 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
| Lot | Sym. | Lot Description | Est/Cat | Realized |
| 3128 |  |
 Honour's City Express, Charleston S.C., 2c Black on Bluish Gray (Unlisted 4LB2 variety). Cut to shape, part of stamp has been torn
away at bottom (scuffed into center), uncancelled, used on folded letter datelined "Kalmia August 9, 1849" and addressed to Joseph L. Beach in Charleston, ms. "Graniteville S.C. Augt. 11" postmark and matching "5", street address in another
hand "Canonsboro, end of Bee st.", some slight toning, vertical file fold well clear of adhesiveA NEW DISCOVERY IN THE FIELD OF CARRIERS AND LOCALS. THE HONOUR'S FIRST ISSUE WAS PREVIOUSLY KNOWN ONLY ON YELLOW AND BROWN ROSE PAPER. THIS STAMP ON BLUISH GRAY PAPER IS UNLISTED AND SCOTT AND PREVIOUSLY UNRECORDED. This is the tenth recorded example of Honour's first-issue stamp. It recently came to light in an estate collection. Its emergence is all the more remarkable, because the stamp is printed on Bluish Gray paper, not the Yellow or Brown Rose papers identified in Scott as 4LB2 and 4LB1, respectively (we refer to them in reverse Scott order, because that is the correct chronological order). John H. Honour, Superintendent of the Charleston Penny Post, advertised the commencement of carrier service in the Charleston Mercury on May 9, 1849. The earliest recorded Honour's cover is postmarked May 24, 1849, establishing the oval stamp on Yellow paper (Scott 4LB2, four recorded) as the likely first issue of the Charleston carrier stamps. The same design on Brown Rose paper (4LB1, five recorded) is known with July and August 1849 dates. The wording and configuration are identical to the contemporary Boyd's Eagle & Globe stamps (without the Eagle vignette). The Bluish Gray stamp paper on the newly-uncovered August 9, 1849, folded letter falls into the proper period of use for the oval stamp. The paper is comparable to the Bluish Gray paper used for the subsequent typeset issues. The use of the Charleston S.C. carrier stamps on inbound mail originating in other cities (Aiken S.C., in particular) has been well-known to specialists for years. In 1875 a South Carolina philatelist named William H. Faber interviewed two of the men who had served as carriers in Charleston and learned that stamps were carried or sent to other places and used to prepay the carrier fees on mail addressed to Charleston (the Faber interviews were reported by John N. Luff in the American Journal of Philately, March 1898, and by Elliott Perry in The Philatelist, June 1974). This August 9, 1849, letter is the earliest recorded inbound cover with one of the Charleston carrier stamps. However, in our opinion, the Bluish Gray stamp on this cover was probably applied after the letter reached Charleston’s carrier department. Based on patterns of stamp use in other carrier departments--for example, Philadelphia--we are convinced that certain carrier department stamps were sometimes applied by the carriers as receipts and as a means of recording how many letters they delivered and were paid for, rather than by the sender to prepay the carrier fee. As the photo shows, a piece of the stamp has been torn off, and the paper is skimmed in a triangular shape pointing toward the center, in the direction the paper was peeled. This damage might have been the result of a stamp collector trying to remove the stamp, but another possibility is that the carrier peeled off the 2 Cents” portion of the design. This might have been his way of cancelling” the stamp once the 2c carrier fee and 5c postage was paid. Those who are skeptical of the this theory should observe that the street address--Canonsboro, end of Bee St.”--is in handwriting that differs from the address and Graniteville postmark. A possible scenario is that the letter arrived at the Charleston post office and was given to the carrier department for delivery, based on standing instructions left by the addressee. The street address was added to the letter, and the carrier was instructed to collect 7c (5c postage plus 2c carrier fee). The carrier affixed the stamp as a receipt for money received, and he peeled off the bottom of the stamp (with denomination), which was otherwise left uncancelled. By using a stamp from his supply, the carrier could accurately report how much he received and was due for his services (the postage would be paid to the post office). Obviously, this theory is purely speculative, and the damage to the stamp might be pure philatelic vandalism. However, if a stamp collector intended to remove the stamp, why not finish the job? We believe the damage occurred in August 1849 at the hand of the Charleston carrier. (Image Magnifier) |
E. 3,000-4,000 | 6,500.00 |
| 3129 | |
 1c Blue, Eagle Carrier (LO2). Ample margins, double struck red star cancel, used with 3c Dull Red (11), cut into at right,
both stamps tied by blue "Philadelphia Pa. Jun. 15" circular datestamp on brown cover to New York City, Fine, with 1997 P.F. certificate (Image Magnifier) |
E. 150-200 | 300.00 |
| 3130 | |
 Philadelphia Pa. Nov. 21. Blue circular datestamp and matching "1" in octagon with red star carrier handstamp clearly struck on 1852 folded cover, Very Fine, scarce drop
rate plus carrier fee (Image Magnifier) |
E. 300-400 | 400.00 |
| 3131 | |
 U.S.P.O. Despatch/Pre-Paid/One Cent. Red double-oval handstamp used with 3c Dull Red (11), clear to ample margins, tied by blue
"Washington & Phila. R.R. 1 Nov." circular datestamp on cover to Cincinnati, tiny tear at upper right not mentioned on accompanying certificate, Fine and rare , with 1997 P.F. certificate (Image Magnifier) |
E. 300-400 | 250.00 |
| 3132 | |
 Andrews' Portland Express Office, 77 Washington St. Boston. Red three-line handstamp, partly clear strike on Sep. 26, 1845 folded letter
from Portland Me. to Boston, ms. "Order", carried with cargo after ban on inter-city mails, Fine and extremely scarce, ex Hall (Image Magnifier) |
E. 200-300 | 150.00 |
| 3133 | |
 D. O. Blood & Co., Philadelphia Pa., (2c) Black (15L5). Huge margins all around, beautiful deep shade and early impression, ms. "X"
cancel (not tied), used on small cover to local street address, stamp has tiny tear in top margin, still Extremely Fine, choice use of the Striding Messenger stamp issued by Blood's in 1845 (Image Magnifier) |
E. 300-400 | 600.00 |
| 3134 | |
 Blood's City Despatch, Philadelphia Pa., (1c) Blue & Pink on Bluish (15L15). Large margins to touched, acid tied, used with 3c Dull
Red, Ty. II (11A), cancelled by pen and tied by "Hummelstown Pa. Jun. 15" circular datestamp on ladies cover to Uniontown Pa., ms. "missent & ford.", Very Fine (Image Magnifier) |
E. 200-300 | 300.00 |
| 3135 |
 Boyd's City Express, New York N.Y., 2c Black on Green Glazed (20L1). Large margins all around, cancelled by red "Free", matching
"Boyd's City/Express Post/July 15 9 O'C" rectangular framed datestamp on half of an 1844 folded cover to local street address, docketing indicates letter originated in Albany, which leads us to suspect that the other half of this cover had a
Pomeroy's stamp, Extremely Fine example of this rare stamp -- only 18 covers reported by Larry LeBel -- ex Hall, Scott Retail as off-cover stamp (Image Magnifier) |
1,000.00 | 900.00 | |
| 3136 |
 California City Letter Express Co., San Francisco, 10c Blue (33L5). Cut to shape, repaired corner at top left, small ms. "X" cancel,
affixed to non-contemporary cover (did not originate), Fine appearance, a rare example of the 10c Blue, only two examples are known to us, the other was offered in our sale of the Golden collection (Sale 817) with a lightened manuscript cancel
(realized $12,500 hammer), this example is ex Richardson (Siegel Sale 627) (Image Magnifier) |
14,000.00 | 1,800.00 | |
| 3137 | |
 National Telegraph Co., Philadelphia Pa. Handsome illustrated cover with "Philadelphia Pa. Sep. 18" circular datestamp and "1" in octagon handstamp, addressed
locally, minor edgewear, Very Fine, a beautiful cover (Image Magnifier) |
E. 400-500 | 350.00 |
| 3138 | |
 Pullen & Co's Express. Black on green illustrated label with offices listed , some excess mucilage at upper right, used in conjunction
with red "Boyd's City Express Post Apr. 23 9 O'C" oval datestamp on Apr. 22, 1846 folded letter from Troy N.Y. New York City street address, Very Fine, scarce, with 1999 P.F. certificate (Image Magnifier) |
E. 400-500 | 1,300.00 |