9th Floor
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Sale 1230 — U.S. and Hawaii Stamps and Postal History
Sale Date — Tuesday-Friday, 15-18 December, 2020
Category — Postmasters’ Provisionals
Baltimore, Maryland, 5c Black on Bluish (3X3). Position 6, margins showing full or parts of framelines on all four sides, without usual pen cancellation, tied by blue "PAID" handstamp, matching "Baltimore Md. Aug. 24" (1845) circular datestamp on cover to Miss Eugenia McDonald in Washington D.C., stamp with some slight gum toning, small bit of ink erosion in address at bottom edge, cover edges slightly refoldedVERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL COVER BEARING THE BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, 5-CENT ON BLUISH PAPER. EXAMPLES WITHOUT PEN CANCELLATION AND TIED BY A HANDSTAMP ARE VERY RARE AND THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST.
The Baltimore provisional stamps were printed first on bluish and then on white paper (the Scott catalogue reverses the chronological order). Examples of the 5c on Bluish (3X3) on cover are rarely tied solely by a handstamp cancellation.
No. 4 in the Hayes census. USPCS Census No. 20137. Ex Klein and Hill. With 1965 and 2008 P.F. certificates. Scott value $12,500.00
Baltimore, Maryland, 5c Blue on Buff entire (3XU1). Bold and clear strikes of signature, "PAID" and "5" in oval provisional handstamps, equally bold blue "Baltimore Md. Jan. 20" (ca 1847) circular datestamp on cover to Mrs. William Hamilton in PhiladelphiaVERY FINE. A VERY CHOICE BALTIMORE 5-CENT HANDSTAMPED PROVISIONAL ENTIRE.
No. 38 in the Hayes census. USPCS Census No. 20034. Ex Stephen Brown. With 1993 P.F. certificate. Scott value $5,000.00
New York N.Y., 5c Black, Without Signature (9X1e). Positions 9-10, horizontal pair, large margins to ample, tied by red "PAID" in arc handstamps, third strike at right, matching "New-York 10 Cts. 15 Jul." (1845) integral-rate circular datestamp on large part of folded cover to Dundee, Scotland, sender's directive instructions Acadia and carried on that Cunarder which departed Boston July 16, 1845 and arrived Liverpool July 29, neat "America Liverpool JY 29, 1845" and July 31 receiving backstamps, "1/-" shilling due marking, right stamp small pre-printing paperfold at right, some expert restorationVERY FINE APPEARANCE. THE ONLY RECORDED PAIR USED ON JULY 15, 1845, WHICH IS THE EARLIEST DOCUMENTED DATE OF USE. AN IMPORTANT NEW YORK POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL.
The earliest recorded use of the New York provisional is July 15, 1845. The USPCS census lists 14 used on that day, all without signature. Four are known used to England, three each are known to Germany and France and three are domestic uses, all bearing a single stamp. The example here is the only to Scotland and the only with more than one stamp. In Chronicle 115 (p. 163), Philip Wall records only eight pairs on or off cover of the without signature variety.
Ex "Aristocrat" (2007 Bennett sale) where offered at auction for the first time and where acquired by the current owner. With 1999 A.P.S. certificate.
New York N.Y., 5c Black, "ACM" Initials (9X1). Position 34, large margins to just in at top left, blue pen cancel, red "New-York 5cts. 5 Aug," (1846) integral-rate circular datestamp with matching "Paid" in arc handstamp on folded cover to Providence R.I., Very Fine, with 2002 A.P.S. certificate, Scott value $600.00
New York N.Y., 5c Black, "ACM" Initials (9X1). Positions 4-5, horizontal pair, left stamp double transfer, full margins to slightly in, tied by two strikes of red "Paid" in arc, third strike at right, matching "New-York 10 cts. 20 Nov." (1846) integral-rate circular datestamp on small blue folded letter to Detroit Mich., Fine pair on an attractive cover and a scarce use, ex Hessel, Martin and Fekete
New York N.Y., 5c Black, "ACM" Initials (9X1). Horizontal pair, large to full margins all around, tied by blue pen stroke on Oct. 31, 1846 folded letter from New York City to Trieste, care of Jas. Lang, London, England, sender's directive "p. Caledonia" at lower left and carried on that Cunarder from Boston on Nov. 1, arriving Liverpool Nov. 15, red London receiving backstamp of Nov. 16, manuscript "2/-" shilling due marking, very freshEXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE USE OF A PAIR OF THE 5-CENT NEW YORK POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ON A COVER TO TRIESTE.
As usual for this correspondence, this cover was sent to James Lang in England and forwarded to Trieste outside the mails.
New York N.Y., 5c Black, "RHM" Initials (9X1d). Position 39, huge margins to just in at bottom, tied by blue pen strokes, red "New-York 5 cts. 26 Jul." integral-rate circular datestamp with matching "Paid" arc handstamp on folded letter datelined "New Hamburgh, Dutchess County, 24. July 1845" in the hand of James Lenox, carried to New York and mailed from there to Boston, signed "James Lenox" on backflapVERY FINE. A RARE 5-CENT NEW YORK POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL WITH "RHM" SIGNATURE ON A LETTER FROM JAMES LENOX IN NEW HAMBURGH AND MAILED FROM NEW YORK CITY.
In his article in Chronicle 99, Phillip Wall traced the history of the James Lenox "RHM" covers. Lenox was a prominent New York philanthropist and book collector in the mid-1800's. His collection of books and paintings formed the core of the Lenox Library on 5th Avenue, which became part of the New York Public Library in the late 1800's. He was also a founder of Presbyterian Hospital. Lenox spent the summer of 1845 in a manor house in New Hamburgh while his Fifth Avenue townhouse was being built. From there he corresponded with associates in New York and Boston. Wall records seven covers sent by Lenox from New Hamburgh with "RMH" initialed stamps. This cover is the earliest of the seven and the only one that was mailed from New York.
Illustrated in Chronicle 99 (p. 166) and Piller (p. 66). From our 1966 Rarities of the World sale. With 1974 P.F. certificate
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