Auction Detail
March United States Postal History
Featuring The Leonard Piszkiewicz Collection of Chicago Postal History, The Van Koppersmith Collection of Philadelphia Postal History and The Tony Dewey Collection of Hartford Postal History
- (-) Remove The Leonard Piszkiewicz Collection of Chicago Postal History filter The Leonard Piszkiewicz Collection of Chicago Postal History
small group including "Det. & Chi. Agt. Apr 24", "Chicago & Quincy R.P.O. 14 Jul", "Mil. & Chicago Agt. Sep 11", and "Grafton & Chi. R.P.O. Dec 11", small faults, strikes fine to very fine
blue double-oval handstamp on 1861 cover front only to Del Air, Michigan, 1861 3c Rose (65, faults) tied by blue grid with matching "Chicago Ills Nov 13" datestamp, additional "Due 2 cts" handstamp, edges a bit ragged, very fine strike, the unique example of this handstamp and the earliest recorded ship letter marking from Chicago, illustrated in Piszkiewicz (page 355)
straight-line handstamp in blue on 1862 cover to Waukegan, Illinois, 1861 3c Rose (65) tied by blue "Chicago Ill Oct 1 1862" double circle datestamp and target, matching "Due 2 cts" handstamp (DU-4), original patriotic enclosure datelined "Milwaukee Sep 29/62", fine, the letter reads in part: "I would have ben glad to see you in Chicago but we don't stop very long in Chicago. We get in about five o clock in the morning and stay un till nine o clock the same day.", illustrated in Piszkiewicz (page 356)
black straight-line handstamp on ca. 1866 3c Pink entire to Bangor, Maine, "Chicago Ill Aug 30" datestamp with quartered cork and matching "Due 3" (DU-9), missing backflap, otherwise very fine, the fee for steamboat letters was changed to double the postage rate on July 1, 1863
black datestamp on reverse of incoming cover from Shullsburgh, Wisconsin franked with 1861 3c Rose, just reduced at left, very fine, only three examples of this marking are recorded during the same week in either 1867 or 1868, although this marking does not use the word "Carrier", the "2 Del" (denoting the second delivery of the day) plus the presence of a street address indicate carrier service
19 covers and cards from 1873/84 with carrier postmarks mostly used as backstamps, includes types CAR-2 and CAR-3, various colors including blue, black, and magenta, generally fine to very fine, an interesting group
14 Bank Note-era covers and cards with "Chicago, Ill. Carrier" postmarks in magenta or black, also includes unique ca. 1877 cover with normal Chicago postmark in the same color magenta ink as carrier datestamps of the period (probably picked up and postmarked by a carrier en route), generally fine to very fine, an attractive group
approximately 190 covers in binder and small box, each bearing a carrier route number (in manuscript or handstamp), many interesting markings including "Old No." or "No Such New No." after the city-wide change of the house numbering system in 1909, some covers with up to 33 different handstamps representing various attempts at delivery, generally fine to very fine, a fascinating chapter of Chicago's postal history discussed in Piszkiewicz
26 covers from the 1860s/1940s with a variety of different receiving backstamps including RC-2, RC-3, RC-6, and more, generally fine to very fine, see chapter 45 of the Piszkiewicz book for a full discussion on the history of these markings
12 covers from approximately 1881 through 1899, mostly backstamped with the Chicago "Transit" postmarks detailed in chapter 46 of the Piszkiewicz book, also a unique "Chicago Ills., D.P.O." (Distributing Post Office) magenta straight-line backstamp, generally fine to very fine
blue handstamp on reverse of incoming red and blue patriotic design of woman with eagle and waving flag, franked with 1861 3c Rose (65) and postmarked Troy, New York October 6, 1862, addressed to "Silas A. Jones, Company I, 125th Regiment, Col. Willard, Camp Douglas, Chicago, Illinois", endorsed "Post Master please forward", additional blue "Chicago Ill Oct 8 AM" backstamp, light edge wear and small repairs, fine appearance, a wonderful combination of a scarce handstamp on a patriotic cover to Camp Douglas
27 covers ranging from 1890 to 1918, comprising the cancellations illustrated on page 385 of the Piszkiewicz book, mostly special delivery uses, also includes 1918 flight cover from Cleveland to Chicago (illustrated on page 388) but which still uses the "Train Late" marking, generally fine to very fine, an interesting and scarce group