Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

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

**Letter Express (Wells)**
Lot	Sym.	Lot Description	Est/Cat	Realized
2114		Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Pink Glazed (96L1). Top left sheet margin block of ten, original gum, mostly large margins, slight soiling at upper left, creases in two directions (couple breaks in paper) VERY FINE DESPITE MINOR CREASING. THE ONLY RECORDED BLOCK OF ANY OF THE WELLS' LETTER EXPRESS ISSUES. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PHILATELIC ITEMS SURVIVING FROM THE 1844 INDEPENDENT MAIL ERA. Henry Wells, William Fargo and D. Dunning formed Wells & Company's Letter Express in early 1844 to provide letter-carrying service between Buffalo N.Y. and points west of Buffalo, including the Great Lakes region. Offices were established in Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee. By connecting with Pomeroy's Letter Express at Buffalo -- who in turn arranged for local delivery with Boyd's in New York City -- the Wells-Pomeroy-Boyd independent mail route was able to carry letters from the western frontier to the doorstep of a New York City addressee for considerably less than the post office charged for less-reliable service. The Letter Express ceased operations in November 1844, before all of the eastern inter-city expresses were effectively put out of business by the July 1845 postal reforms. The stamps issued by Wells' Letter Express are remarkable both for the purpose they served and for their distinctive designs. The oval 96L1-96L2 stamps depict the Goddess of Commerce surrounded by bales and barrels with a merchant vessel in the background -- symbols of private enterprise and the robust economic growth of America during the 1840's. The circular 96L3-96L4 stamps depict an American marine charging ashore with sword raised and Union Flag waving, and a naval vessel in the background. This design, chosen for stamps that would be used in the Great Lakes region, has been described as a commemoration of the Battle of Lake Champlain during the War of 1812, which may or may not be accurate. All of the Letter Express stamps are scarce to rare. Used pairs and strips are rare. Unused or uncancelled multiples are extremely rare. This is the only block, unused or used, of any of the Letter Express issues we have located among the Sloane, Costales and Abt files. Ex Weekes, Boker and Golden (realized $26,000 hammer). (Image)	E. 20,000-30,000	18,500.00
2115		Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Pink Glazed (96L1). Unused (no gum), ample to large margins except touched at bottom, nearly invisible creases, Fine appearance, very scarce (Image)	300.00	95.00
2116		Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Pink Glazed (96L1). Intense shade, ample to large margins, ms. cancel, Very Fine and choice, scarce in this condition (Image)	200.00	625.00
2117		Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Pink Glazed (96L1). Two on piece, large to huge margins, ms. "X" cancels, right stamp creased, otherwise Extremely Fine, scarce (Image)	400.00	300.00
2118		Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Pink Glazed (96L1). Vertical pair, huge margins, tiny tear in extreme top left corner, slight oxidation, tied by smear from ms. "X" cancels on folded cover to Detroit, probably originated in Cleveland, file fold thru one stamp, otherwise Very Fine, scarce use between two midwestern cities (Image)	E. 1,000-1,500	800.00
2119		Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Green Glazed (96L2). Ample to large margins, ms. cancel, vertical crease ending in tiny tear, otherwise Very Fine, scarce (Image)	500.00	750.00
2120		Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Green Glazed (96L2). Ample margins, deep shade, ms. "X" cancel on piece, small sealed tear at top right, otherwise Very Fine (Image)	500.00	250.00
2121		Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Green Glazed (96L2). Horizontal pair, originally a strip of three, but one of the stamps has been cut out, the remaining pair has huge margins and sheet margins, uncancelled, tied by filing crease on Aug. 19, 1844 folded letter from Toledo to Coneant O., letter mentions two additional letters enclosed, thus three-times 6-1/4c rate, right stamp creased, still an Extremely Fine and very rare pair -- the Green 96L2 is considerably rarer than the Pink 96L1 -- ex Golden, Scott values a used pair $1,500.00 (unused is unpriced in any form) (Image)	E. 1,000-1,500	1,500.00
2122		Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Green Glazed (96L2). Large marins to touched at bottom and left, ms. cancel, tied by file fold on folded cover to Detroit, docketed Jul. 25, 1844 on back (additional docketing indicates letter was answered in 1848), but no indication of origin except for small red "Paid" handstamp that was used by Pomeroy's Auburn N.Y. office, probably a conjunctive usage, stamp creased, otherwise Fine and very rare (Image)	E. 400-500	475.00
2123		Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Green Glazed (96L2). Large to huge margins, tied by ms. "X" cancel on folded cover to New York City, docketed Aug. 24, 1844, red pencil street address and "2" for local delivery charge, file fold, another stamp removed from the cover, still a presentable and rare cover with an Extremely Fine Letter Express Black on Green stamp (Image)	E. 400-500	375.00
2124		Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Pink Glazed (96L1). Large margins to slightly in, ms. cancel, part of a collection including printed bankcheck with same vignette, forgeries, etc., Fine (Image)	E. 150-200	500.00

Letter Express (Wells)

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

Est/Cat

Realized

2114

Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Pink Glazed (96L1). Top left sheet margin block of ten, original gum, mostly large margins, slight soiling at upper left, creases in two directions (couple breaks in paper)

VERY FINE DESPITE MINOR CREASING. THE ONLY RECORDED BLOCK OF ANY OF THE WELLS' LETTER EXPRESS ISSUES. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PHILATELIC ITEMS SURVIVING FROM THE 1844 INDEPENDENT MAIL ERA.

Henry Wells, William Fargo and D. Dunning formed Wells & Company's Letter Express in early 1844 to provide letter-carrying service between Buffalo N.Y. and points west of Buffalo, including the Great Lakes region. Offices were established in Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee. By connecting with Pomeroy's Letter Express at Buffalo -- who in turn arranged for local delivery with Boyd's in New York City -- the Wells-Pomeroy-Boyd independent mail route was able to carry letters from the western frontier to the doorstep of a New York City addressee for considerably less than the post office charged for less-reliable service. The Letter Express ceased operations in November 1844, before all of the eastern inter-city expresses were effectively put out of business by the July 1845 postal reforms.

The stamps issued by Wells' Letter Express are remarkable both for the purpose they served and for their distinctive designs. The oval 96L1-96L2 stamps depict the Goddess of Commerce surrounded by bales and barrels with a merchant vessel in the background -- symbols of private enterprise and the robust economic growth of America during the 1840's. The circular 96L3-96L4 stamps depict an American marine charging ashore with sword raised and Union Flag waving, and a naval vessel in the background. This design, chosen for stamps that would be used in the Great Lakes region, has been described as a commemoration of the Battle of Lake Champlain during the War of 1812, which may or may not be accurate.

All of the Letter Express stamps are scarce to rare. Used pairs and strips are rare. Unused or uncancelled multiples are extremely rare. This is the only block, unused or used, of any of the Letter Express issues we have located among the Sloane, Costales and Abt files.

Ex Weekes, Boker and Golden (realized $26,000 hammer). (Image)

E. 20,000-30,000

18,500.00

2115

Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Pink Glazed (96L1). Unused (no gum), ample to large margins except touched at bottom, nearly invisible creases, Fine appearance, very scarce (Image)

300.00

95.00

2116

Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Pink Glazed (96L1). Intense shade, ample to large margins, ms. cancel, Very Fine and choice, scarce in this condition (Image)

200.00

625.00

2117

Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Pink Glazed (96L1). Two on piece, large to huge margins, ms. "X" cancels, right stamp creased, otherwise Extremely Fine, scarce (Image)

400.00

300.00

2118

Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Pink Glazed (96L1). Vertical pair, huge margins, tiny tear in extreme top left corner, slight oxidation, tied by smear from ms. "X" cancels on folded cover to Detroit, probably originated in Cleveland, file fold thru one stamp, otherwise Very Fine, scarce use between two midwestern cities (Image)

E. 1,000-1,500

800.00

2119

Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Green Glazed (96L2). Ample to large margins, ms. cancel, vertical crease ending in tiny tear, otherwise Very Fine, scarce (Image)

500.00

750.00

2120

Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Green Glazed (96L2). Ample margins, deep shade, ms. "X" cancel on piece, small sealed tear at top right, otherwise Very Fine (Image)

500.00

250.00

2121

Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Green Glazed (96L2). Horizontal pair, originally a strip of three, but one of the stamps has been cut out, the remaining pair has huge margins and sheet margins, uncancelled, tied by filing crease on Aug. 19, 1844 folded letter from Toledo to Coneant O., letter mentions two additional letters enclosed, thus three-times 6-1/4c rate, right stamp creased, still an Extremely Fine and very rare pair -- the Green 96L2 is considerably rarer than the Pink 96L1 -- ex Golden, Scott values a used pair $1,500.00 (unused is unpriced in any form) (Image)

E. 1,000-1,500

1,500.00

2122

Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Green Glazed (96L2). Large marins to touched at bottom and left, ms. cancel, tied by file fold on folded cover to Detroit, docketed Jul. 25, 1844 on back (additional docketing indicates letter was answered in 1848), but no indication of origin except for small red "Paid" handstamp that was used by Pomeroy's Auburn N.Y. office, probably a conjunctive usage, stamp creased, otherwise Fine and very rare (Image)

E. 400-500

475.00

2123

Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Green Glazed (96L2). Large to huge margins, tied by ms. "X" cancel on folded cover to New York City, docketed Aug. 24, 1844, red pencil street address and "2" for local delivery charge, file fold, another stamp removed from the cover, still a presentable and rare cover with an Extremely Fine Letter Express Black on Green stamp (Image)

E. 400-500

375.00

2124

Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Pink Glazed (96L1). Large margins to slightly in, ms. cancel, part of a collection including printed bankcheck with same vignette, forgeries, etc., Fine (Image)

E. 150-200

500.00