9th Floor
New York, NY 10036
49 Selected Lots, Page 1 of 5
General/Issue
Date
New York N.Y., 5c Black, "A C M." Initials (9X1b var). Position 3, letters not connected and with period after "M" only, huge margins to clear including wide top sheet margin, tied by blue manuscript "X" and red "New-York 5cts. 29 Aug." (1845) integral-rate circular datestamp on folded cover to Philadelphia, red "PAID" arc handstamp at left, sheet margin a bit uneven, small wrinkle at top right, Very Fine and unusual initials variety, with 1991 P.F. certificate
New York N.Y., 5c Black, "A.C.M." Initials (9X1b). Large even margins, cancelled by three blue penstrokes on 1845 printed questionnaire (probably from insurance company) asking about health-related issues, to Suckasunny Plains N.J., red "New-York 5cts. 25 Aug." integral-rate circular datestamp, matching "PAID" arc handstamp, light file folds, none of which affect stamp, Extremely Fine use of the scarce A.C.M. initials with periods, Scott value $825.00
New York N.Y., 5c Black, "A.C.M." Initials (9X1b). Positions 33-34, horizontal pair, ample margins to full, cancelled by blue penstrokes, red "New-York 10cts. 11 Sep." (1845) integral-rate circular datestamp on folded letter to Ann Arbor Mich., red "PAID" arc handstamp, fresh and Very Fine, ex Farrington, with 1992 P.F. certificate, Scott value $3,250.00
New York N.Y., 5c Black, "A.C.M." Initials (9X1b). Full margins to clear, tied by light strike of red "New-York 5 Paid Sep. 30" (1845) integral-rate circular datestamp, second clear strike at left, on folded letter to Marseille, France, sender's ship-name directive "Str. Britannia", red "COLONIES/&c. ART. 12" Anglo-French accountancy handstamp, appropriate transit and due markings, part of address crossed out in non-contemporary ink, still Fine and scarce use of this A.C.M. with Periods initials variety on a transatlantic cover, Scott value $2,750.00
The only recorded use of the New York provisional from Jersey CityNew York, N.Y., 5¢ Black, "A.C.M." Initials (9X1b), large margins to full including part of adjoining stamp at top, uncancelled but tied by vertical file fold on blue folded letter datelined "New York 17 Sept. 1845" to Norwich, Connecticut, deep red "Jersey City N.J. Sep. 17" circular datestamp, blue manuscript "5" rate, neat strike of red "PAID" arc handstamp applied in New York, Very Fine appearance, this is the only recorded use from Jersey City and one of only two sent from New Jersey--according to the USPCS website, Percy Doane, a prominent New York dealer of that era, is quoted as having jokingly remarked that the sender took the ferry to New Jersey, and, finding that he had forgotten to mail the letter, did so immediately--the USPCS census lists a Valentine used from Elizabeth N.J. to Rahway, but it is almost severed in half and lacks any New York markings--ex Weill Brothers sale and Arch, USPCS census no. 20354, illustrated in Chronicle Feb. 1979 and Piller, The New York Postmaster's Provisional (p. 80), with 1974 P.F. certificate
One of four recorded covers to Belgium with the New York postmaster's provisionalNew York, N.Y., 5¢ Black, "A.C.M." Initials (9X1b), Position 18, full to large margins, trivial small pre-use wrinkle not noted on certificate, tied by blue penstroke cancels, red "PAID" arc handstamp (no datestamp) on July 31, 1845 folded letter to Anvers, Belgium, from the Vanderlinden correspondence, sender's ship-name directive "Str. Britannia"--carried on that Cunard steamer, departing Boston on August 1, 1845, and arriving at Liverpool August 15--red London (Aug. 16) circular datestamp on back, corresponding British "1/8" manuscript debit marking, Ostend (Aug. 17) red backstamp, red rectangular accountancy handstamp "DEBOURS ETRANGERS/TAXE REDUITE/PORT BELGE", restated 20 decimes in Belgian currency, plus 4 decimes internal rate, large blue "24" decimes in manuscript for total amount due, final marking is a red Anvers receiving datestamp on back (Aug. 18)
Very Fine stamp and cover. An outstanding foreign-mail use of the New York postmaster's provisional.
Ex Henry C. Gibson, Sr., and Louis Grunin. USPCS census no. 20285. Illustrated in Piller, The New York Postmaster's Provisional (p. 107). With 1994 P.F. certificate.
A rare use of the 5¢ New York provisional with small "A.C.M." initials to EnglandNew York, N.Y., 5¢ Black, "A.C.M." Initials (9X1b), large margins, tied by blue penstroke cancels, red "New-York Paid 5 Jul. 31" (1845) first month of use integral-rate circular datestamp on folded letter to Sheffield, England, sender's ship-name directive "Pr Britannia"--carried on that Cunard steamer, departing from Boston on August 1, 1845, and arriving at Liverpool August 15--"America Liverpool AU 15, 1845" datestamp on back, blue Sheffield receiving backstamp is partly struck, British "1/-" one-shilling due handstamp, part of address rewritten, otherwise Very Fine, early use of the 5¢ New York provisional on a transatlantic cover--the earliest recorded use to any destination is July 15--ex Grunin, unlisted in USPCS census
New York N.Y., 5c Black, "A.C.M." Initials (9X1b). Small initials with periods, large even margins all around, tied by blue penstrokes on folded letter to H.W. Bishop in Lenox Mass., red "New-York 5cts. 25 Aug." (1845) integral-rate circular datestamp, matching "Paid" in arc handstamp, Very Fine, scarce with the small initials, ex Norvin Green
New York N.Y., 5c Black, "A.C.M." Initials (9X1b). Position 20, full to large margins all around, cancelled by blue pen strokes, red "New-York 5 cts. 11 Aug." (1845) integral-rate circular datestamp with matching "Paid" in arc handstamp on folded letter to Philadelphia, Very Fine second month use
One of the two most outstanding covers with the New York postmaster’s provisional stamp used from another post office--in this case, the triple 5¢ rate from Boston is paid by a superb and extremely rare vertical corner sheet-margin pair with small “ACM” initials and a single without initialsDESCRIPTION
New York, N.Y., 5¢ Black on Bluish, “ACM” Initials (9X1b variety), Positions 31/36, vertical pair with huge bottom left corner sheet margins and large margins all around, small magenta “ACM” initials unconnected without periods (unlisted variety--similar to small “A.C.M.” with periods), used with 5¢ Black on Bluish, Without Signature (9X1e), Position 22, full to large margins, each stamp with similar blue manuscript cancel on undated 1845 folded cover from Boston to Howland & Aspinwall in New York City, red “Boston Mass. Nov. 12” circular datestamp, magenta manuscript “15” (cents) rate applied in Boston, sender’s manuscript notation “U.S. Mail paid”, red “PAID” arc handstamp applied on arrival in New York City to indicate stamps accepted as prepayment of triple 5¢ rate postage
PROVENANCE
* G. E. Jones (J. W. Scott, 11/8/1906), according to notation on back
* Henry G. Lapham (and his son, Raymond), probably acquired privately in 1922 from the Henry C. Gibson, Sr., collection* Probably Warren H. Colson (stock acquired by Weills in 1963)
* Edward Grombacher (bought and sold privately through Weills)
* Weill Brothers’ Stock, Christie’s Robson Lowe sale, 10/12/1989, lot 588, to private collector
* Siegel Auction Galleries, 1996 Rarities of the World, 5/21/1996, Sale 777, lot 5, to William H. Gross
CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES
* USPCS census no. 20388
* https://www.uspcs.org/resource-center/censuses/postmasters-provisionals-cover-census/
* Stanley M. Piller, The New York Postmaster’s Provisional, fig. 97, p. 72
* Gordon Eubanks, Jr., “The William H. Gross United States Collection,” Chronicle 258, May 2018
CERTIFICATION
* The Philatelic Foundation (1989)
CONDITION NOTES
* Very Fine cover with a superb vertical corner-margin pair; file folds not affecting stamps; light waterstain around No. 9X1e, which also has a pinhole just under Washington’s right eye
* Pencil note on back “G E Jones Coll, J W Scott Co., Nov. 8, 1906.” Also signed “R. H. Weill” in pencil (Raymond H. Weill)
VIEW PDF OF HISTORY AND COMMENTARY at https://siegelauctions.com/2018/1188/1.pdf
49 Selected Lots , Page 1 of 5
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