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

12¢ Black (17), nine stamps in three horizontal strips of three, margins vary from large to slightly in, used with two 1¢ Blue, Type IV (9), one has huge margins, other huge to deeply cut in, and fourteen 1857 Perforated 10¢ Green, Types I, II and III (31, 32, 33), including a Type I horizontal strip of five, Positions 91-95L1, vertical pair Types II/III, two Type III horizontal pairs and three singles (two Type II, one Type III), all stamps tied by "San Francisco Cal. Oct. 10, 1857" circular datestamps on large blue cover to Coleman & Bailey, Baltimore, Maryland, with "U.S.A." designation in address, suggesting this originated from somewhere outside the United States

Fine appearance; stamps have faults, left strip of 12¢ repaired, the cover is professionally cleaned and pressed with cosmetic improvements; part of backflap missing.

Elliott Perry remarked about this cover, "I have never seen anything like this in my life."

The firm of Coleman & Bailey, the addressee, was a ship chandler and operator of omnibuses, located at 105 and 107 Thames Street in Baltimore (1858 city directory).

Ex Philip G. Rust, Tito Giamporcaro and Joseph Hackmey. With 1999 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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12¢ Black, Diagonal Half Used as 6¢ (17a), upper right diagonal half, ample to large margins, tied by blue "PAID" handstamp (with edge of device showing as a frame), matching "SONORA, CALIFORNIA/JAN. 12, 1852" two-line datestamp on blue folded letter datelined "Vine Springs Garden, Jany ["7" crossed out] 8, 1852 Thursy Eve" (January 8 was a Thursday), to the Hon. Leonard Jarvis in Surry, Maine, manuscript "Paid 6cts" to the left of stamp

Extremely Fine; slight bleaching along file fold.

The 12¢ stamp was bisected to pay the 6¢ transcontinental rate, effective July 1, 1851, due to a shortage of 3¢ and 1¢ stamps. Seven bisects are known used from Sonora, five of which have the Sonora straightline datestamp. The Jarvis family, the source of the covers, owned 60 acres of land in California named Vine Springs, on which they grew grapes and made wine.

Ex Stephen D. Brown, Dr. Scott Polland, Marc Haas, Louis Grunin, Robert Zoellner and Joseph Hackmey. With 2005 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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12¢ Black, Diagonal Half Used as 6¢ (17a), upper left diagonal half, large top margin, slightly in at left, tied all around by single mostly complete strike of "San Francisco Cal. 1 Sep." (1853) circular datestamp on brown cover to Dennis, Massachusetts--carried on the PMSS Oregon, departing September 1, 1853, and arriving Panama September 17, then on the USMSC Crescent City from Aspinwall on September 24, arriving New York October 4--Fine, according to research by James Allen, the 1st Assistant Postmaster General's first official notice to postmasters that bisected stamps were invalid was published on September 12, 1853 (Chronicle 239), the mail from California postmarked at San Francisco September 1 reached New York after the order was published, but some bisect covers with San Francisco September 1 datestamps show acceptance of the bisects while others (notably mail carried via Nicaragua) have due markings applied in New York--this cover was accepted as prepaid--ex Hessel, with 2005 P.F. certificate (Image)

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12¢ Black, Diagonal Half Used as 6¢ (17a), lower left diagonal half, large margins, used with 3¢ Dull Red, Type II (11A), large margins to cut in, tied by two strikes of "N.York & Phila. R.R. Jun. 14" railroad circular datestamp on blue folded letter to Baltimore, Maryland, letter states "We enclose a circular" which explains the triple 3¢ rate for weight (1 to 1.5 ounces), Very Fine, very few 12¢ 1851 bisects are known with other denominations, and only a few bisect covers have railroad markings, from our 1983 Rarities of the World sale, ex Jefferys, Krug and Hackmey, signed by Ashbrook, with 1951 P.F. certificate (Image)

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12¢ Black (17), used with horizontal pair of 1¢ Blue, Type IV (9) and vertical pair of 3¢ Dull Red, Type II (11A), large margins to in, tied by grid cancels, red "New Orleans La. Jun. 14" (1855) circular datestamp on blue folded cover to Vera Cruz, Mexico, from the Hargous correspondence, "Bruguiere & Co. New Orleans" oval backstamp, bold "2" reales due handstamp applied in Mexico

Very Fine and rare franking for the double 10¢ rate by American Packet to a distance less than 2,500 miles.

This cover was postmarked on June 14, 1855, shortly after the 10¢ denomination was issued. Nonetheless, it is regarded as a "complete set" cover with the three denominations issued in 1851.

Ex "J & J" collection and Joseph Hackmey. (Image)

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12¢ Black (17), ample to large margins, used with 1¢ Blue, Type IV (9), mostly huge margins including top sheet margin, and horizontal strip of seven and top sheet-margin pair of 3¢ Dull Red, Type II (11A), large margins to cut in, tied by multiple strikes of blue "Charleston S.C. Paid Feb. 17" circular datestamp on brown legal-size cover to Mexico, addressed "To Mrs. Esther Monk, Care of John S. Cripps, Secretary of Legation, Mexico, Per Steamer to Vera Cruz," "Vera Cruz 4 Marzo 1855" oval datestamp and "10" reales due handstamp, 3¢ stamps have creases and small faults, 1¢ small scuffs, otherwise Fine, rare use of all three 1851 Issue denominations to pay quadruple 10¢ American Packet rate to Mexico, John S. Cripps was appointed secretary of legation May 13, 1853, and recalled August 16, 1856, ex Hackmey (Image)

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12¢ Black (17), horizontal pair and single, used with horizontal pair and single of 3¢ Dull Red, Type II (11A), large margins to slightly in, symmetrically arranged in corners and tied by grid cancels on blue folded cover originating in New York City and addressed to Buenos Aires, Argentina, sender's route instructions "Pr Steamer via Boston 24th Novbr & Southampton England 9th Decbr"--carried on the Cunarder Canada as directed--magenta crayon "40" credit, red London transit datestamp (December 7, 1852), very rare franking and a fascinating round-trip transatlantic cover from the U.S. to Argentina via Great Britain, the Ashbrook archives (index cards) list another cover from this correspondence with strips of three of the 3¢ and 12¢ 1851 Issue, ex Piller, Giamporcaro and Hackmey, with 1993 P.F. certificate (Image)

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12¢ Black (17), horizontal pair, two large margins, other sides in, used with 1857 Perforated 10¢ Green, Type II (32), nicked at right, tied by black grid cancels, red "New Bedford Mass. Paid Dec. 19" circular datestamp (ca. 1857-58) on buff cover to Talcahuano, Chile, addressed to Captain William Howland Almy of the whaling bark Cape Horn Pigeon in care of Nickels, Loring & Company, red "24" handstamped credit to Great Britain for British Packet postage from Panama, blue "Nickels Loring & Co. Merchants, Talcahuano" double-line oval handstamp, most of backflap removed, some wear and mended corner at top right, otherwise Fine, very rare mixed-issue franking and reported to be one of four 1851 Issue covers to Chile (this is the only 34¢ rate)--Captain Almy and his son George perished at sea off the coast of Cape Horn in 1860--ex Dr. Chase and Hackmey, with 1983 P.F. certificate (Image)

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12¢ Black (17), large margins to barely in at top, used with two 10¢ Green, Type III (15), mostly full margins (left stamp has tiny scissors-cut in margin), rich color, tied by red segmented cork cancels, matching "New Bedford Mass. Paid Mar. 3" circular datestamp (ca. 1856) on buff cover to Paita, Peru, addressed to Captain William Howland Almy of the whaling bark Cape Horn Pigeon in care of Captain Alexander Bathurst, large red "12" handstamped credit to Great Britain for British Packet postage from Panama, Very Fine, reported to be one of six 1851 Issue covers to Peru--Captain Almy and his son George perished at sea off the coast of Cape Horn in 1860--ex Ackerman (Elliott Perry's label on back), Emerson (his pencil "D.L." Deluxe notation on back), Haas, Grunin, Giamporcaro and Hackmey, illustrated in Wierenga, United States Incoming Steamship Mail 1847-1875 (p. 113), with 1988 and 1999 P.F. certificates (Image)

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12¢ Black (17), horizontal pair, full margins to clear, tied by bold blue "Cincinnati O. Aug. 13" (1855) circular datestamp, second strike at right on light blue folded cover to Liverpool, England, and forwarded to Paris, France, in care of Brown, Shipley & Co. and Livingston, Wells & Co., respectively, red "19" credit handstamp--carried on the Cunarder Asia, departing Boston August 15, 1855, and arriving Liverpool August 25--two different red Liverpool datestamps (August 25 and 27), red British transit datestamp (August 28) and matching "PD" in circle handstamp, manuscript "4" pence forwarding rate, Calais arrival datestamp (August 28), Paris receiving backstamp, Very Fine, ex Krug and Hackmey (Image)

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12¢ Black (17), horizontal pair, large margins to just touched, tied by grid cancels, "Northampton Ms. Sep. 8" (1857) circular datestamp on buff cover to London, England, and forwarded to Paris, France, with Great Britain 1855 4p Rose, in care of Peabody & Co. (London) and Munroe & Co. (Paris), "Boston Br. Pkt. Sep. 8" circular datestamp on back, red "19" credit handstamp--carried on the Cunarder America, departing Boston September 9, 1857, and arriving Liverpool September 20--red British datestamps (September 21) front and back, red "PD" in oval handstamp, greenish blue rimless circle handstamp, Peabody & Co. forwarder's oval backstamp, 4p tied by oval numeral grid cancel, Calais arrival datestamp and Paris receiving backstamps, Very Fine, ex Haas, Grunin, White and Hackmey, with 2005 P.F. certificate declining opinion as to Scott number of 4p stamp (Image)

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