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

3¢ Claret, Type I (11), horizontal strip of five, three large margins, clear to just touched at bottom, right stamp faint pre-use bend, tied by Boston large "Paid" grid cancels and red "Boston Paid 12 29 Jul." (1857) 12¢ credit datestamp on cover to Paris, France, black "Boston Br. Pkt. 29 Jul." circular datestamp on back--carried on the Cunarder America, departing Boston July 29, 1857, and arriving Liverpool August 10--French arrival datestamp (August 11) and Paris receiving backstamp, Very Fine, an outstanding cover bearing a strip of five of the 3¢ Claret shade to pay the treaty rate to France, ex Hicks (Image)

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3¢ Dull Red, Type II (11A), horizontal strip of five, large margins to just in on right stamp, right stamp minor fault from placement at edge of cover (not noted on certificate), radiant color, tied by neat strikes of "Oxford O. Sep. 14" (1853) circular datestamp on buff cover to Hamburg, Germany, and forwarded to Berlin, red "N. York Brem. Pkt. Paid 10 Sep. 19" 10¢ credit datestamp also ties stamps--carried on the Fritze Line Germania, departing New York September 19, 1853, and arriving Bremen October 8--bold "FRANCO" straightline handstamp, blue "3" silbergroschen marking, Hamburg "St.P.A. 9 Oct 53" oval backstamp, another similar strike from the following day, Hamburg double-circle backstamp (October 20), missing top flap, Very Fine, scarce cover carried on the Germania, which conveyed the first mails to Bremen under the convention of 1853, ex Dr. Kapiloff and Giamporcaro, illustrated in Hargest book (p. 113), with 1999 P.F. certificate (Image)

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3¢ Dull Red, Type II (11A), Positions 13-18/23-28R3, block of twelve, large margins to slightly in on four stamps, four stamps cancelled by manuscript squiggles, tied by "Braunfels, Tex. Oct. 3" (1856) circular datestamp on bluish gray folded cover to Gettorf, Schleswig-Holstein, then under Danish crown rule, sender's directive "pr prussian closed mail" at lower left--carried on the Cunarder Niagara, departing Boston on October 22, 1856, and arriving at Liverpool November 2--red "N. York Br. Pkt. 7 Paid Oct. 21" 7¢ credit datestamp, the foreign-mail office applied the 7¢ credit instead of 12¢, so this was marked as paid to Prussia only and not to its final destination, red "AACHEN 4 11 FRANCO" (November 4) framed datestamp, red framed "Franco Preuss:/resp. Vereinsl:AusgGr" handstamp (paid only to limits of German-Austrian Postal Union), "St.P.A. 5 Nov 56" oval datestamp on back, "KDOPA HAMBURG 9/11" (November 9) Royal Danish Postal Agency in Hamburg double-circle backstamp, red crayon "9" Danish skillings due

Very Fine appearance; the block was originally folded over the top edge of cover, which has been refolded and pressed out for display, stamps with few faults.

This block is reported to be the largest multiple of the 3¢ 1851 Issue on cover. The franking pays the 35¢ Prussian Closed Mail rate, but it was treated as paid only to the border and Danish postage was collected.

Ex Robert S. Emerson, Dr. Carroll Chase, Col. Oliver S. Picher, Tracy W. Simpson, Ryohei Ishikawa and Joseph Hackmey. Illustrated in U.S. Classics Society Silver Anniversary Booklet (p. 14) and Simpson's U.S. Postal Markings (p. 291). (Image)

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