Auction Detail
3070 – ERIVAN X
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D.O. Blood & Co., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (2c) black on pale green, margins ample to large, cancelled in manuscript and with black grid obliterator, docketed upon receipt "rec'd July 14th/48", a few light creases, adhesive with tiny edge tears at top, else fine; with 2023 Philatelic Foundation certificate.
Eagle City Post, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (2c) black on grayish paper, without "WS" initials, cut to shape and affixed to cover, cancelled in manuscript, red handstamped "5" alongside, postmarked "Norristown Pa / Aug / 7" c.d.s., to Nathan R. Potts of Philadelphia, some wrinkling affecting adhesive, the odd spot of discoloration, yet an immensely rare local stamp, one of only four examples recorded; ex Needham, Gibson, and Middendorf, with Gibson's ownership mark on reverse.
Hanford's Pony Express, New York, 2c black on orange-yellow, margins clear of oval on three sides, affixed to small cover postmarked "New York 5 cts. / 21 / Jan", to Newport, Rhode Island, some wrinkling and small repair at top left, a scarce franking; with 2023 Philatelic Foundation certificate.
Hill's Post, Boston, Massachusetts, 1c black on rose, large margins all around, affixed to folded letter, postmarked "Boston 10 Cts / 18 / Oct" c.d.s., to Cincinnati, Ohio, some adhesion remnants to reverse, a rare franking, with only seven covers recorded, all but one of which have the adhesive untied, and one of which is also addressed to Ohio and postmarked on the same date as the example offered here; with clear 2023 Philatelic Foundation certificate.
Mason’s New Orleans City Express, 1850-1, 2c black on yellow, imperforate, on folded letter datelined Franklin House (Mrs. Taylor’s), 39 Canal Street, tied by red grid cancel, postmarked "N-ORLEANS CITY EXPRESS POST. LA / FEB / 6" with day in manuscript, to Leads Foundry, horizontal filing fold, some adhesion remnants on reverse from prior mounting, overall exceptionally fresh. A rarity; ex-Burrus.
One of only two recorded examples of the 1c over 1/2c Mason’s New Orleans City Express, and the only example on cover.
Provenance: Alfred H. Caspary
Messenkope's Union Square Post Office, New York, (2c) black on pink paper, margins clear of outer oval on three sides, affixed to cover to Amos Street, with partial enclosure dated July 5, 1850, from the Manhattan Gas & Light Company, cover with some tears and adhesive fauty, nevertheless a rare franking, with George B. Sloane guarantee signature on reverse, sent during the early period following the takeover of the company by Joseph E. Dunham from Charles Messenkope; with 2023 Philatelic Foundation certificate
Pinkey's Express Post, New York, 2c black on green glazed paper, on folded letter internally dated July 9, 1851, and noted "Fourth Avenue, 94 / Opposite 11th St", postmarked "New-York 5 Cts/ Jul / 10", to Boston, Massachusetts, stamp with portion torn off at left and otherwise creased, some peripheral discoloration to cover, yet a rarity, this being the discovery cover, one of only handful of such stamps believed extant; ex-Ferrary, Boker, signed Jakubek.
Prince's Letter Despatch, Portland, Maine, undenominated black adhesive, margins ample to large on three sides, tied to cover by indistinct circular cancellation, 3c. rose adjacent tied by "Hallowell ME / Mar / 14" c.d.s., to Boston, Massachusetts, the local with trivial horizontal crease at foot well clear of design, the 3c with natural straight-edge, cover with small nick at right and slightly reduced, yet a most attractive usage of this scarce local, one of only about a dozen covers known, this example being unrecorded in the Lyons census (Penny Post, Vol 10, No. 4); with 2022 Philatelic Foundation certificate.
Prince’s Letter Dispatch, Portland, Maine, sheet margin single, large to huge margins all around, tied to cover by red "Boston Mass / Aug / 19" double-circle c.d.s., alongside 3c brown red, tied by crisp strike of black segmented cork, to William F. Brooks of Boston, trivial light soiling to portions of adhesive, cover reduced and partially refolded, an exceptionally attractive and rare on-cover example of this rare local issue; ex Caspary (H.R. Harmer, March, 1957, lot 947).
Prince’s Letter Dispatch of Portland, Maine, carried mail nightly by messenger traveling by steamer to Boston. The adhesive was engraved by Lowell of the firm of Lowell & Brett of Boston, whose name appears on the stamp below the steamship. While a common stamp unused, covers are rare; Lyons records only eleven such examples in his census. (Penny Post, Volume 10, No. 4, October 2002).
Spence & Brown Express Post, "Philadelphia Express / S&B / POST 2 Cts." circular stencil marking, on locally-used folded cover, to No. 51, North Sixth St, vertical fold, a rarity about which very little is known, other than the name of its proprietors, very fine; ex Gibson, Middendorf (Richard Frajola Inc, Net Price Sale, lot 736).
Sullivan's Dispatch Post, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1853, (2c) black on green, cut octagonally and affixed to folded letter datelined 18 June, 1853, postmarked with blue "Cincinnati O. 5 / Jun / 25" c.d.s., to Louisville, Kentucky, vertical filing folds, one through adhesive, of no importance given the unique status of this example, with Robson Lowe's handwritten guarantee on reverse, a rarity.
Three different types of the Sullivan's Dispatch Post local are recorded; the (2c) black on green glazed paper offered here, a (2c) bluish black on wove paper, uncancelled on a magazine, one of two examples of which is housed in the Smithsonian National Postal Museum; and an unused (2c) green on wove paper.
Telegraph Despatch Post Office, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1c black on yellowish paper, margins ample to large, cancelled with black manuscript "X", on partial folded letter to Washington, D.C., postmarked with blue "Philadelphia 5cts" c.d.s., cover with some staining predominantly at left, adhesive with slight scuffing in margins, of little importance given the rarity of this local on cover, with 2021 Philatelic Foundation certificate; ex-Gibson, with his owner's mark on reverse.
The cover offered here is one of only three recorded in the Roth census (Penny Post, Vol 3, No. 4). A fourth has since been discovered.