Auction Detail

St. Louis, Missouri, 5c black on greenish paper, four singles, three Type II, one Type I, each a four-margin example cancelled in manuscript, on folded cover, Charney & Whelen correspondence, manuscript "40" in black, postmarked with red "St. Louis Mo. / Nov 25" c.d.s., to Philadelphia, pressed filing folds clear of adhesives, small "WHC" (Warren H. Colson) backstamp, signed Jakubek, with his certificate, a beautiful and rare franking of this iconic Postmaster's Provisional; ex Caspary (H.R. Harmer, New York, November 15, 1955, lot 138).
The St. Louis Bears is one of the most recognizable designs in philately. Issued in 1845-6 by Postmaster John Wimer, the stamps were printed in denominations of 5c, 10c, and 20c. The stamp, based on the Great Seal of Missouri, was printed on panes of six, two rows of three, with each position being engraved individually. Printed on wove paper, in shades of greenish to grayish lilac to bluish, with later printings being in thin, hard (pelure) paper. Sixty eight examples on cover are recorded in the USPCS Census, almost all being single frankings; ten bear two issues, two have three, one, the cover offered here, with four, and one, the largest known multiple, with five.
An exceptional franking.