Picayune in 1847. The post was owned by J. Murray at 108 St. Charles Street at the corner of Poydras. It advertised four collections a day -- at 10 a.m., 12 noon, 3 and 5 p.m. -- and had 23 letter-drop boxes located throughout the city. Stamps were sold for 5c each, or 30 for a dollar. Prepayment was mandatory on letters to be delivered to the post office and optional on city-delivery letters. Unlike local-post operators in other cities, Murray enjoyed a cooperative relationship with the post office, evidenced by his notice that a box was located in the Post Office building and letters from the mails to correspondents in the city would be picked up and delivered by Murray's carriers. Given the peculiar politics of the city at the time, one wonders if the relatively higher letter rate of 5c included a small gratuity for the New Orleans postmaster.

The City Despatch P.O. stamps come in two colors of glazed paper: Green and Pink. Of the Green (43L1), three examples are known, including one tied on cover (see details in lot 286). Of the Pink (43L2), five are recorded, including three genuinely used on covers, one affixed to a cover and a stamp on piece. Details of these five examples are as follows: 1) comma after "Office", uncancelled (tiny corner creases), used on May 21, 1847 folded letter from Vera Cruz, New Orleans May 28 circular datestamp and "10", ex Hollowbush and Golden, 2) period after "Office", uncancelled (filing crease), used on 1847 folded letter to Adj. General, Washington D.C., New Orleans Apr. 29 circular datestamp and ms. "f" (free), ex Caspary, Boker, Lilly, 3) comma after "Office", uncancelled (filing crease), used on 1847 folded letter to Pres. James K. Polk, New Orleans Apr. 22 circular datestamp and ms. "f" (free), offered in lot 288, ex Caspary, Lilly, 4) period after "Office", uncancelled ("touched up at left"), ex Caspary on cover to which it did not belong, the example offered here, and 5) period after "Office", uncancelled (creases) on piece, ex Lilly.

From the Estate of Dr. Hubert C. Skinner. With 1967 and 2009 P.F. certificates (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THIS IS ONE OF THREE RECORDED COVERS GENUINELY BEARING THE NEW ORLEANS CITY DISPATCH POST OFFICE 5-CENT ON PINK STAMP (NONE CANCELLED). ONLY FIVE EXAMPLES OF THIS LOCAL POST STAMP ARE KNOWN ON OR OFF COVER. THIS IS ALSO A RARE EXAMPLE OF A LOCAL POST STAMP ON A LETTER TO A SITTING PRESIDENT.

According to Huber's The Great Mail, the New Orleans "City Dispatch Post Office", as it was named, advertised in the Daily Picayune in 1847. The post was owned by J. Murray at 108 St. Charles Street at the corner of Poydras. It advertised four collections a day -- at 10 a.m., 12 noon, 3 and 5 p.m. -- and had 23 letter-drop boxes located throughout the city. Stamps were sold for 5c each, or 30 for a dollar. Prepayment was mandatory on letters to be delivered to the post office and optional on city-delivery letters. Unlike local-post operators in other cities, Murray enjoyed a cooperative relationship with the post office, evidenced by his notice that a box was located in the Post Office building and letters from the mails to correspondents in the city would be picked up and delivered by Murray's carriers. Given the peculiar politics of the city at the time, one wonders if the relatively higher letter rate of 5c included a small gratuity for the New Orleans postmaster.

The City Despatch P.O. stamps come in two colors of glazed paper: Green and Pink. Of the Green (43L1), three examples are known, including one tied on cover (see details in lot 286). Of the Pink (43L2), five are recorded, including three genuinely used on covers, one affixed to a cover and a stamp on piece. Details of these five examples are as follows: 1) comma after "Office", uncancelled (tiny corner creases), used on May 21, 1847 folded letter from Vera Cruz, New Orleans May 28 circular datestamp and "10", ex Hollowbush and Golden, 2) period after "Office", uncancelled (filing crease), used on 1847 folded letter to Adj. General, Washington D.C., New Orleans Apr. 29 circular datestamp and ms. "f" (free), ex Caspary, Boker, Lilly, 3) comma after "Office", uncancelled (filing crease), used on 1847 folded letter to Pres. James K. Polk, New Orleans Apr. 22 circular datestamp and ms. "f" (free), the cover offered here, ex Caspary, Lilly, 4) period after "Office", uncancelled ("touched up at left"), ex Caspary on cover to which it did not belong, the example offered in lot 287, and 5) period after "Office", uncancelled (creases) on piece, ex Lilly.

Ex Caspary and Lilly. From the Estate of Dr. Hubert C. Skinner. With 2009 P.F. certificate (Image)

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ONE OF FOUR RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THIS LOCAL POST STAMP AND THE ONLY STAMP KNOWN UNUSED. RARER THAN THE UNITED STATES ALEXANDRIA PROVISIONAL, THE BERMUDA PEROT PROVISIONAL, THE HAWAIIAN TWO-CENT MISSIONARY AND THE MAURITIUS POST OFFICE STAMPS.

Between the July 1845 commencement of William B. Stait's Eagle City Despatch Post and sometime before October 1, 1846, the post's advertised address was 85 Chestnut Street, which appears in the handstamped markings used during the first fifteen months. Beginning no later than October 1, 1846, the address changed to 80 Chestnut Street, where the allied Adams' office was located. The title was also changed to "Eagle City Post" at this point and was further shortened to "Eagle Post" (the title on this stamp) as early as March 1849. Beginning July 1850, the name change to Stait's Despatch is reflected in markings on covers. In September 1848 Stait expanded to a second office at 48 South 3rd Street (source: Gordon Stimmell, The Penny Post, Apr. 1991).

The 61L1 stamp is listed in Scott as the first Eagle City Post adhesive, but Scott's 1847 issue date is probably incorrect. The cogwheel stamp (61L2) is recorded used as early as October 1, 1846. Logically, the handstamped adhesive with the new 80 Chestnut Street address would have been issued before the printed stamps -- the presence of Stait's initials on two of the stamps indicates a sort of provisional issue. The shortened title ("Eagle Post") and absence of any reference to Adams' Express in the 61L1 stamp are more typical of the early 1849 period, but the abbreviated wording probably owes itself to space limitations in the marking. Curiously, both the handstamped adhesive and the printed stamp (61L2) show the misspelling "Chesnut".

Only four examples of 61L1 are recorded: 1) cut-square stamp initialled "WS", uncancelled, used on folded cover (reported 1847) to Emily S. Townsend, 101 Arch St., ex Caspary, Boker, 2) cut-square stamp, initialled "WS", on piece, ex Golden (Siegel Sale 817, lot 1031, realized $8,000 hammer), 3) irregular margins, unused (no initials), the stamp offered here, Siegel Sale 797, lot 1899, realized $12,500 hammer, and 4) cut to shape (no initials), affixed to cover with Norristown Pa. datestamp, addressed to local street address, ex Needham, Gibson, Middendorf. The lower right portion of the stamp shows very faint small printed letters -- an "N" appears most clearly just below the "T" of "Street". There is also a small loop of manuscript in the same area.

With 1997 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail $14,000.00 (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE LOCOMOTIVE EXPRESS POST ADHESIVE. A GREAT RARITY WITH AN IMPRESSIVE PEDIGREE DATING BACK TO FERRARY.

The unique Locomotive Express Post stamp was first reported in The American Journal of Philately, October 28, 1905, page 377: "The New England Stamp Co. has show us a new local stamp, which, as will be seen by the illustration below, has no value expressed upon it. It is printed on white paper and was issued at Glens Falls, N.Y. Imperforate, no value, black." Obviously, this report erred in stating that the stamp was issued at Glens Falls. It was issued by a post operating within New York City and used on this letter to Glens Falls. For years the Scott U.S. Specialized Catalogue erroneously identified this as a Buffalo N.Y. post with an 1854 year date. Research by Pitt Petrie proved this to be incorrect (The Collectors Club Philatelist, Vol. 32, No. 2). Notes from the Eugene N. Costales files indicate that Elliott Perry and Costales both felt it was "good" (genuine). To date no other example has turned up.

Ex Ferrary (with pencil sale notation along bottom edge of cover), Caspary and Lilly. With 2009 P.F. certificate (Image)

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