Auction Detail
3070 – ERIVAN X
- (-) Remove United States of America filter United States of America
- (-) Remove 19th Century General Issues filter 19th Century General Issues
24c brown lilac vertical pair and 5c brown, tied to cover to Shanghai, China, with circular black grid cancels, faint red "N.York Br. Pkt Paid / SP 29" c.d.s., red "32" manuscript and "1d" red handstamped credit markings, red "London / Paid" split-ring transit, endorsed "via Marseilles" in red, partial "Hong Kong / NO 17 / 63" transit and "Shanghai / NO 24" c.d.s. backstamps, back flap mostly removed, trivial edge wrinkles, a lovely franking to a sought-after destination; signed Jakubek BPP, with his 1987 certificate.
1c blue, F Grill, tied to locally-addressed cover by ornate “Hinman & Titus / Dealers in / Groceries / and / Provisions / Moravia, N.Y. / Return if not called for in 10 days” commercial handstamp, a fresh and most unusual illustration of the 1c circular rate, very fine; ex Ishikawa.
2c brown, block of ten, pair, and single, cancelled in manuscript, the single and pair tied by double-circle "Hiogo / Japan" c.d.s. to cover to Siegen, Rheinish Prussia, endorsed "via S. Francisco", where the block was cancelled with Nov 18 c.d.s., red "New York Paid All / Br. Transit / Nov 26" c.d.s., German c.d.s. receiver (8 Dec) on reverse, cover opened for display, one adhesive creased from being affixed over bottom edge, some edge flaws, but a remarkable and rare franking; with 1997 Philatelic Foundation certificate.
This cover, being undated, leaves the rate open to some conjecture. If sent in 1869, it is a 1c overpayment of the 25c rate, being 10c per 1/2oz from the United States to Prussia via New York, and 15c for Prussian closed mail via England. If sent in 1870, it is a six cent overpayment of the 10c transpacific and 10c transatlantic rate. If the latter, one would assume the sender would have simply used the block of ten, unless the earlier rate was still in mind.