Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

The Gordon N. John Collection of United States Stamps Issued Before July 1, 1845 continued...

**Hale & Co.**
Lot	Sym.	Lot Description	Est/Cat	Realized
2098		Hale & Co., (5c) Light Blue (75L1). Positions 5/10/15, vertical strip of three, large margins to slightly in, blue ms. "X" cancels, matching ink smears on undated folded cover to New York City street address, from the Howland & Aspinwall correspondence (Boston origin), one side flap removed, stamps printed on very thin paper which has creased slightly from application FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE VERTICAL STRIP OF THE HALE FIRST ISSUE USED ON COVER. VERY FEW STRIPS ARE KNOWN ON COVER, AND THIS VERTICAL ARRANGEMENT IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL. The impressions show a vertical line, which is a printing flaw, not a crease in the paper. Ex Hall (Image)	E. 2,000-3,000	1,600.00
2099		Hale & Co., (5c) Light Blue (75L1). Pelure paper, unused (no gum), ample margins to just barely in, Very Fine, the "13 Court St." stamp is very scarce in unused condition (undervalued in Scott) (Image)	65.00	90.00
2100		Hale & Co., (5c) Deep Blue (75L1). Dark shade on pelure paper, vertical pair, ample margins except touched at right and partly cut to shape, red framed cancels, small tear and faint gum translucency, otherwise Fine, scarce multiple (Image)	80.00	90.00
2101		Hale & Co., (5c) Deep Blue, Address Deleted in Ms. (75L1 var). Broad brush stroke thru address (done at New York City office), dark shade on pelure paper, slight wrinkles and thin speck typical of this paper, otherwise Fine, very scarce (Image)	E. 100-150	105.00
2102		Hale & Co., (5c) Red on Bluish (75L2). Margins just touching, rich color, black Boston oval cancel, tiny thin, Very Fine appearance (Image)	200.00	260.00
2103		Hale & Co., (5c) Red on Bluish (75L2). Ample margins to slightly in, vibrant color, ms. "X" cancel, vertical crease and small tear (affixed to card), otherwise Very Fine (Image)	200.00	130.00
2104		Hale & Co., (5c) Red on Bluish (75L2). Cut to shape, ms. "AB" (a. Bates) control mark, ms. "C" cancel and part of red "Paid", Very Fine (Image)	75.00	85.00
2105		Hale & Co., (5c) Red on Bluish (75L2). Cut to shape, ms. "W" cancel, Very Fine (Image)	75.00	100.00
2106		Hale & Co., (5c) Red on Bluish (75L2). Large margins all around, beautiful intense shade and impression, ms. "AB" (Amos Bates, Hale's agent) with orientation to stamp, thus mostly likely a control mark, clear "Paid" straightline cancel (impression ties thru paper), pencil "X" cancel just ties corner of stamp, lightly struck "Forwarded by Hale & Co. from New Bedford" oval handstamp on folded letter to Salem Mass., datelined "1st Day" with no other notation, few scattered soiling specks, Extremely Fine, the Red stamp is scarce on cover, especially from the New Bedford office (Image)	E. 1,000-1,500	1,300.00
2107		Hale & Co., (5c) Blue, Street Address Omitted (75L5). Complete sheet of twenty from the Third State of the plate (see notes below), unused (no gum), large sheet margins all around, bright fresh color and paper, several creases but hardly noticeable on the face of the sheet, couple tiny edge tears EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. THE ONLY RECORDED COMPLETE SHEET AND LARGEST KNOWN MULTIPLE OF ANY HALE & COMPANY ISSUE. AN IMPORTANT AND SPECTACULAR ARTIFACT OF THE 1844-45 INDEPENDENT MAILS. There are three distinct states of the stereotype plate used to print Hale's stamps. In the First State, the "13 Court St." address is included in the design (Scott 75L1 in Blue and 75L2 in Red). The address line was removed from each position on the plate after Hale moved its Boston office to 23 State Street, which gives us the Second State of the plate (Scott 75L5 in Blue only). Robson Lowe reported that Hale's move took place in April 1844. The earliest recorded date of use of a stamp from the modified plate is June 1, 1844, which establishes the widest range of dates during which time the plate was modified. The Third State of the plate resulted from damage to positions in the left and right vertical columns, especially Position 1, which shows a severe dent at upper left. Unused blocks of Hale's stamps are extremely rare. We record three: 1) 75L5, the unique complete sheet, Third State, ex Lilly, Hall, offered here, 2) 75L5, block of fifteen with original gum, Second State Positions 1-3/6-9/11-14/16-19, ex Hall, and 3) 75L5, unused block of nine, Third State Positions 1-3/6-8/11-13, ex Schwartz. In a letter from James W. Hale, dated Dec. 12, 1887, he stated (in part): "I gave all the unused sheets of stamps to my children for playthings and presumed they were destroyed. But within a few days my youngest son informed me that he believed he had a few 'stowed away somewhere' and would try to hunt them up." (John R. Boker, Jr., Collectors Club Philatelist, Sep. 1962). This sheet may originate from the Hale family. Ex Lilly and Hall (realized $15,500 hammer). (Image)	E. 15,000-20,000	17,500.00
2108		Hale & Co., (5c) Blue, Street Address Omitted (75L5). Unused (no gum), large margins, faint creases, Extremely Fine appearance (Image)	30.00	95.00

Hale & Co.

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

Est/Cat

Realized

2098

Hale & Co., (5c) Light Blue (75L1). Positions 5/10/15, vertical strip of three, large margins to slightly in, blue ms. "X" cancels, matching ink smears on undated folded cover to New York City street address, from the Howland & Aspinwall correspondence (Boston origin), one side flap removed, stamps printed on very thin paper which has creased slightly from application

FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE VERTICAL STRIP OF THE HALE FIRST ISSUE USED ON COVER. VERY FEW STRIPS ARE KNOWN ON COVER, AND THIS VERTICAL ARRANGEMENT IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL.

The impressions show a vertical line, which is a printing flaw, not a crease in the paper.

Ex Hall (Image)

E. 2,000-3,000

1,600.00

2099

Hale & Co., (5c) Light Blue (75L1). Pelure paper, unused (no gum), ample margins to just barely in, Very Fine, the "13 Court St." stamp is very scarce in unused condition (undervalued in Scott) (Image)

65.00

90.00

2100

Hale & Co., (5c) Deep Blue (75L1). Dark shade on pelure paper, vertical pair, ample margins except touched at right and partly cut to shape, red framed cancels, small tear and faint gum translucency, otherwise Fine, scarce multiple (Image)

80.00

90.00

2101

Hale & Co., (5c) Deep Blue, Address Deleted in Ms. (75L1 var). Broad brush stroke thru address (done at New York City office), dark shade on pelure paper, slight wrinkles and thin speck typical of this paper, otherwise Fine, very scarce (Image)

E. 100-150

105.00

2102

Hale & Co., (5c) Red on Bluish (75L2). Margins just touching, rich color, black Boston oval cancel, tiny thin, Very Fine appearance (Image)

200.00

260.00

2103

Hale & Co., (5c) Red on Bluish (75L2). Ample margins to slightly in, vibrant color, ms. "X" cancel, vertical crease and small tear (affixed to card), otherwise Very Fine (Image)

200.00

130.00

2104

Hale & Co., (5c) Red on Bluish (75L2). Cut to shape, ms. "AB" (a. Bates) control mark, ms. "C" cancel and part of red "Paid", Very Fine (Image)

75.00

85.00

2105

Hale & Co., (5c) Red on Bluish (75L2). Cut to shape, ms. "W" cancel, Very Fine (Image)

75.00

100.00

2106

Hale & Co., (5c) Red on Bluish (75L2). Large margins all around, beautiful intense shade and impression, ms. "AB" (Amos Bates, Hale's agent) with orientation to stamp, thus mostly likely a control mark, clear "Paid" straightline cancel (impression ties thru paper), pencil "X" cancel just ties corner of stamp, lightly struck "Forwarded by Hale & Co. from New Bedford" oval handstamp on folded letter to Salem Mass., datelined "1st Day" with no other notation, few scattered soiling specks, Extremely Fine, the Red stamp is scarce on cover, especially from the New Bedford office (Image)

E. 1,000-1,500

1,300.00

2107

Hale & Co., (5c) Blue, Street Address Omitted (75L5). Complete sheet of twenty from the Third State of the plate (see notes below), unused (no gum), large sheet margins all around, bright fresh color and paper, several creases but hardly noticeable on the face of the sheet, couple tiny edge tears

EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. THE ONLY RECORDED COMPLETE SHEET AND LARGEST KNOWN MULTIPLE OF ANY HALE & COMPANY ISSUE. AN IMPORTANT AND SPECTACULAR ARTIFACT OF THE 1844-45 INDEPENDENT MAILS.

There are three distinct states of the stereotype plate used to print Hale's stamps. In the First State, the "13 Court St." address is included in the design (Scott 75L1 in Blue and 75L2 in Red). The address line was removed from each position on the plate after Hale moved its Boston office to 23 State Street, which gives us the Second State of the plate (Scott 75L5 in Blue only). Robson Lowe reported that Hale's move took place in April 1844. The earliest recorded date of use of a stamp from the modified plate is June 1, 1844, which establishes the widest range of dates during which time the plate was modified. The Third State of the plate resulted from damage to positions in the left and right vertical columns, especially Position 1, which shows a severe dent at upper left.

Unused blocks of Hale's stamps are extremely rare. We record three: 1) 75L5, the unique complete sheet, Third State, ex Lilly, Hall, offered here, 2) 75L5, block of fifteen with original gum, Second State Positions 1-3/6-9/11-14/16-19, ex Hall, and 3) 75L5, unused block of nine, Third State Positions 1-3/6-8/11-13, ex Schwartz. In a letter from James W. Hale, dated Dec. 12, 1887, he stated (in part): "I gave all the unused sheets of stamps to my children for playthings and presumed they were destroyed. But within a few days my youngest son informed me that he believed he had a few 'stowed away somewhere' and would try to hunt them up." (John R. Boker, Jr., Collectors Club Philatelist, Sep. 1962). This sheet may originate from the Hale family.

Ex Lilly and Hall (realized $15,500 hammer). (Image)

E. 15,000-20,000

17,500.00

2108

Hale & Co., (5c) Blue, Street Address Omitted (75L5). Unused (no gum), large margins, faint creases, Extremely Fine appearance (Image)

30.00

95.00