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56 Selected Lots, Page 1 of 6
General/Issue
Date
St. Louis, Missouri, 10c Black on Greenish (11X2). Type III, Position 6, three clear to full margins, just touched at left, tied by penstrokes, red "St. Louis Mo. Nov. 18" (1845) circular datestamp with matching "PAID" handstamp on blue folded cover to Charnley & Whelen in Philadelphia, manuscript "10" rateFRESH AND FINE. A SCARCE EARLY USE OF THE 10-CENT ST. LOUIS POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ON GREENISH PAPER ON A COVER FROM THE FAMOUS CHARNLEY & WHELEN CORRESPONDENCE.
The St. Louis "Bears" were issued by Postmaster John M. Wimer from November 1845 until the first United States General Issue became available in July 1847. The stamps were issued in three denominations -- 5c and 10c at first and a 20c denomination later -- and were sold at a premium over face value to pay the cost of printing. This November 18, 1845, cover is an early use (EDU is November 13).
Ex Faiman. With 1979 P.F. certificate. Scott value on cover $14,000.00
St. Louis, Missouri, 10c Black on Greenish (11X2). Type II, Position 4, large margins to barely touching frameline at right, intense early shade and impression showing every detail with perfect clarity, tied by "St. Louis Mo. Dec. 16" (1845) circular datestamp on folded letter to Charnley & Whelen in Philadelphia, matching "PAID" handstamp, manuscript "10" rate, fresh in every respectVERY FINE AND CHOICE STAMP AND COVER. RARELY SEEN TIED SOLELY BY THE RED CIRCULAR DATESTAMP AND WITHOUT A PEN CANCEL. A BEAUTIFUL ST. LOUIS "BEARS" PROVISIONAL COVER FROM THE FAMOUS CHARNLEY & WHELEN CORRESPONDENCE.
The St. Louis "Bears" were issued by Postmaster John M. Wimer from November 1845 until the first United States General Issue became available in July 1847. The stamps were issued in three denominations -- 5c and 10c at first and a 20c denomination later -- and were sold at a premium over face value to pay the cost of printing.
With 2017 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail for cover with usual pen cancellation
St. Louis, Missouri, 10c Black on Greenish (11X2). Type I, Position 2, full top right corner sheet margins with large margin at left and just in at bottom, without pen cancellation and tied by red "St. Louis Mo. Jun. 28" (1846) circular datestamp, matching "PAID" handstamp and manuscript "10" rate on folded cover to New York, stamp affixed by sender over a wrinkle in lettersheet which does not affect stampVERY FINE. A MAGNIFICENT CORNER-MARGIN COPY OF THE ST. LOUIS 10-CENT "BEARS" PROVISIONAL ON COVER. ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE CANCELLED SOLELY BY THE RED CIRCULAR DATESTAMP.
Ex Hessel and Clippert. With 1976 and 2019 P.F. certificates. Scott Retail for a cover with usual pen cancellation
St. Louis Mo., 10c Black on Greenish (11X2). Type I, Position 2, full top right corner sheet margins with large margin at left and just in at bottom, without pen cancellation and tied by red "St. Louis Mo. Jun. 28" (ca. 1846) circular datestamp, matching "PAID" handstamp and manuscript "10" rate on folded cover to New York, stamp affixed by sender over a wrinkle in lettersheet which does not affect stamp,VERY FINE. A MAGNIFICENT CORNER-MARGIN COPY OF THE ST. LOUIS 10-CENT "BEARS" PROVISIONAL ON COVER. ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE CANCELLED SOLELY BY THE RED CIRCULAR DATESTAMP.
Ex Hessel and Clippert. With 1976 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail for a cover with usual pen cancellation
St. Louis Mo., 10c Black on Greenish (11X2). Type III, Position 6, three large margins, in at right, cancelled by penstrokes and tied by red "St. Louis Mo. Jul. 2" (1846) circular datestamp on folded letter to Charnley & Whelen in Philadelphia, red "PAID" handstamp, manuscript "10", "via Terre Haute" sender's routing instructions at lower leftFINE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE ST. LOUIS POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL SPECIFICALLY ROUTED VIA TERRE HAUTE. A REMARKABLE COVER.
The contents read in part "We now have 2 Mails pr. day going East, this we send by the new route which they say is the quickest, by this evening's mail we will remit you Sunday Bank Notes &c for our Co." The sender, Wm. Nisbet & Co., sent a second cover the same day via the more established route via Louisville.
Ex Pope and Faiman.
St. Louis Mo., 10c Black on Greenish (11X2). Type III, Position 6, three clear to full margins, just touched at left, tied by penstrokes, red "St. Louis Mo. Nov. 18" (1845) circular datestamp with matching "PAID" handstamp on blue cover to Charnley & Whelen in Philadelphia, manuscript "10" rateFRESH AND FINE. A SCARCE EARLY EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT ST. LOUIS POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ON GREENISH PAPER, USED ON A COVER FROM THE FAMOUS CHARNLEY & WHELEN CORRESPONDENCE.
The St. Louis "Bears" were issued by Postmaster John M. Wimer from November 1845 until the first United States General Issue became available in July 1847. The stamps were issued in three denominations -- 5c and 10c at first and a 20c denomination later -- and were sold at a premium over face value to pay the cost of printing. This November 18, 1845, cover is an early use (EDU is November 13).
Ex Faiman. With 1979 P.F. certificate
St. Louis Mo., 10c Black on Greenish (11X2). Type III, Position 6, three clear to large margins, clear to in at top, dramatic pre-printing paperfold, tied by both penstrokes and red "St. Louis Mo. Apr. 28" (1846) circular datestamp on folded letter to Charnley & Whelen in Philadelphia, red "PAID" handstamp and manuscript "10" rateFRESH AND FINE ON-COVER EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT ST. LOUIS POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ON GREENISH PAPER.
Ex Pope and Faiman. With 1989 P.F. certificate
St. Louis Mo., 10c Black on Greenish (11X2). Type II, Position 4, large margins to clear, light manuscript cancel at right, red "St. Louis Mo. Dec. 1" (1845) circular datestamp with two strikes of matching "PAID" handstamp on folded letter to New Orleans, blue manuscript "Paid", stamp with faint horizontal crease and small corner crease at bottom right, cover with some soiling including waterstain at lower leftFINE APPEARANCE. THE ONLY RECORDED USE OF THE ST. LOUIS POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ON A COVER TO NEW ORLEANS. A GREAT RARITY.
Ex Faiman.
St. Louis, Missouri, 10c Black on Greenish (11X2). Type II, Position 4, large margins to fully clear at lower right, intense early shade and impression showing every detail with perfect clarity, tied by "St. Louis Mo. Nov. 29" (1845) circular datestamp on folded letter to Charnley & Whelen in Philadelphia, matching "PAID" straightline handstamp, manuscript "10" rate, very freshVERY FINE AND CHOICE STAMP AND COVER. RARELY SEEN TIED SOLELY BY THE RED CIRCULAR DATESTAMP AND WITHOUT A PEN CANCEL. A BEAUTIFUL ST. LOUIS "BEARS" PROVISIONAL COVER FROM THE FAMOUS CHARNLEY & WHELEN CORRESPONDENCE.
The St. Louis "Bears" were issued by Postmaster John M. Wimer from November 1845 until the first United States General Issue became available in July 1847. The stamps were issued in three denominations -- 5c and 10c at first and a 20c denomination later -- and were sold at a premium over face value to pay the cost of printing. This November 29, 1845, cover is an early use (EDU is November 13).
USPCS Census No. 21101. Ex Seymour and Weill Brothers' Stock. With 1989 P.F. certificate
A choice 10¢ St. Louis “Bears” provisional stamp printed on Greenish paper and neatly tied by the red town datestamp--without any pen cancellation--on a folded letter from the famed Charnley & Whelen correspondenceDESCRIPTION
St. Louis, Missouri, 10¢ Black on Greenish (11X2), Type I, Position 2, full even margins, sharp impression on greenish paper, cancelled and tied solely by red “St. Louis Mo. Jan. 12” (1846) circular datestamp, matching “PAID” handstamp and manuscript “10” rate on folded letter datelined “Saint Louis, January 10th, 1846” from Loker, Renick & Co. to Charnley & Whelen in Philadelphia
PROVENANCE
* Charnley & Whelen correspondence, H. R. Harmer sale, 12/13/1948, lot 2
* T. Cullen Davis, Siegel Auction Galleries, 10/6/1964, Sale 276, lot 15
CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES
* USPCS census nos. 21133
* https://www.uspcs.org/resource-center/censuses/postmasters-provisionals-cover-census/
CERTIFICATION
* The Philatelic Foundation (1993)
CONDITION NOTES
* Very Fine; cover with light horizontal file fold; H. R. Harmer (1948 sale) description noted a “small break” in the stamp’s margin at bottom from the “2” numeral in datestamp, but this was never mentioned again nor is it noted on 1993 P.F. certificate
VIEW PDF OF HISTORY AND COMMENTARY at https://siegelauctions.com/2018/1188/10.pdf
56 Selected Lots , Page 1 of 6
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