Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

CARRIERS continued...

**Kingman's City Post**
Lot	Sym.	Lot Description
101		Kingman's City Post, Charleston S.C., 2c Black on Bluish (4LB15). Horizontal pair, Positions 3-4 according to our plating analysis, huge margins except barely into pearls at top, neat ms. cancels, paying 4c carrier fee on embossed Valentine cover to "Miss Bessie MacKenzie, 4 St. Michael's Ally", with original Valentine enclosure annotated "From Willie to Bessie", faint toned spots (one tying pair) VERY FINE. ONE OF THREE RECORDED MULTIPLES OF KINGMAN'S FOUR-LINE STAMP AND ONE OF THREE CONFIRMED 4LB15 COVERS. AN OUTSTANDING CARRIER USAGE. Eliab J. Kingman was Dr. John H. Honour's brother-in-law and served as the first assistant in Honour's Penny Post from its inception in 1849. It is reported that sometime in 1851, Kingman received his own appointment as a government carrier and divided the city's routes with Dr. Honour. According to the Faber account (Pat Paragraphs, 1981 Reprint, pp. 247-248), Kingman retired in March 1858 and was replaced by Joseph G. Martin, a relative to the Honour family through marriage. The Scott listings for the two Kingman's stamps are out of chronological sequence. The four-line type, 4LB15, preceded the three-line type, 4LB14, by at least three or four years. The four-line stamp is also considerably rarer, with a total of just 15 recorded stamps (updated from our Golden sale census with the addition of this cover). Because the basic form used for Honour's 4LB8 was used to print Kingman's 4LB15 stamp, it is possible to reconstruct the Kingman's setting. When the name "Kingman's" was inserted, some border pearls were repositioned, but there are still enough unique features belonging to the different positions to enable us to assign the 15 recorded stamps to 8 of the 10 positions in the Kingman's setting. The fifteen 4LB15 stamps (including erased "Kingman's" variety) contained in our census are listed here (positions identified according to our plating analysis): 1-3) vertical strip of three [Pos. 5/7/9] on Valentine cover (no date), ex Caspary, Boker, Golden (realized $20,000), 4-5) vertical pair [Pos. 6/8], uncancelled on cover front, ex Chapman, Caspary, Boker, 6) pen-cancelled [Pos. 3], tied by Dec. 11 circular datestamp on cover to Spartanburg, ex Boker, 7) uncancelled on piece or cover [Pos. 5], Costales photo file, 8) "Kingman's" scratched out [Pos. 1], corner margins, tied by ms. on inbound cover from Raleigh N.C., Jul. (or Jun.) 22, 1857, ex Hessel, Golden (realized $3,000), 9) pen-cancelled [Pos. 8] on piece, ex Caspary, offered in this sale as lot 102, 10) pen-cancelled [Pos. 9, missing pearl at right] on piece, ex Caspary, Richardson, Sheriff, 11) pencil cancel [Pos. 4] on piece, ex Middendorf, 12) uncancelled [Pos. 9, missing pearl at right], ex Ferrary, Caspary, offered in this sale as lot 103, 13) uncancelled [Pos. 3], Costales photo file, and 14-15) horizontal pair [Pos. 3-4], the cover offered here. From the updated census it can be determined that there are only three confirmed 4LB15 covers (excluding the erased-name variety): one is the Valentine with the unique strip of three (Nos. 1-3 on list), the second is the single tied by a Charleston Dec. 11 circular datestamp (No. 6 on list), and the third is the pair on the Valentine cover offered here (Nos. 14-15 on list). The pair on a cover front (or piece, Nos. 4-5 on list) is the only other known multiple. See lot 106 for another Valentine from the same correspondence. (Image)	E. 7,500-10,000
102		Kingman's City Post, Charleston S.C., 2c Black on Bluish (4LB15). Position 8 according to our plating analysis, three large margins, barely in at top, ms. cancel, used on piece, Very Fine, one of fifteen recorded examples of the Kingman's four-line stamp, a very rare and underrated carrier stamp, this is No. 9 in our census (see lot 101), ex Caspary (Image)	E. 750-1,000
103		Kingman's City Post, Charleston S.C., 2c Black on Bluish (4LB15). Position 9 with missing pearl at right, also shows damaged pearl at bottom left, ample margins except at right where cut in (although the variety is still evident), tiny thin, Fine appearance, only 15 examples of Kingman's four-line stamp (4LB15) are recorded, including three from Position 9, which is always missing the upper right pearl and shows the damaged pearl at lower left -- see lot 101 for a complete census of 4LB15 (this is No. 12 on list) and lot 83 for the Honour's stamp with missing pearl -- ex Ferrary and Caspary (Image)	E. 300-400
104		Kingman's City Post, Charleston S.C., 2c Black on Bluish (4LB14). Typographic variety with straight bar at bottom of "2", large margins all around, uncancelled, small faint thin, really negligible considering the superb appearance of this rarity EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF THE FINEST OFF-COVER EXAMPLES OF THE RARE KINGMAN'S THREE-LINE STAMP. As noted in the description of lot 101, the Kingman three-line stamp, 4LB14, followed the four-line 4LB15 stamp by a few years. The format of 4LB14 matches the stamps printed for Martin, Steinmeyer and Beckman in 1858, 1859 and 1860, and it is probable that the same setting was used with the names changed as required. Kingman is reported to have retired in March 1858, based on dated examples, the 4LB14 stamp was probably issued in mid-1856 and not used after March 1858. Genuine covers are found in this time period. Ex Caspary and Lilly (where it realized $180 in 1967). (Image)	E. 1,000-1,500
105		Kingman's City Post, Charleston S.C., 2c Black on Bluish (4LB14). Three large margins, ample to clear at bottom, ms. "M" cancel (Joseph G. Martin) VERY FINE AND CHOICE USED EXAMPLE OF KINGMAN'S THREE-LINE CARRIER STAMP WITH THE DISTINCTIVE "M' MANUSCRIPT CANCEL. Eliab J. Kingman, Dr. Honour's brother-in-law, retired in March 1858 and was replaced by Joseph G. Martin, a relative by marriage. The "M" initial is believed to have been applied as a cancel by Martin to stamps bearing Kingman's name. Ex Caspary. (Image)	E. 750-1,000
106		Kingman's City Post, Charleston S.C., 2c Black on Bluish (4LB14). Vertical pair, from the left side of the sheet with parts of adjoining stamps above and at right, large margin at left and just touched at bottom, tied by ms. cancel (pair has been lifted and reaffixed in a slightly different position), used on embossed Valentine cover to "Miss Bessie McKenzie, Rutledge St. above Bull St.", with original Valentine enclosure VERY FINE. THE ONLY RECORDED MULTIPLE OF THE KINGMAN'S THREE-LINE STAMP. A MAGNIFICENT RARITY. From the same correspondence as lot 106. (Image)	E. 7,500-10,000

Kingman's City Post

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

101

Kingman's City Post, Charleston S.C., 2c Black on Bluish (4LB15). Horizontal pair, Positions 3-4 according to our plating analysis, huge margins except barely into pearls at top, neat ms. cancels, paying 4c carrier fee on embossed Valentine cover to "Miss Bessie MacKenzie, 4 St. Michael's Ally", with original Valentine enclosure annotated "From Willie to Bessie", faint toned spots (one tying pair)

VERY FINE. ONE OF THREE RECORDED MULTIPLES OF KINGMAN'S FOUR-LINE STAMP AND ONE OF THREE CONFIRMED 4LB15 COVERS. AN OUTSTANDING CARRIER USAGE.

Eliab J. Kingman was Dr. John H. Honour's brother-in-law and served as the first assistant in Honour's Penny Post from its inception in 1849. It is reported that sometime in 1851, Kingman received his own appointment as a government carrier and divided the city's routes with Dr. Honour. According to the Faber account (Pat Paragraphs, 1981 Reprint, pp. 247-248), Kingman retired in March 1858 and was replaced by Joseph G. Martin, a relative to the Honour family through marriage.

The Scott listings for the two Kingman's stamps are out of chronological sequence. The four-line type, 4LB15, preceded the three-line type, 4LB14, by at least three or four years. The four-line stamp is also considerably rarer, with a total of just 15 recorded stamps (updated from our Golden sale census with the addition of this cover). Because the basic form used for Honour's 4LB8 was used to print Kingman's 4LB15 stamp, it is possible to reconstruct the Kingman's setting. When the name "Kingman's" was inserted, some border pearls were repositioned, but there are still enough unique features belonging to the different positions to enable us to assign the 15 recorded stamps to 8 of the 10 positions in the Kingman's setting.

The fifteen 4LB15 stamps (including erased "Kingman's" variety) contained in our census are listed here (positions identified according to our plating analysis): 1-3) vertical strip of three [Pos. 5/7/9] on Valentine cover (no date), ex Caspary, Boker, Golden (realized $20,000), 4-5) vertical pair [Pos. 6/8], uncancelled on cover front, ex Chapman, Caspary, Boker, 6) pen-cancelled [Pos. 3], tied by Dec. 11 circular datestamp on cover to Spartanburg, ex Boker, 7) uncancelled on piece or cover [Pos. 5], Costales photo file, 8) "Kingman's" scratched out [Pos. 1], corner margins, tied by ms. on inbound cover from Raleigh N.C., Jul. (or Jun.) 22, 1857, ex Hessel, Golden (realized $3,000), 9) pen-cancelled [Pos. 8] on piece, ex Caspary, offered in this sale as lot 102, 10) pen-cancelled [Pos. 9, missing pearl at right] on piece, ex Caspary, Richardson, Sheriff, 11) pencil cancel [Pos. 4] on piece, ex Middendorf, 12) uncancelled [Pos. 9, missing pearl at right], ex Ferrary, Caspary, offered in this sale as lot 103, 13) uncancelled [Pos. 3], Costales photo file, and 14-15) horizontal pair [Pos. 3-4], the cover offered here.

From the updated census it can be determined that there are only three confirmed 4LB15 covers (excluding the erased-name variety): one is the Valentine with the unique strip of three (Nos. 1-3 on list), the second is the single tied by a Charleston Dec. 11 circular datestamp (No. 6 on list), and the third is the pair on the Valentine cover offered here (Nos. 14-15 on list). The pair on a cover front (or piece, Nos. 4-5 on list) is the only other known multiple.

See lot 106 for another Valentine from the same correspondence. (Image)

E. 7,500-10,000

102

Kingman's City Post, Charleston S.C., 2c Black on Bluish (4LB15). Position 8 according to our plating analysis, three large margins, barely in at top, ms. cancel, used on piece, Very Fine, one of fifteen recorded examples of the Kingman's four-line stamp, a very rare and underrated carrier stamp, this is No. 9 in our census (see lot 101), ex Caspary (Image)

E. 750-1,000

103

Kingman's City Post, Charleston S.C., 2c Black on Bluish (4LB15). Position 9 with missing pearl at right, also shows damaged pearl at bottom left, ample margins except at right where cut in (although the variety is still evident), tiny thin, Fine appearance, only 15 examples of Kingman's four-line stamp (4LB15) are recorded, including three from Position 9, which is always missing the upper right pearl and shows the damaged pearl at lower left -- see lot 101 for a complete census of 4LB15 (this is No. 12 on list) and lot 83 for the Honour's stamp with missing pearl -- ex Ferrary and Caspary (Image)

E. 300-400

104

Kingman's City Post, Charleston S.C., 2c Black on Bluish (4LB14). Typographic variety with straight bar at bottom of "2", large margins all around, uncancelled, small faint thin, really negligible considering the superb appearance of this rarity

EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF THE FINEST OFF-COVER EXAMPLES OF THE RARE KINGMAN'S THREE-LINE STAMP.

As noted in the description of lot 101, the Kingman three-line stamp, 4LB14, followed the four-line 4LB15 stamp by a few years. The format of 4LB14 matches the stamps printed for Martin, Steinmeyer and Beckman in 1858, 1859 and 1860, and it is probable that the same setting was used with the names changed as required. Kingman is reported to have retired in March 1858, based on dated examples, the 4LB14 stamp was probably issued in mid-1856 and not used after March 1858. Genuine covers are found in this time period.

Ex Caspary and Lilly (where it realized $180 in 1967). (Image)

E. 1,000-1,500

105

Kingman's City Post, Charleston S.C., 2c Black on Bluish (4LB14). Three large margins, ample to clear at bottom, ms. "M" cancel (Joseph G. Martin)

VERY FINE AND CHOICE USED EXAMPLE OF KINGMAN'S THREE-LINE CARRIER STAMP WITH THE DISTINCTIVE "M' MANUSCRIPT CANCEL.

Eliab J. Kingman, Dr. Honour's brother-in-law, retired in March 1858 and was replaced by Joseph G. Martin, a relative by marriage. The "M" initial is believed to have been applied as a cancel by Martin to stamps bearing Kingman's name.

Ex Caspary. (Image)

E. 750-1,000

106

Kingman's City Post, Charleston S.C., 2c Black on Bluish (4LB14). Vertical pair, from the left side of the sheet with parts of adjoining stamps above and at right, large margin at left and just touched at bottom, tied by ms. cancel (pair has been lifted and reaffixed in a slightly different position), used on embossed Valentine cover to "Miss Bessie McKenzie, Rutledge St. above Bull St.", with original Valentine enclosure

VERY FINE. THE ONLY RECORDED MULTIPLE OF THE KINGMAN'S THREE-LINE STAMP. A MAGNIFICENT RARITY.

From the same correspondence as lot 106. (Image)

E. 7,500-10,000