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

2¢ Brown, Re-Issue (124), beautifully centered, dark rich color, tied by "Baltimore Md. Jun. 7" (ca. 1884) duplex datestamp and numeral grid cancel on cover to Halifax, Nova Scotia, corner card of stamp dealer Frank Y. Jones, addressed to Henry Hechler (another stamp dealer of the era), receiving backstamp

Extremely Fine Gem stamp on a fresh choice cover. This is the only single franking among the three recorded 2¢ 1869 Pictorial Re-Issue covers.

This is not a printed matter rate, as indicated in the 1869 PRA census. The rate to Canada, which was based on the domestic letter rate, was lowered to 2¢ on October 1, 1883. Another of the three recorded 2¢ 1869 Pictorial Re-Issue covers is offered in lot 536.

Ex John C. Juhring, Jonathan W. Rose, Edgar Kuphal ("European's Large Gold" collection) and Steven C. Walske ("Lafayette" collection). Illustrated in Rose, United States Postage Stamps of 1869 (p. 36). With 1978 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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10¢ Yellow, Re-Issue (127), near perfect centering, rich color, tied by bold "New York Reg" oval on 10¢ Brown entire (U189) to London, England, G. B. Calman stamp dealer corner card, "New York, N.Y. Reg'y Div. 4-21 1884" double-oval datestamp, registry label tied by blue crayon registry marks applied in London, red London registry oval and receiving backstamp

Extremely Fine. This is one of the two finest of only four recorded 10¢ 1869 Pictorial Re-Issue covers--all of which were mailed by stamp dealers in the 1880s.

The 10¢ plus 10¢ postage on this cover prepays the double 5¢ UPU rate and 10¢ registry fee. This cover was not among the three recorded in the 1869 PRA Census.

Ex Edgar Kuphal ("European's Large Gold" collection) and Steven C. Walske ("Lafayette" collection). Illustrated in Rose, United States Postage Stamps of 1869 (p. 87). With 2003 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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DESCRIPTION

1¢ Buff, 2¢ Brown, 12¢ Green, 15¢ Brown & Blue, 1875 Re-Issue of 1869 Pictorial Issue (123, 124, 128, 129), four stamps tied by "New York R" registry oval cancels on large cover to Brunswick, Germany, stamps paying four-times 5¢ U.P.U. rate for two ounces plus the 10¢ registry fee, sender's route and ship-name directive "Via England per City of Chester", two clear strikes of purple "REGISTERED/MAR. 20, 1880/NEW YORK P.O." three-line datestamp, German registry label, New York registry and Brunswick receiving backstamps, the return address "3 Veasy St" on back was the location of N. F. Seebeck, one of the stamp dealers who used 1869 Re-Issues

PROVENANCE

Marc Haas, Stanley Gibbons Auctions Ltd. (London), 5/9/1980, lot 252

Leonard Sheriff, Siegel Auction Galleries, 12/11-12/1985, Sale 655, lot 481, to Coulter

Elliott H. Coulter, Siegel Auction Galleries, 5/12/2006, Sale 911, lot 340, to William H. Gross

CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES

Siegel census no. 129-COV-01 https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/129

CERTIFICATION

The Philatelic Foundation (1986)

CONDITION NOTES

Extremely Fine appearance; vertical fold in cover, 15¢ pulled corner perf, 1¢ small sealed tear

HISTORY AND COMMENTARY

The 1869 Pictorial Re-Issues

The stamps called Reproductions, Reprints, Re-Issues and Special Printings were created by the Post Office Department to exhibit every United States stamp at the 1876 Centennial, and to furnish examples to collectors. The program began in 1875 and ended in 1883, and was managed by the Third Assistant Postmaster General's office. Invoices were made for all sales, listing the denomination, quantity sold and name of purchaser. Unsold stamps were destroyed on July 3, 1884.

To have an inventory to fill orders, postal officials authorized the printers under contract to make special printings. For the 1847 Issue, new dies and plates with different engravings were made by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing--these are Reproductions (Scott 3-4). Stamps no longer valid for postage, but which could be reprinted using the original die designs are Reprints (Scott 40-47, PR5-PR7 and LO3-LO6). Those still valid for postage are called Re-Issues (Scott 102-111, 123-133a)--they were printed either from the original plates or from plates created for the Special Printing program. Re-Issues can be found cancelled and, in rare cases, used on cover. Finally, the special-order printings of currently circulating issues are called Special Printings, which include the Bank Note regular issues (Scott 167-177, 180-181, 192-204, 205C, 211B, 211D), and Postage Dues, Officials and Newspapers & Periodicals stamps (the Official stamps received "Specimen" overprints).

The 1847 Reproductions were presumably printed at the Bureau, where the imitation dies and plates were made. The 1861-66 and 1869 Re-Issues were printed by the National Bank Note Co. The 1851-57 Reprints and 1875 Bank Note stamps on hard paper were printed by the Continental Bank Note Co. The American Bank Note Co. printed the 1879-83 Special Printings on soft paper. The 1861-66 and 1869 Re-Issues are the only sets with gum.

This four-stamp combination cover is considered to be the most spectacular of all 1875 Re-Issue covers. Together with the 3¢ 1869 Pictorial Re-Issue cover, ex Caspary, the two covers are considered to be the most important of their kind. As always, there was a philatelic motivation behind using the re-issued stamps. However, despite the demand for cancelled off-cover stamps to sell to European collectors, this cover survived intact. The number of known covers for each stamp is shown in parentheses: No. 123 (7), 2¢ (3), 12¢ (2), and 15¢ (4). (Image)

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24¢ Green & Violet, Re-Issue (130), choice centering, intense colors and proof-like impressions, used with 1¢ Dark Ultramarine (182), deep shade, matching cork cancels, purple "REGISTERED/JUN. 13, 1881/ BROOKLYN, N.Y." three-line datestamp on cover to Hanover, Germany, sent by R. R. Bogert, a well-known 19th century stamp dealer, his address label on back, German registry label on front, receiving backstamps

Extremely Fine. This is one of only three recorded 24¢ 1869 Re-Issue covers used during the proper time period, of which only two are addressed to a foreign country.

There are four recorded 24¢ 1869 Pictorial Re-Issue covers, including one mailed in 1926, well out of the proper period of use. Of the three, one is addressed to Boston, and two are addressed to Germany. The sender of this cover, R. R. Bogert, was an early and prominent stamp dealer beginning in the 1870s. He was a co-founder of the National Philatelical Society and the subsequent American Philatelic Association (the modern-day APS). He was also co-founder of the Collectors Club of New York and co-author with John K. Tiffany of a book on postal stationery. A notice of his death on January 23, 1907, can be found in Gibbons Stamp Weekly (vol. 5, p. 126).

Ex Waltes (1920s J.C. Morgenthau & Co. sale) and Millard H. Mack. (Image)

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