3c Green (158). Two singles, tied by bold boxed cancels, "Boston Mass. May ?" circular datestamp on cover to Erie Pa. with overall light gray advertisement for Henry Mayo & Co.'s fish cannery with illustration of whale capture, top stamp small tear at top and cover reduced at left slightly into design, still Very Fine, scarce depiction of a whale, with 2009 P.F. certificate

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3c Green (158). Tied by bold strike of blue "GIN" Barrel fancy cancel with matching "Chicago Ill. 31 Oct. 2PM" circular datestamp on buff cover to Wyalusing Wis., small nick at top left of cover, stamp has minor corner crease, Very Fine, an extremely rare cancel on cover -- the Chicago "Gin" Barrel is one of the best known and most distinctive of fancy cancellations used during the Bank Note era; while barrel designs are known from other post offices, including the Oil Barrel of Titusville Pa. and Barrel of Waterbury Conn., the Chicago design is the only known fancy cancel representing a distilled spirit -- ex Dr. Martin and "Andromeda"

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3c Green (158). Cancelled by clear strike of Bats, Baseball and Diamonds fancy cancel of Waterbury Conn. (Rohloff O-3), "Waterbury Conn. Jul. 2 7AM" circular datestamp on cover to Plantsville Conn., slightly reduced at right, Very Fine strike of this rare baseball motif fancy cancel, ex Houser, with 1990 P.F. certificate

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3c Green (158). Rich color, tiny tear at right, tied by blue "76" Centennial Liberty Bell fancy cancel, matching "Concord N.H. Jul. 31" circular datestamp on "The Blanchard Churn" advertising cover to Forestville N.Y., barely reduced at right, Very Fine strike of this rare fancy cancel, created in 1876 to celebrate the Independence Centennial

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3c Green (158). Cancelled by penstrokes, "Potter Brook Pa. Dec. 15" fancy cancel with doves, wreaths and hearts pierced by an arrow, to White's Corner Pa., Justice of the Peace return address, slightly reduced at left, Fine example of this rare postmark, with 1981 P.F. certificate

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3c Green (158). Tied by Stovepipe fancy cancel, "Leominster Ms. Jun. 5" circular datestamp on yellow cover to Sharon Vt., with Leominster Provisional Postage Due Label with manuscript "Due" and "3" handstamp, some overall soiling, slightly reduced at right, otherwise Very Fine and scarce

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3c Green (158). Horizontal pair, beautifully centered, tied by light quartered cork cancels, "Indianapolis Ind. Jun. 22" (1876) circular datestamp on fresh buff cover to London, England, with "If you don't catch him" running chicken design for exterminators, red New York and London "Paid" and transits, Extremely Fine, printed corner cards such as this inspired Waterbury postmaster John W. Hill to carve his famous Running Chicken fancy cancel, ex Hubbard and "Andromeda"

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3c Green (158). Horizontal pair, tied by purple segmented cork cancels, "Zanesville O. Jul. 20" (1878) circular datestamp on cover to Liverpool, England, red receiving datestamp, Very Fine

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3c Green (158). Vertical pair, tied by two strikes of New York Foreign Mail Geometric cancel (Weiss GE-EN3) and rim of red New York circular datestamp on 1874 folded cover to Trieste, Austria, sender's Dec. 4, 1874 backstamp, Trieste receiving backstamps, horizontal file fold, Very Fine, 6c NGU Direct rate to Austria, ex "Andromeda"

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1c Ultramarine, 3c Green (156, 158). 3c pair with traces of plate number captured at top, small faults, 1c overlapping edge, tied by lightly struck cancels, partly visible "Walla Walla Wash." Washington Territory circular datestamp on 3c Green entire to Lieut. Col. James Bassel, Egyptian Army, Cairo, Egypt, red "New York * Paid All * Mar. 5" transit datestamp, red crayon "10" credit to North German Union, re-stated "fr 4" credit, "P.D." handstamp ties one 3c, Trieste oval backstamp (Mar. 21), "Poste Egiziane" Alexandria and Cairo backstamps (Apr. 2, 1874), reduced at left, still Fine, addressed to one of 50 or so American military officers who went to Egypt in the 1870's to train and direct the army of the Khedive Ismail, Lieutenant-Colonel James Bassel served in Egypt for about one year before leaving for the Far East, this was correctly prepaid for the 16c North German Union Direct rate to Egypt via Brindisi, there was a HAPAG departure on Mar. 5 (Hammonia II) and an NGL departure on Mar. 7 (Rhein), ex Stever and "Andromeda"

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