The New Amsterdam Collection of City Despatch Post continued...

EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF TWO RECORDED COVERS BEARING THE RARE POST OFFICE CITY DESPATCH VERMILION STAMP WITH HAND-ETCHED SIDEWAYS "C" AT LEFT. A SUPERB STAMP AND COVER.

This stamp comes from Position 25, one of seven subjects on the plate that have the "Sideways C" variety, which occurred when a failed attempt was made to hand-etch the letter "C" into the plate (Positions 1, 2, 3, 7, 13, 19 and 25 show this distinctive variety). This plate variety can be found on all four different papers, but we record only three examples on Vermilion, including one off cover and two on covers (this being the finer).

Ex Hall. With 2001 P.F. certificate. Scott value $4,500.00 off cover and $4,750.00 on cover (not tied). (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. THE FINEST RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE COLE'S POST OFFICE CITY DESPATCH STAMP ON YELLOWISH BUFF PAPER, ON OR OFF COVER. ONLY FOUR COMPLETE COVERS ARE KNOWN.

The late period of the City Despatch Post is shrouded in mystery. By late 1851 and early 1852, the plate used to print the "CC" stamps had worn considerably, and impressions on Yellowish Buff paper show this wear. The rarity of the Yellowish Buff stamps -- 15 recorded for 40L8 and varieties -- together with the legitimate dated examples suggests that they were the last issue and a short-lived one.

There are four covers with complete stamps that are generally accepted as genuine Yellowish Buff uses, listed here in chronological order: 1) Sep. 7 (ca. 1851), pencil cancel, used on cover to Sarah B. Woolman, Burlington N.J., red New York 5c datestamp, ex Mason, Middendorf, 2) Jan. 28, 1852 folded letter to Caldwell & Ghrisky, Philadelphia, ms. "X" cancel, black New York 5c datestamp, discovered by a member of the Ghrisky family, ex Knapp, Hall, the cover offered here, 3) Feb. 14 (ca. 1852) cover to Peter Hall, Pomfret Conn., stamp described as repaired at top in 1951 Harmer, Rooke sale, tied by pencil squiggle cancel, black New York 5c datestamp, ex Ferrary, Needham, Boker, and 4) May 17 (ca. 1852) red New York 5c datestamp, ms. cancel, on cover to Mrs. Henry Wasserman, Southport Conn., ex Boker. In addition to these four complete covers, there is also an 1852 cover bearing a fragment of 40L8 over-written by the name "E. N. Barry" (lot 316 in this sale). There are also ten stamps off cover or at one point affixed to covers to which they did not belong.

This cover was acquired by Edward Knapp in the Jan. 21, 1936 sale held by Eugene Klein. A notation indicates that it was found by a member of the Ghirsky family in Philadelphia. The Halls acquired the cover at the 1941 Knapp sale.

Ex Hall. With 2001 P.F. certificate. Unlisted on cover in Scott. (Image)

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ONE OF FIVE RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE POST OFFICE CITY DESPATCH 2-CENT "INVERTED C" PLATE VARIETY ON ANY TYPE OF PAPER. THIS IS THE ONLY CONFIRMED EXAMPLE ON YELLOWSH BUFF PAPER. ONE OF THE GREAT RARITIES OF LOCAL POSTS.

Only one subject on the plate of 42 (Position 36) shows the so-called "Inverted C" variety, which was caused when a mirror-image letter punch was used to enter the righthand "C". The mirror-image punch left a right-reading engraved letter on the plate, which in turn produced a mirror-image printed letter "C". The Scott Catalogue lists this variety as "C at right inverted", but in fact it is a mirror image of the letter "C". We have photographs of five different examples of Position 36, including three we can positively identify by paper type: Green (40L4a, the stamp offered in lot 277), Grayish (40L5a on cover, Mazza collection) and Yellowish Buff (40L8a, the stamp offered here). Our records contain black-and-white photographs of two other examples, but we cannot identify the paper color (one off cover and another on a cover with 3c 1851 overlapping).

Ex Cunliffe. With 1968 and 2009 P.F. certificates. Listed but unpriced in Scott (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. THIS IS BY FAR THE FINER OF THE TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE SIDEWAYS "C" VARIETY ON BUFF PAPER (SCOTT 40L8b).

Seven subjects on the plate of 42 show the hand-etched "C" variety (Positions 1, 2, 3, 7, 13, 19, 25), which resulted from a crude attempt to inscribe the letter "C" rather than use a letter punch. These are listed in the Scott Catalogue as "C at left sideways." As a plate variety, it can be found on the four types of paper used for Cole's "CC" issue (Green, Grayish, Vermilion and Yellowish Buff). Of the 16 recorded examples of the "Sideways C" variety in our census (all types of paper), only two are on Yellowish Buff, the rarest of the paper types. The other known example of 40L8b is defective.

Ex Caspary. With 2000 P.F. certificate (Image)

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