Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

Berford & Co.'s Express (New York NY):

Lot

Lot Description

483

Berford & Co.'s Express, R. G. Berford. Signed statement dated May 17, 1886, attesting to the authenticity of stamps affixed to document -- this is the notorious document used to "authenticate" four counterfeits made by Joseph J. Casey -- a nice bit of Berford's collateral, ex Worthington

E. 100-150

484

Berford & Co.'s Express, New York N.Y., 3c Black (11L1). Large rectangular margins, lightly cancelled, thin spots, one of which breaks paper at one tiny point

EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF FOUR RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE BERFORD & COMPANY 3-CENT STAMP. A MAJOR RARITY OF INDEPENDENT MAILS AND WESTERN EXPRESSES.

Our records contain just four examples of Berford's 3c stamp: 1) cut rectangular, cancelled, thin spots, ex Caspary, Lilly, Boker, Richardson, the stamp offered here, 2) cut rectangular (in at left), uncancelled, ex Souren, Middendorf, 3) cut rectangular, apparently uncancelled on cover to Vermont with Mormon Island Cal. oval, ex Boker, and 4) cut oval, used on cover to Paita, ex Chapman, Mason, Horner, the cover offered in the following lot.

Ex Caspary, Lilly, Boker and Richardson. (Image)

E. 3,000-4,000

485

Berford & Co.'s Express, New York N.Y., 3c Black, 6c Green, 25c Red (11L1, 11L2, 11L4). 3c and 25c together with two 6c, each cut to oval shape, both 6c stamps affixed over top edge and creased, used to pay 40c rate on cover addressed to "Capt. Walter Taber, Ship Louisiana, Paita", with sender's notation "By Express" at lower left, faint pencil docketing on front "Dated August 3, 1852, Received August 30, 1852", the cover originated in New York City (Aug. 3) and was sent by Berford's to Panama where red "FORWARDED BY WM. NELSON & CO. PANAMA" forwarding agent's handstamp was applied on backflap, carried to Paita, on arrival the ms. "Aug. 28, 1852" markings were applied twice to front (one tying a 6c stamp), note on back in same hand reads "If not in Tambez [Tumbes, Peru] Dr. Oakford will please return this pr first opprty & oblige. Yours truly, A Bathurst [spelling?] Paita, Aug. 28, 1852, I mean if Cap. Taber has been in and sailed", based on Aug. 30 receipt notation in pencil on front, the letter reached Captain Taber in Tumbes, flaps opened and top refolded to flatten both 6c stamps

AN OVERWHELMING COVER THAT COMBINES NUMEROUS ELEMENTS OF RARITY, INCLUDING THREE DIFFERENT BERFORD STAMPS -- THE 3-CENT (FOUR KNOWN), 6-CENT (SEVEN KNOWN) AND 25-CENT (TWO KNOWN) -- ALL IN A MULTICOLORED FRANKING FOR THE 40-CENT EXPRESS RATE TO THE WEST COAST OF SOUTH AMERICA. THIS IS THE ONLY KNOWN COVER WITH THE 25-CENT BERFORD'S STAMP, OF WHICH ONLY TWO EXAMPLES ARE RECORDED. IT IS ONE OF TWO KNOWN COVERS WITH THE 3-CENT, AND ONE OF FOUR OR FIVE KNOWN COVERS WITH THE 6-CENT.

Our record of Berford & Co. stamps contains four 3c stamps (details provided in the previous lot description), seven 6c (11L2) stamps, eight single 10c (11L3) stamps, one normal 10c pair and three tete-beche 10c pairs (details provided in the following lot), and only two 25c stamps: one uncancelled off cover, ex Caspary and Lilly, and the stamp on this cover.

Details for the seven 6c stamps are as follows: 1) cancelled by colorless impression of handstamp on cover marked "Jamaica", ex Caspary, Boker, 2) uncancelled off cover, ex Souren, 3) tied by smudge on Sep. 29, 1851 folded letter from Jamaica to N.Y., ex Worthington, 4) uncancelled on cover to the Mayor of Albany, Siegel Jun. 20, 1944 sale (the status of this cover is uncertain), 5) cut to shape on Aug. 1852 cover to Paita, offered here, 6) cut to shape on Aug. 1852 cover to Paita, offered here, and 7) creased, uncancelled, on piece (or possibly on cover), Sloane records.

Four covers are recorded with Berford & Co. stamps paying the 40c rate, each addressed to the West Coast of South America, apparently originating in New York. This 40c prepaid rate was listed in the "Table of Postage" in Berford's June 17, 1851, New York Herald advertisement announcing the "New Postage Law". In the advertisement, the stamps (3c, 10c and 25c) are described and various rates are given, effective July 1, 1851. Obviously, Berford's was acting in response to the U.S. government postage reforms of the same date.

The Louisiana noted in the address is probably the 1,056-ton screw-vessel registered in 1850 at New York City.

Ex Chapman, Mason and Horner. With 1983 P.F. certificate. (Image)

E. 50,000-75,000

486

Berford & Co.'s Express, New York N.Y., 10c Violet (11L3). Four, each cut to oval shape, lightly cancelled by red smears, two affixed over top edge (creased) of cover to "Capt. Walter Taber, Ship Louisiana, Paita", light pencil docketing "Dated July 6, 1852, Recd. Augt. 20, 1852", originated in New York City (Jul. 6) and sent via Panama (a label has been peeled off the back, probably applied by Berford or the forwarding agent), on arrival the ms. "Paita July 28, 1852" markings were applied (one tying two stamps) and in the same hand a note to Captain Taber is written on back (some missing words where label was removed): "I was in hopes of having some more letters...are all...come this...not forget the hard bread if you come this way to anchor", top flap refolded to flatten stamps

ANOTHER REMARKABLE COVER FROM THE TABER CORRESPONDENCE, BEARING FOUR OF THE SIXTEEN KNOWN EXAMPLES OF BERFORD'S 10-CENT STAMP FOR THE 40-CENT EXPRESS RATE TO THE WEST COAST OF SOUTH AMERICA. ONLY FIVE COVERS RECORDED WITH THE 10-CENT STAMP.

Our records contain a total of sixteen 10c Berford & Co. stamps (11L3), but half of these are represented by one normal pair and three tete-beche pairs (11L3a). There are actually just seven 11L3/11L3a items, including five covers and two off-cover stamps. These are as follows: 1) uncancelled on piece (or possibly a cover), Sloane records, 2) uncancelled off cover, faint stains, ex Middendorf, 3) uncancelled on cover to Gloucester Mass. with Loring Bros. Valparaiso forwarding oval, PFC declined opinion as to usage, Siegel Sep. 27-28, 1994 (Sale 761, lot 114), 4) uncancelled on cover from Bangor Me. to Chagres, described as 1853 usage in Sloane records, not verified, 5) four cut-to-shape singles on Jul.-Aug. 1852 cover to Paita, offered here, 6) one normal pair and one tete-beche pair on cover to Valparaiso, offered in the following lot, and 7) two tete-beche pairs on cover to Valparaiso, ex Mason, Sloane records.

Ex Chapman and Horner. With 1983 P.F. certificate. (Image)

E. 15,000-20,000

487

Berford & Co.'s Express, New York N.Y., 10c Violet, Horizontal Tete-Beche Pair (11L3a). Large margins, used with 10c vertical pair, also large margins, uncancelled, the vertical pair tied by two letters of address "For Lieut. Madison Rush, U.S. Ship 'St. Lawrence' Valparaiso", receipt docketing on back "Recd. at Valparaiso, March 21st, 1852", the stamps and cover are in pristine condition

EXTREMELY FINE. ONLY TWO COVERS BEARING THE BERFORD'S 10-CENT TETE-BECHE VARIETY ARE RECORDED, BOTH ADDRESSED TO LIEUTENANT RUSH AT VALPARAISO. A PHENOMENAL COMBINATION OF PHILATELIC RARITY AND EXTRAORDINARY TRANSCONTINENTAL USAGE.

As detailed in the previous lot description, only seven 11L3/11L3a items are known, including five covers, for a total of sixteen 10c stamps. This cover to Lieutenant Rush on board the U.S.S. St. Lawrence at Valparaiso, Chile, has a companion cover, which was formerly in the Mason collection and has not been available in the market since 1950 (private treaty offer by Ward). The ex-Mason cover has two pairs, both tete-beche, cancelled by the "B. Co. Paid" handstamp. The usage is identical. Its current whereabouts is uncertain.

This cover and the previous two lots represent three of the four recorded Berford & Co. 40c express-rate covers sent from the United States East Coast to the West Coast of South America via Panama.

Ex Worthington, Caspary and Lilly. (Image)

E. 50,000-75,000

Part II - LOCALS A - G continued...