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

1¢ Blue, Types II, IV (7, 9), Positions 2-10R1L, horizontal strip of nine, Position 4R1L, the third stamp from left, is Type II, all others are Type IV--four are recut twice at bottom, four are recut once at bottom--Positions 4, 7 and 8 with small manuscript "Washington" at top of portrait, "Snakes" written at left of cover, huge margins all around including top right corner sheet margins, also shows parts of all nine adjoining stamps at bottom, rich color, tied by "Chicago Ill. Aug. 7" circular datestamps on legal-size cover to Goshen, New York, part of the address is in Latin, manuscript "Received Aug. 10th 1855" at left is repeated in abbreviated form on the sheet margin at right and on the cover at lower left

Extremely Fine appearance; Position 2 light crease entirely in top sheet margin, Position 4 sealed tear, small scuff at far edge of right sheet margin, cover with trivial edge flaws and slightly reduced at right--these minor imperfections are mentioned prophylactically in anticipation of recertification, but not on the 1992 certificate and certainly should not be mentioned in any meaningful discussion of the rarity and importance of this extraordinary classic multiple.

This phenomenal strip of nine--nearly the complete top row of the right pane of Plate 1 Late--pays three times the 3¢ rate. This strip shows the only position on the plate that was not recut. It also shows the late state of Positions 3-8R, which in their early state yielded the only Type I position (7R1E) and all six Type Ib positions (3-6R1E and 8-9R1E).

Ex Robert S. Emerson, William West, Saul Newbury, Marc Haas, Dr. Leonard Kapiloff, Tito Giamporcaro and Joseph Hackmey. With 1992 P.F. certificate stating "it is a genuine usage." (Image)

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1¢ Blue, Type IV (9), Positions 91-99L1L, horizontal strip of nine, left stamp 91L triple transfer, one inverted, Positions 97L and 98L double transfers, all are recut once at top, large margins except at left and Position 97L where slightly in, Position 95L small tear, tied by "Sturgis Mich. Jan. 24" circular datestamps on large cover to the Commissioner of Pensions in Washington, D.C., partly reduced and refolded (lacking left side flap), Very Fine appearance, a rare strip of nine of the 1¢ 1851 Issue from Plate 1 Late, including Position 91L1L with triple transfer, one inverted, ex Caspary and Grunin, signed by Morris Fortgang who notes "Superb and rare strip of 9" (Image)

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1¢ Blue, Type IV (9), Positions 91-96L1L, horizontal strip of six, left stamp 91L triple transfer, one inverted, huge margins to just in including bottom sheet margin, few faults including 92L large diagonal tear and 96L corner crease, tied by "San Francisco Cal. 7 May" circular datestamps on cover to Waterloo, New York, Fine appearance, a rare strip used to properly pay the 6¢ rate for distances over 3,000 miles, ex Hackmey, with 2004 P.F. certificate (Image)

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1¢ Blue, Type IV (9), Positions 72-74/82-84R1L, horizontal block of six used with single and horizontal strip of three, Positions 62-64R1L, large margins to just in, tied by fancy cork cancel--the so-called "Shell"--clear strike of "Downieville Cal. Oct. 2" circular datestamp with month inverted on cover to John Bradbury in Boston, Massachusetts

Fine-Very Fine; certificate notes that the top left stamp of block and the strip each have "creases" and a small tear, but these negligible flaws are endemic to large multiples positioned along the top edge of a cover, and we would not call the minor wrinkles "creases" (we would call them wrinkles), and the tears are minute.

A remarkable cover, franked with a block of six, strip of three and single of the 1851 1¢ Type IV, used from California to Boston. Very few covers with blocks of this issue are known, and this is exceptionally beautiful.

This cover was included in the "Cleveland Album," a collection of United States covers formed in the 1890s and consigned to the Siegel firm in 1994. This cover is the mate to lot 193 in this sale (ex Caspary, Baker, Grunin and Kramer), which is from the same correspondence and shows the 10¢ rate prepaid with a block of four and strip of six 1¢ Type II stamps from Plate 2.

Ex "Cleveland Album", George J. Kramer and Joseph Hackmey. With 2003 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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1¢ Blue, Type IV (9), Positions 14-19/24-29L1L, block of twelve, large margins to in, used with 3¢ Rose, Type I (25), tied by "Fairfield Texas, February 20th/58" manuscript postmark on large cover to the clerk of the county court in DeWitt County, Texas, blurry strike of "Fairfield Tex. Feb. 20" circular datestamp, docketing indicates this contained depositions

Fine-Very Fine appearance; stamps with some minor faults and cover slightly toned and worn.

This is the largest recorded multiple of the 1¢ 1851 Issue on cover. The 15¢ postage pays the five-times 3¢ rate.

Ex Joseph Hackmey. (Image)

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1¢ Blue, Type IV (9), Positions 26-30R/36-40R1L, large margins to almost clear including right sheet margin with "on & Cincinnati." of imprint, top stamps lightly soiled along pressed-out horizontal file fold, tied by light strikes of "San Francisco Cal. 18 Jun." (1855) circular datestamps on folded letter to Yorkville, New York, manuscript docketing at lower left confirms date of use, Fine, the largest recorded multiple on cover paying the 10¢ transcontinental rate, a highly unusual franking, the rate changed from 6¢ to 10¢ on April 1, 1855, just a short time before this was used, and 10¢ stamps were not available to pay the rate for mail sent from the West Coast until the end of June--the letter ends with a diatribe against someone's "faithless lover," a woman who deserves to have "the double forked tongue of serpents pierce her, infuse her blood with the venom and poison of the cobra de capello," ex Hackmey, with 2004 P.F. certificate (Image)

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1¢ Blue, Type IV (9), horizontal strip of four, large margins to in, third stamp internal paper break, right stamp small scissors-cut in top margin, tied by "San Francisco Cal. Jun. 16" (1855) circular datestamps on 6¢ Green on Buff Nesbitt entire (U14) to New Bedford, Massachusetts, sender's ship-name directive "G. Gate" at upper left, docketing at left confirms year of use, Fine, an unusual franking, the rate changed from 6¢ to 10¢ on April 1, 1855, just a short time before this was used, and 10¢ stamps were not available to pay the rate for mail sent from the West Coast until the end of June, ex Kramer and Hackmey, with 2003 P.F. certificate (Image)

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1¢ Blue, Type II (7), deep shade (possibly Plate 3), margins slightly in, used with 1¢ Blue, Type IV (9), mostly full margins including right interpane margin, and Perforated 1¢ Blue, Type IV (23), tied by light strikes of "Cleveland & Erie R. R. Mar. 29" railroad route agent's circular datestamps on cover to Geneva, New York, center stamp faint corner crease at top right, minor gum toning, Fine, a phenomenal combination, ex Hackmey, with 1985 P.F. certificate opining that both imperforate stamps are Type IV (they had trouble identifying 1¢ 1851s in that period) (Image)

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1¢ Blue, Type IV (9), recut once at top and bottom, large margins to clear, used with horizontal strip of three of 3¢ Dull Red, Type II (11A), large margins to just in at top, cancelled or tied by penstrokes, red "Exeter N.Y. Jan. 15" (1856) circular datestamp with day in pen, on bright buff cover to San Francisco, receipt docketing at upper left, Very Fine, an attractive cover paying the 10¢ transcontinental rate, this cover comes from the same correspondence as the unique 5¢ 1847 and 1851 combination cover (USPCS census no. 5697), ex Gibson, Hart and Hackmey (Image)

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1¢ Blue, Type IV (9), Positions 55-56L1L, horizontal pair, each recut once at top and bottom, left stamp double transfer, huge margins including parts of five adjoining stamps, tied by bold strike of "New Orleans La. Sep. 16" (1855) circular datestamp on blue printed circular in German to Feldkirch, Vorarlberg, Austria, sender's directive "p first Steamer, Printed Circular"--carried on the Havre Line Arago, departing New York September 22, 1855, and arriving Havre October 6--red Calais arrival datestamp (October 15), manuscript "3" kreuzer due marking, "FELDKIRCH/18 OCT" two-line receiving backstamp, Very Fine, very scarce use and outstanding quality, ex Hackmey, with 2001 P.F. certificate (Image)

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1¢ Blue, Type IV (9), horizontal pair, each recut once at top and bottom, huge margins including part of adjoining stamp at left, cut in at right, used with 3¢ Dull Red, Type II (11A), full margins to just in, tied by "Charleston S.C. Paid Dec. 22" (1855) circular datestamp on blue folded cover to Nantes, France, from the Garnier correspondence, red "New-York Am. Packet Dec. 26" circular datestamp also ties 3¢ stamp, sender's ship-name directive "per Baltic" and carried on that Collins Line steamer from New York to Liverpool (departing December 27, 1855, arriving January 8, 1856), Calais arrival datestamp (January 10), backstamps include London (January 9), Calais (January 10) and Nantes (January 11), "16" decimes due handstamp, tiny tear at right of 1¢ pair, Fine, ex Hackmey (Image)

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