Part III - Locals H-Z continued...
SPECIAL NOTE: Lot Numbers with an "A" preceding them will be offered in three special sessions. Please refer to the Arrangement of the Sale web page for the schedule.
| Lot | Lot Description | ||
| A | 1373 |
 Metropolitan Post Office, New
York N.Y., (2c) Blue on Glazed (108L3A). Cut to shape, dark shade and
impression, tied by black cancels and neat ms. docketing, used to forward
cover from the Bible House at Astor Place to 62 East 27th Street, 3c Dull
Red (11) tied by "Enfield Mass. Jun. 10" circular datestamp, "Metropolitan
P.O. Jun. 11" circular datestamp and "Paid/W. H. Laws" framed
handstampVERY FINE. A TRULY REMARKABLE AND RARE COVER -- ONE OF THREE RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE BLUE "13 AMERICAN BIBLE HOUSE" STAMP, OF WHICH ONLY TWO ARE ON COMPLETE COVERS -- AND THE ONLY 108L3A USED IN COMBINATION WITH UNITED STATES POSTAGE. Our records contain only three genuine examples of 108L3A, the Blue stamp issued by Laws from the die with the 13 Bible House address: 1) Tied by "Paid/W. H. Laws" handstamp on a front only, Mar. 20 (1856) "Metropolitan P.O." datestamp, to G. Roberston, local address, stamp creased, ex Caspary, Boker, 2) Apr. 2, 1856 folded letter to local address, 108L3A with faint cancel just tying stamp, "Boyd's City Express Post Apr. 2 4 O'C" oval, discovered in 1951, ex Caspary, Lilly, Middendorf, offered in lot 1374, and 3) Jun. 11 (1856) "Metropolitan P.O." datestamp, stamp tied by cancel and docketing on forwarded cover from Enfield Mass. with 3c 1851, the cover offered here. We cannot explain why the Blue 108L3A stamp is so much rarer than the Red 108L3, but correspondence in the Sloane records indicates that most collectors were unaware of the existence of the Blue stamp until Caspary's collection came on the market in 1956. For an overview of the Metropolitan P.O. and its issues, please refer to the descriptions of lots 1369-1371. Observing the total body of surviving covers, it is apparent that the markings on this cover normally did not occur in combination with United States stamps -- the circular datestamp was not applied on letters carried by Metropolitan to the mails. However, because this is a forwarded inbound cover, it has the U.S. stamp and the Metropolitan datestamp. With 1988 P.F. certificate. (Image) |
E. 7,500-10,000 |
| A | 1374 |
 Metropolitan Post Office, New
York N.Y., (2c) Blue on Glazed (108L3A). Cut to shape with margins just
into frameline at bottom, trace of tying cancelling ink at lower left,
"Boyd's City Express Post Apr. 2 4 O'C" oval datestamp on 1856
folded letter to T. M. Ceballos at 77 Broad Street, written in
SpanishFRESH AND VERY FINE. ONE OF THREE RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE METROPOLITAN POST OFFICE BLUE 108L3A STAMP, OF WHICH TWO ARE ON COMPLETE COVERS. THE ONLY KNOWN CONJUNCTIVE USAGE. As detailed in the description for lot 1373, only three 108L3A stamps have been found. This cover and the March 20th front were the first two to appear in general public when the Caspary collection was sold in 1956. Correspondence in Sloane's notes and the Costales files indicates that the experts were confounded by the emergence of a stamp they had never seen before. A third example, offered in the previous lot, surfaced sometime later. Evidently, the Metropolitan Post Office handed this letter over to Boyd's for delivery. It is the only Metropolitan's conjunctive usage we record. Discovered in 1951 by J. V. Nielsen. Ex Caspary, Lilly and Middendorf. (Image) |
E. 7,500-10,000 |
| A | 1375 |
 Metropolitan Post Office, New
York N.Y., 1c Red on Wove (108L4). Cut to shape, cancelled by well-worn
"Paid/W. H. Laws" framed handstamp (not tied), used with 3c Dull Red (26),
tied by "New-York Feb. 12, 1859" circular datestamp on small cover to
Norwich Town, Conn., neat receipt docketing, Extremely Fine, choice and
very late usage (probably the last year of operation) -- Metropolitan P.O.
covers in this period seem to be exclusively "to the mails" usages (Image) |
E. 750-1,000 |
| A | 1376 |
 Metropolitan Post Office, New
York N.Y., 1c Red on Wove (108L4). Cut to shape, fine early impression
on glazed paper (similar to 108L1-108L3A issues), tied by clear
strike of "Paid/W. H. Laws" framed handstamp (also an early state), used
with 3c Dull Red (11), margins cutting in, tied by "New-York Feb. 14"
circular datestamp on cover to Silver Spring Md., opening tear at top,
otherwise Very Fine, probably a Feb. 1857 usage of the new 108L4-5 issue
inscribed "Express to Mail" -- it also appears that Laws purchased a new
"Paid" handstamp, as this strike does not show the broken frame at bottom
nor the clogged letters seen in strikes from late 1856 (Image) |
E. 750-1,000 |
| A | 1377 |
 Metropolitan Post Office, New
York N.Y., 1c Blue on Wove (108L5). Cut to shape slightly into design,
fine early impression on glazed paper (similar to 108L1-108L3A
issues), cancelled by black smudge (not tied), used with 3c Dull Red (11),
left sheet margin and other sides just touched, tied by "New-York Sep. 5"
circular datestamp on "Analytical Physician's" blue corner card cover to
Danby Vt., the woodcut styles of the corner card and Metropolitan stamp are
quite similar, Very Fine and extremely scarce, probably Sep. 1857, the
pattern of Metropolitan usages and "Express to Mail" label on the last two
issues indicate that the post primarily (or exclusively) delivered mail to
the post office (Image) |
E. 750-1,000 |
| A | 1378 |
 Metropolitan Post Office, New
York N.Y., 1c Blue on Wove (108L5). Cut to shape slightly into design,
late impression on paper with very little glaze, tied by black smudge, used
with 3c Dull Red (26), few perf creases, tied by "New-York Dec. 18"
circular datestamp on small cover to Norwich Town, Conn., Very Fine and
late usage (Image) |
E. 750-1,000 |