Auction Detail
January 2023
Our January 2023 sales include the "Erivan" Collection of United and Confederate States Postal History Part VIII, as well as a general sale of United States and worldwide stamps, covers, and collections.
- (-) Remove The ERIVAN Collection - Part VIII filter The ERIVAN Collection - Part VIII
uncancelled single on white envelope to Concord, New Hampshire, manuscript "Boscawen NH Dec 13" postmark at upper left, stamp with natural wrinkles, adhesive tape at the sides (from Arthur Hind), very fine, signed John N. Luff and backstamped "R.H.W. Co.", 2022 Philatelic Foundation certificate (Scott $300,000)
full impression of provisional at top right, red "New Haven Ct. Oct 21" datestamp at lower left, addressed by Professor Benjamin Silliman to Francis Mark, Jr., Esq. in Washington, DC, manuscript "Due" and hand stamped "5", extremely fine, by far the finest New Haven provisional cover recorded and one of the great rarities of American postal history, 2022 Philatelic Foundation certificate (Scott $125,000)
The New Haven Postmaster Provisional has proven to be one of the most elusive items in American philately. After over 170 years only six examples have emerged, of which just five are available to collectors. This rarity is compounded by the fact that the ink used to produce the original envelopes has not stood the test of time, and all surviving covers except for this one are either faulty or restored (likewise, the majority of surviving cut squares are faulty to some degree).
The majority of collectors have had to settle for various reprints made from the original die, the last of which were produced in 1932 (at the same time the booklet The New Haven Provisional Envelope by Carroll Alton Means was printed). This cover realized $23,000 at the 1967 Lilly sale (outselling the Alexandria Blue Boy), and over the years it became something of a celebrity, having been featured in Linn's Philatelic Gems and Life magazine's "World's Rarest Stamps" (1954). It has not appeared at auction since the 1989 sale of the Weill Brothers' stock at Christie's.
Provenance: Dr. James H. Causten, Jr. (Private Transaction)
Count Philipp von Ferrary (Gilbert Sale 3, 1922)
Arthur Hind (Charles J. Phillips Sale 1, 1933)
Alfred H. Caspary (H.R. Harmer Sale 967, 1955)
Josiah K. Lilly (R.A. Siegel Sale 312, 1967)
Weill Brothers (Christie's-Robson Lowe, 1989)
position 15, margins large to clear at bottom, portion of adjacent stamp at top, cancelled by red "Paid" in arc and small framed "US" of the US City Despatch, "Paid" repeated at left, red "Washington City D.C. Dec 5" datestamp and "5" rate, on 1845 incoming folded letter to New York City street address (for carrier delivery), repaired spindle hole, very fine, one of three recorded usages of the New York provisional from Washington, illustrated in the Piller book (page 83), USPCS Census #20415, 2022 Philatelic Foundation certificate
Provenance: Alfred H. Caspary (H.R. Harmer, Sale 967, 1955)
Ambassador J. William Middendorf II (Richard C. Frajola, 1990)
four margins, tied by blue pen strikes to 1846 folded letter to Paris, France, endorsed "p Steamer Britannia" (changed from Hibernia), red "New-York 5 Paid May 30" datestamp, boxed "Colonies &c Art.13" and Boulogne transit, very fine and attractive use of the New York provisional to France, USPCS census #20565, 2022 Philatelic Foundation certificate (Scott $2,200)
position 20, ample to huge margins including sheet margin at right, tied by two strikes of red grid and red "New-York 5cts 25 Mar" datestamp on 1847 folded cover to Providence, Rhode Island, matching "Paid" in arc, cover with scattered bleach spots not affecting the stamp, otherwise very fine and rare, an extraordinary example of the New York provisional on blue paper, USPCS census #20783, 2022 Philatelic Foundation certificate (Scott $5,750)
Provenance: Henry C. Gibson (Philip H. Ward Sale 12, 1944)
Rarities of the World (R.A. Siegel Sale 579, 1981)
Jeremiah Farrington (Ivy Shreve & Mader, 1992)
position 18, single with full margins, tied by blue pen strokes to 1847 folded letter to Whitestown, New York, red "New York 5cts 24 Mar" datestamp and matching "Paid" in arc, very fine, the USPCS census only records 14 covers with the New York provisional on gray paper, a wonderful cover, gray paper stamps were produced as part of the last shipment of stamps that arrived in New York in early 1847, USPCS Census #20780, 2022 Philatelic Foundation certificate (Scott $5,250)
Provenance: Jeremiah Farrington (Ivy Shreve & Mader, 1992)
position 2, four full margins, manuscript checkmark cancel, on 1847 folded letter to Ipswich, Massachusetts, red "Providence R.I. Jan 28" datestamp with matching "Paid" and "5", two vertical file folds and stamp small faults including tiny tear at left, very fine and attractive, USPCS census #21047, 2022 Philatelic Foundation certificate (Scott $7,000)
postion 2, full margins, manuscript checkmark cancel, on 1847 folded lettersheet to New York City, red "Providence R.I. Jan 22" datestamp with matching "Paid" and "5", manuscript "Paid" at top, vertical file fold at left through datestamp, very fine and attractive, USPCS census #21045, 2022 Philatelic Foundation certificate (Scott $7,000)
vertical pair, types II and III, margins ample to huge, tied by single pen stroke to 1845 folded letter to Philadelphia (Charnley & Whelen correspondence), red "St. Louis Mo. Dec 4" datestamp with matching "Paid", manuscript "20" rate, extremely fine, a wonderfully attractive cover with a sound pair of stamps with full margins, USPCS census #21105, 2022 Philatelic Foundation certificate (Scott $22,500)
Provenance: Charnley & Whelen Find (H.R. Harmer Sale 503, 1948)
type II single, margins to just touching, tied by two pen strokes on partial 1847 folded letter to New York City, red "St. Louis Mo. Feb 19" datestamp and matching "Paid", cover with two vertical file folds and stamp minute faults, very fine and scarce example of a 10c Pelure St. Louis Bear on cover from the "J&J Stuart" find, USPCS census #21222, 2022 Philatelic Foundation certificate (incorrectly identifying stamp as 11X2) (Scott $20,000)
Provenance: Arthur Hind (Charles J. Phillips Sale 1, 1933)
Alfred H. Caspary (H.R. Harmer Sale 967, 1955)
tied by red square grid on 1848 folded letter to Lockport, New York, matching "New-York May 13" datestamp, blue manuscript "Due 5" at top, extremely fine, the bisect was accepted but 5c postage was still due as Lockport is over 300 miles from New York City, very fine, the earliest known use of a bisected American postage stamp, an extraordinary rarity with a wonderful provenance, USPCS census #8032, 2022 Philatelic Foundation certificate (Scott $30,000)Provenance: Judge Robert S. Emerson (D.F. Kelleher Sale 396, 1938)William L. Moody, III (H.R. Harmer Sale 612, 1950)J. David Baker (R.A. Siegel Sale 526, 1978)Marc Haas (R.A. Siegel Sale 561, 1980)Ryohei Ishikawa (Christie's Robson Lowe, 1993)
large margins, tied by bold balloon-type "Steilacoom City W.T. Feb 21" datestamp, addressed to Wilmington, Ohio, lengthy enclosure with interesting contents about life in territorial Washington, adhesive tape residue at top, otherwise extremely fine and rare, Steilacoom was the first post office established in Washington Territory