The William H. Gross Collection: United States Postal History continued...

5¢ Red Brown (1), large margins, tied by red square grid cancel with matching "New-York Jun. 10" (1851) circular datestamp, used with Adams City Express Post, New York, N.Y., 2¢ Black on Buff (2L2), uncancelled as usual on June 9, 1851, blue folded letter to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, sender's instructions "Immediately"

Very Fine; local stamp with small scissors-cut in top margin, 5¢ stamp with a minor vertical crease, cover with some staining along bottom and small bleaching spots.

This is an extremely rare combination of the 5¢ 1847 Issue and the Adams City Express Post 2¢ on Buff local stamp. The USPCS census lists only four 1847 Issue and 2L2 combination covers, all with the 5¢ stamp, none of which has a cancelled local stamp (one has a P.F. "decline opinion").

In 2014 Thomas C. Mazza uncovered contemporary news articles reporting that the Adams City Express Post operation and its successor, the City Express Post, were run by two brothers and former letter carriers, Henry and Ferdinand Fuller, to defraud the public. The news reports allege that the brothers collected letters in letter boxes, for which 2¢ apiece had been paid, but instead of delivering the letters to the post office, the brothers opened them and kept any valuable contents, such as money. A delay in bringing formal charges resulted in the brothers being released on a writ of habeus corpus. The cover offered here, dated June 10, 1851, fits in the timeline of the Fuller brothers' operation (Collectors Club Philatelist, September-October 2014).

Ex George H. Worthington (source notation on back indicates bought from Warren H. Colson 3/2/1908), Alfred H. Caspary, Ambassador J. William Middendorf II and John R. Boker, Jr. (Image)

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5¢ Red Brown (1), large margins to clear, tied by blue "Philada. Pa. 5cts. (Aug?) 24" integral-rate circular datestamp, used with D. O. Blood & Co., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (2¢) Black (15L5), large margins to touched at bottom but the imprint is complete, small manuscript cancel, on brown envelope to Pikesville, Maryland, manuscript "In Haste" at bottom

Very Fine; minor ink erosion at right.

An extremely rare combination of the 5¢ 1847 Issue and the iconic Striding Messenger local stamp issued by D. O. Blood & Co. This is the only recorded 1847 Issue cover with the 15L5 stamp.

The Striding Messenger stamp was first issued in 1843 by the Philadelphia Despatch Post. It was the first pictorial stamp in the world. After the sale of the post to D. O. Blood & Co. in 1845, a similar design, incorporating the D. O. Blood & Co. name, was lithographed by Wagner & McGuigan. The design depicts a gargantuan letter carrier--the "City Despatch Post" bag slung over his shoulder--stepping over the Merchant's Exchange Building, which housed Philadelphia's post office. The image conveys the private posts' superior speed and reliability. It is especially fascinating to see it used here with the first federal postage stamp.

The USPCS census records only two examples of 1847 Issue stamps on covers with a D. O. Blood & Co. Striding Messenger stamp. The other cover bears a 5¢ 1847 stamp and 15L6 (with "City Despatch" through the messenger's legs, see Siegel Sale 791, lot 259).

Ex Philip H. Ward, Jr. (Siegel Sale 265), Henry C. Gibson, Sr., and John R. Boker, Jr. (Image)

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5¢ Red Brown (1), huge to large margins including part of adjoining stamp at right, deep rich color, tied by blue grid cancel, matching "Philada. Pa. 10 Nov. 5" (1850) integral-rate circular datestamp, used with D. O. Blood & Co., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (2¢) Bronze on Black (15L17), acid tied on greenish folded letter to Lebanon, Ohio, sender's manuscript "Paid 10cts" changed to "Due 5", fresh and Very Fine, scarce and unusual short-paid use, ex Dr. LeBow, Hackmey and from our 1983 Rarities of the World sale, with 2019 P.F. certificate (Image)

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10¢ Black (2), large margins all around, used with D. O. Blood & Co., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (1¢) Black, "For the Post Office" (15L9), large margins to clear, both stamps tied by blue "Philada. Pa. 10cts. Mar. 9" (1848) integral-rate circular datestamp on envelope to Montreal, Canada, manuscript "4-1/2" pence due for Canadian postage from the border, red "Montreal L.C. MR 16 1848" backstamp, ink lines through address removed, Extremely Fine, only three such combinations are recorded, including two to Montreal and one to Toronto, ex Boker (Image)

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10¢ Black, Double Transfer Type A (2-A), Position 1R, with double transfer of "X" at lower right, tied by blue grid cancel, matching "Philadelphia Pa. 10 Nov. 5" integral-rate circular datestamp on Blood's City Despatch, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (1¢) Albino Embossed Stamp on Buff entire (15LU2 variety) to Shelbyville, Tennessee, "Blood's Despatch 26 So. Sixth 28" handstamp, stamp with minor gum staining, some cover edgewear, still Very Fine and exceptionally rare, this use of the Blood's albino embossed envelope with a 10¢ 1847 is remarkable and unique, ex Boker, with 1981 P.F. certificate (Image)

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10¢ Black (2), ample to large margins, tied by partly clear strike of blue "Philadelphia Pa. Aug. 19" circular datestamp on Blood's City Despatch, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (1¢) Red on Buff entire (15LU6A), clear strike of "Blood's Despatch Aug. 19 8 A.M." double-circle datestamp, addressed to New York City, stamp with a couple tiny margin flaws including expertly sealed small tear at lower right, still Very Fine and very rare, the USPCS census lists only two 1847 Issue uses on Blood's City Despatch Red entires -- the other has two 5¢ stamps with the "Office 28 So. 6th St" variety (15LU1B), ex Waterhouse, Gibson, Grunin, Ishikawa and Boker, illustrated in Chronicle 153 (p. 14) (Image)

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5¢ Red Brown (1), ample margins to just clear at bottom right, rich color, tied by red square grid cancel with matching "New-York May 20" circular datestamp, used with Boyd's City Express, New York, N.Y., 2¢ Black on Yellow Green (20L7), margins to barely into oval frame, tied by black grid on lady's small envelope to New Brunswick, New Jersey, cover has been lightly cleaned and the Christie's Ishikawa catalog mentioned a small corner crease on the 5¢ which is all but undetectable, fresh and Extremely Fine, ex Ishikawa and Hackmey (Image)

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10¢ Black (2), large margins to full at top, used with Boyd's City Express, New York, N.Y., 2¢ Black on Green Glazed (20L7), large margins, lightly cancelled, both stamps tied by red square grid cancel, well-struck matching "New-York Mar. 24" (1851) circular datestamp on blue folded letter to Hartland, Illinois

Extremely Fine; some slight cover age spotting of no significance.

An outstanding combination of the 10¢ 1847 Issue and the Boyd's City Express stamp, Scott 20L7.

The USPCS census lists only two 10¢ 1847 Issue and Boyd's adhesive combination covers. The other cover had been identified in the Alexander book as franked with a 20L7 stamp, but the current listing in the USPCS census states it is a 20L4 stamp. This is the finer of the two, and it is the only cover with the stamps tied together.

Ex Edward S. Knapp (his source note indicates bought from Burger Brothers in 1936) and Joseph Hackmey. From our 1977 and 2004 Rarities of the World sales. With 2004 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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10¢ Black (2), large margins except at top left corner where frameline is touched, manuscript "X" cancel, used with Frazer & Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, 2¢ Black on Yellow (69L4), full margins to well clear of frameline, light manuscript cancel, both stamps tied (carrier stamp at tip of bottom right corner) by red "Cincinnati O. 10 Nov. 3" (1848) 10¢ integral-rate circular datestamp on bluish folded cover to New York City

Fine; addressee's last name disguised in ink.

An extremely rare 1847 Issue cover showing use of the Frazer & Company stamp during the period when Hiram Frazer was a semi-official carrier for the Cincinnati Post Office.

This cover is one of three 1847-Frazer combination covers offered in the March 6-7, 1951, auction held by Harmer, Rooke & Co. Another similar use with the green Frazer & Co. Eagle stamp was among that group, as well as a combination with the Horse & Rider stamp (to the same address on this cover). To the best of our knowledge and according to the USPCS census, there are no other 1847-Frazer covers extant.

Between February 8, 1848, and June 5, 1849, Hiram Frazer served the Cincinnati post office as a government carrier; therefore, any cover with the Frazer & Co. stamps dated during this period may be classified as a semi-official carrier usage. Very few covers bearing the Eagle or Horse & Rider stamps are known--an even smaller number date from the carrier period.

Ex Katharine Matthies, Robert B. Meyersburg and from our 1987 Rarities of the World sale. The history of the Siegel firm offering this cover dates back to 1956 (and four subsequent sales through 1997, when it was acquired by William H. Gross). Illustrated in Chronicle 152 (p. 234). With 1998 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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5¢ Orange Brown (1b), brilliant deep color, ample margins to just in at left, used with Hall & Mills' Despatch Post, New York, N.Y., (2¢) Black on Green (76L1), full margins to just in at lower right, both tied together by red square grid cancel with matching "New-York Oct. 5" (ca. 1847) circular datestamp on buff envelope to Newburyport, Massachusetts

Very Fine; 5¢ stamp with a faint margin crease from placement at edge of cover.

A beautiful cover and the only recorded combination of the 1847 Issue and the Hall & Mills' Despatch Post local stamp.

Ex Henry L. C. Wenk III (1985 Rarities of the World sale) and John R. Boker, Jr. With 1979 Robson Lowe certificate. (Image)

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5¢ Red Brown (1), large margins to just in at upper right, rich color, tied by red square grid cancel, matching "New-York Jan. 22" (ca. 1848) circular datestamp, used with G. A. Mills, New York, N.Y., (2¢) Black on Green Glazed (109L1), large to ample margins, slight creasing and cracking in enamel and uncancelled as usual, on buff envelope to Miss Charlotte W. Gridley in Utica, New York, minor cover edgewear, Very Fine and rare, in his article on Hall & Mills and G. A. Mills (The Penny Post, October 2006), Larry Lyons records 13 possible genuine covers with the G. A. Mills 109L1 stamp, plus seven stamps off cover or on piece, four covers have 1847 Issue stamps, comprising three 5¢ (one has a P.F. "decline opinion" certificate) and one 10¢ (which is unlisted in the USPCS census), ex West, Hart and Boker, signed Ashbrook (Image)

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