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

3¢ Rose, Type I (25), pre-printing paper fold, tied by "Schenectady N.Y. Mar. 24" (1859) circular datestamp on forwarded cover originating in Canada with horizontal pair of Canada, 1852, 3p Red on Wove (4; SG 18), large margins to in at right, bottom left corner clipped, tied by "18" in concentric circles cancel from Kingston, red "CANADA" in framed arc with matching "Kingston U.C. Mr. 20 '59" circular datestamp, forwarded to Painted Post, New York, small edge nicks and tears at left and right have been skillfully mended, Very Fine and beautiful appearance, a remarkable and very rare combination of the 3¢ Type I Perforated 1857 Issue and Canadian 1852 3p Imperforate issue, ex Piller, with 1994 B.P.A. certificate (Image)

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3¢ Dull Red, Type III (26), tied by "Holmes Hole Ms. Nov. 2" (1857) circular datestamp on buff cover to Kema, Isle of Celebes, East Indies, addressed to Captain James L. Smith of the whaling ship Newark, in care of the governor of Kema, with part of rate paid in cash, "PAID" straightline handstamp, red "New-York Br. Pkt. Nov. 3" circular datestamp, red "London Paid" transit datestamp (November 17), manuscript rates including "73" crossed out and "56" magenta credit--carried on the Cunarder Europa, departing Boston November 4, 1857, arriving Liverpool November 16--manuscript "30" Dutch cents due from addressee, overall toning and slight crease, Fine and attractive, a rare and unusual use of the 3¢ 1857 Issue on cover to Indonesia, ex Piller, with 1993 P.F. certificate (Image)

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3¢ Dull Red, Type IV, Imperforate Vertically (26Af), horizontal strip of three, no trace of perforations in the vertical direction, centered slightly to bottom, tied by large "Paid" grid cancels and red "Boston Ms. Apr. 20, 1859" circular datestamp on cover to St. Louis, Missouri, accompanied by February 9, 1859 enclosure

Very Fine appearance; left stamp has sealed tear, minor cover edge nicks and tears have been expertly improved--these trivial flaws are immaterial.

This is the unique example of the 3¢ 1857 Type IV Imperforate Vertically. One of the great rarities of this foundational stamp of United States classics collecting.

The 3¢ 1857 Type IV (Scott 26A) is distinguished by its non-continuous or broken vertical framelines between entries. It comes only from Plates 10 and 11 and is the result of individual recutting of the framelines. All other 3¢ plates (9 and 12-28) show continuous vertical framelines and produced the far more common Type III stamps (Scott 26).

The 3¢ Imperforate Vertically variety is a great rarity for both the Type III and Type IV stamps. Only two or three examples are recorded of the Type III Imperforate Vertically--a used single with imprint and plate no. (ex Piller and Hulme), a single on cover on which the P.F. declined to opine the last time it was submitted in 2015 (ex Chase), and an unused pair (ex Piller and Wagshal). This is the only recorded example of the 3¢ Type IV Imperforate Vertically. Prior to 1997 specialists were unaware that this strip is Type IV, not Type III so at one time it was identified as the old Scott 26b (and offered as such in our 1966 Rarities sale). It has been correctly identified and is now listed in Scott with the footnote "unique."

Ex Dr. John L. Robertson and William S. Floyd. With copy of 1950 and 1997 P.F. certificates (the latter issued under the old Scott 26a variety). (Image)

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5¢ Brick Red (27), block of four, brilliant color, intact perfs at right with part of adjoining straddle-pane margin, centered a bit to left but better than usual centering, faint pre-use crease in right pair ending in a tear at bottom of upper right stamp, manuscript cancels and tied by fancy "Stoneham Mass. Sep. 26, 1859" circular datestamp with scroll on cover to Stanbridge, Canada, red "United States 6d" double-line oval handstamp, Montreal and West Farnham backstamps

A Very Fine cover which bears the only recorded used block of the 5¢ Brick Red. A wonderful showpiece and one of the outstanding examples of classic perforated multiples.

Many collectors know this issue by type and shade, but few are aware of the order of production (or release). This state of confusion is partly due to the Scott Catalogue. The distinctive Brick Red shade of the 5¢ 1857 Issue comes first in the series of Scott-listed perforated 5¢ issues, but its true release date comes later in the sequence.

Based on dated covers, the 5¢ Type I shades were released in the following order: 1) Red Brown, Scott 28, EDU 8/23/1857; 2) Indian Red, Scott 28A, EDU 3/31/1858; 3) Brick Red, Scott 27, EDU 10/6/1858; and 4) Brown, Scott 29, EDU 3/21/1859, almost certainly the last printing from the first 5¢ plate. The second 5¢ plate was made from a new six-relief transfer roll with the design projections cut away at top and bottom, to varying degrees. The Type II Brown was issued first (Scott 30A, EDU 5/4/1860), and the Orange Brown printing from the same plate followed about one year later (Scott 30, EDU 5/8/1861).

We record only two blocks of the 5¢ Brick Red, this used block on cover and the original-gum block last sold in our 2018 William H. Gross United States Stamp Treasures sale (Sale 1188, lot 47). This double-rate cover to Canada is accompanied by a matching 10¢ Green, Type V (35) on cover from the same correspondence.

Ex Stephen D. Bechtel (1993 Rarities of the World sale). Illustrated in Hill, United States Five Cent Stamp of 1856-1861 (p. 55). With 1994 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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5¢ Red Brown (28), horizontal strip of six, well-centered, rich color, tied by clear strikes of "Charleston S.C. Apr. 16, 1858" circular datestamp on blue folded cover to Lille, France, red "Boston 21 Apr. Paid 24" 24¢ credit datestamp--carried on the Cunarder America, departing Boston on April 21, 1858, and arriving at Liverpool May 4--French arrival datestamp (May 4) and "P.D." in frame struck twice, receiving backstamps

Very Fine strip and cover. No strip larger than six is recorded on cover, and this is the finest of the few known 5¢ 1857 multiple uses.

Illustrated in Hill, United States Five Cent Stamp of 1856-1861 (p. 45) and Bakers' U.S. Classics (p. 141). Ex Howard Lehman, J. David Baker, Walter C. Klein (where it was illustrated on the front cover of the postal history sale) and "Sevenoaks." (Image)

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5¢ Indian Red (28A), three pairs and two singles, the two pairs at left arranged in block form, well-centered, rich color, three stamps with interpane margins and centerline, four stamps have negligible faults, used with 1¢ Blue, Type V (24) and tied by "New Orleans La. Jan. 19, 1859" circular datestamp struck five times on folded letter to Brussels, Belgium, paying the 42¢ French mail rate for one ounce (a second 1¢ is missing to left), "Boston Am. Pkt. Jan. 28" circular datestamp on back--carried on the Inman Line City of Washington, departing New York January 29, 1859, and arriving at Liverpool February 11--French arrival datestamp (February 12) and framed "P.D." handstamp, transit and receiving backstamps

Very Fine appearance and unique. This wonderful artifact of the 1857 Perforated issue bears the largest number of 5¢ Indian Red stamps known on one cover.

Ex Alfred H. Caspary, Philip G. Rust, Dr. Leonard Kapiloff and from our 1987 Rarities of the World sale (consigned by Rust). Signed by Stanley B. Ashbrook with his notes on back. Illustrated in Rose, The First United States Perforated Stamps--The 1857 Issue (p. 40). With 1992 P.F. certificate. The total Scott value of the 5¢ Indian Red stamps off cover is $29,500.00. (Image)

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5¢ Brown (29), vertical pair, rich color and attractive centering, bottom stamp couple short perfs at bottom, tied by "Hallowell Me. Oct. 3, 1859" circular datestamp on orange-buff cover to Nevada, California, barely reduced at left, Very Fine and attractive use of a pair of the 5¢ 1857 Type I in the Brown shade on a transcontinental cover to California, ex Gibson, Krug and Haas (Image)

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5¢ Orange Brown, Type II (30), two, beautiful rich color, tied by neat grid cancels, red "N. York Br. Pkt. 7 Paid Sep. 11" (1861) 7¢ credit datestamp on folded invoice for staves to Cadiz, Spain, endorsed "Via England", blue "8Rs" due handstamp, red London transit (Sep. 23) and Spanish receiving backstamps, trivial edgewear and left stamp with two short perfs at bottom not mentioned on certificate, Very Fine and beautiful cover--a rare and late use of the 5¢ Orange Brown printed from Plate 2 in 1861, the last stamps of the 1857 Issue before all circulating stamps were demonetized beginning in August 1861, this September 11 use occurred nearly a month after the new 5¢ 1861 Issue was released--ex Grunin and Myers, with 1967 P.F. certificate (Image)

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5¢ Orange Brown, Type II (30), vertical pair and single, radiant color, tied by red grid cancels with matching "New York Paid 12 Jul. 31" (1861) 12¢ credit datestamp on blue folded cover to Lyon, France, red boxed "P.D." handstamp and Calais arrival datestamp (August 13), Extremely Fine, a beautiful and rare example of the 5¢ Type II Orange Brown on cover--the last published update of the census of 5¢ Orange Brown covers by Dr. Richard M. Searing showed a total of 38 covers, there are probably fewer than 50 covers extant and three stamps is the largest number recorded on cover--with 1967 P.F. certificate (Image)

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5¢ Brown, Type II, 10¢ Green, Type V (30A, 35), two of each, affixed at left of cover and partly covering red and blue Waving Flag Patriotic design, tied by "San Francisco Cal. Sep. 2, 1861" circular datestamps and addressed to Bremen, Germany, red "N. York Am. Pkt. Sep. 28 7 Paid" 7¢ credit datestamp, slightly reduced at top and missing backflap, fresh and Very Fine, rare use of a Patriotic cover from the West Coast to a foreign destination, ex Matthies and "Sevenoaks" (Image)

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10¢ Green, Type V (35), used with 3¢ Dull Red, Type III (26) and 5¢ Brown, Type II, (30A), vertical pair of 3¢, singles of 5¢ and 10¢, tied by large "Paid" grid cancels, "Boston Am. Pkt. May 24" (1861) circular datestamp on back of blue folded letter to Calcutta, India, addressed to Caleb Ladd at the Ice House, manuscript directives "Via Marseilles" and "pr Steamer fr N York", red London transit backstamp (June 8), manuscript "1/" one-shilling debit, "Calcutta Steamer Letter" backstamp with "8" annas due, 5¢ single pulled perf at right, missing one leaf of letter but front and back are complete, Very Fine, a beautiful three-color 1857 Issue franking to the Ice House in Calcutta, India, paying the 21¢ British Open Mail via Marseilles rate via American Packet, ex Newbury (Image)

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Get Market Data for [United States 30A]