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 United States Postal History filter United States Postal History
arced handstamp of Providence, Rhode Island, mostly albino but a trace of ink, on folded letter from New Orleans dated December 1, 1827, endorsed "Brig William", manuscript "12½" rate for 100 miles from New Orleans to Balize plus 19 miles from Wickford to Providence, very fine, just 10 examples of this handstamp recorded
red arced handstamp of New York on 1827 partial folded letter from New Orleans to Providence, Rhode Island, endorsed "p Douglas", no New York datestamp, rated "18¾" (150 to 400 miles) for distance from New Orleans to Balize plus New York to Providence, very fine and attractive, one of just 11 examples of this handstamp, ex-Koppersmith
red arced handstamp of New York on folded letter datelined "New Orleans 29 April 1827", endorsed "Ship Francis", May 16 New York datestamp then to Boston, rated "18¾" (150 to 400 miles) for distance from New Orleans to Balize plus New York to Boston, very fine and attractive, one of just 11 examples of this handstamp, ex-Koppersmith
red arced handstamp of New York on folded lettersheet from New Orleans dated May 31, 1827, endorsed "Ship Tennessee", July 5 New York datestamp then to Boston, rated "56¼" triple rate (150 to 400 miles) for distance from New Orleans to Balize plus New York to Boston, very fine and attractive, one of just 11 examples of this handstamp, ex-Koppersmith
red arced handstamp of New York on folded letter datelined "New Orleans, June 19, 1829", carried by the Brig Horace arriving July 8, endorsed "consignee" and with manuscript "F" (free) as authorized for a letter regarding the cargo, very fine, the latest known of just 11 examples of this handstamp, ex-Skinner and Koppersmith
black datestamp with matching boxed "40" rate handstamp on 1849 cover to Warren, Rhode Island, torn backflap, very fine appearance, boxed handstamps were only used in San Francisco from October 1849 to February 1850
red integral rate handstamp on 1851 folded letter to Capt. Henry W. Fletcher in South Boston, Massachusetts, very fine, letter with interesting contents from a new arrival to California, begins "Sir, have been here 3 or 4 days but made no sales, and coal is not worth anything, and everything else is full do not know hardly what to do if I stay stay here more than 15 days", mentions the arrival of the Oak Leaf which was lost at sea off Cabo San Lucas October 28, 1851
red datestamp with black "Ship 6" in shell handstamp on incoming folded letter datelined "Sydney, 31st March, 1851", endorsed "Robert Bowne" which according to newspaper records traveled via Honolulu and arrived August 17, very fine, one of two recorded covers with a red datestamp and black "Ship 6", ex-Salzer
This cover was described and illustrated in a Western Express article by Dr. W. Scott Polland in July of 1968 (the cover was owned by Oscar Salzer at the time). Polland had previously written a more detailed article in the same publication about this fancy "Ship 6" cancellation (January 1968), which at the time was known as the "Clipper Ship cancellation". It was struck in red from about June 1850 to July 1851, after which point it is recorded in black until the last known use in July 1860.
red datestamp with matching straightline "Paid" and "6" rate on 1852 folded letter to New York City, very fine, this marking is scarcer in red
black datestamp with matching straightline "Paid" and separate "3" rate on ca. 1852 folded lettersheet to Captain John Walsh in Benicia, California, very fine,
Captain John Walsh was born on Prince Edward Island in 1797. He commanded the John Gilpin, which sailed regular packet service between Valparaiso, Chile and Canton, China before retiring to Benicia in 1849. His residence, which currently serves as a bed and breakfast, was one of three identical prefabricated homes shipped around Cape Horn from Boston.
black datestamp with matching separate straightline "Paid" and "26" handstamps on 1853 folded letter to Cognac, France, endorsed "By Steamer, via Panama", carried on PMSS's Oregon to Panama, red "New York Am. Packet Apr 2" exchange datestamp and carried on Collins Line Baltic to Liverpool arriving April 14 (British backstamp), Calais entry the next day and matching "8" decimes due, backstamped Paris and Cognac, very fine, 26c paid the treaty rate via England plus 5c West Coast surcharge
black datestamps tie 1851 1c Blue, Type IV (9, position 26L1L) and pair of 1851 3c Dull red, Type II (11A, positions 22-23L1L) to 3c Red Nesbitt entire addressed to Lee, New Hampshire, small backflap faults, fine and attractive franking