Lot
1067 
1851, 1¢ blue, types I & IIIa, vertical pair, positions 7//17R1E, margins large to just touching scrolls at upper left (5) and bottom left (8A), on oversized bronze floral bordered Valentine cover to Miss Eunice M. Chittenden in Westbrook, Ct., in combination with 1851, 1¢ blue, type Ib (5A, position 3R1E) affixed to end of backflap and manuscript canceled, and 1851, 3¢ dull red, type II, three singles (11A) tied with pair by neat "Deep River, Ct., Feb 12" cds's all paying four times the 3¢ domestic rate, with embossed ornamental Valentine enclosure with multicolored woodblock print and decoupage floral accents around small embossed envelope holding an enamel card with four-line poem; cover with some edge soiling and a few tone spots, 1¢ stamps - type I with small bottom left corner repair from scuff, type IIIa with small margin scuff and corner crease at bottom right, and type Ib with nick and large sealed tear, Very Fine appearance, ex-Dr. Hubert C. Skinner (acquired from the Weill Brothers).; with 2005 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 5,8A Estimate $40,000 - 60,000.
THE MOST REMARKABLE AND UNIQUE EXAMPLE OF THE 1851 1¢ TYPE I ISSUE IN A PAIR AND WITH TWO OTHER 1¢ TYPES ON A VALENTINE - A TRULY MAGNIFICENT USAGE AND ONE OF THE MOST QUINTESSENTIAL 1851 ISSUE COVERS IN EXISTENCE.
Dr. Hubert C. Skinner acquired this cover from the Weill Brothers and had been off the market for over 50 years. Dr. Skinner eventually made the cover a subject of an ongoing article in November 1994 edition The Chronicle (pages 245-250) entitled "Quintessential Covers: Part III".
Jerome S. Wagshall's census of position 7R1E lists this cover as no. 5-COV-080 and is one of only twenty three cover recorded. Of the eleven examples in multiples, this is the only example in combination with any other denomination of the 1851 issue.
Realized: $30,000
Lot
1066
1847, 10¢ black, two singles, both with with large margins around to just shaving frameline at bottom, tied by red square grid cancels on oversized bronze floral ornamental Valentine cover to Lakeville, N.Y., matching "New York, Feb 18" cds and pencil "20" rating at left, with original ornamental lace Valentine enclosure with multicolored floral accents and central gold frame lady portrait design; cover and enclosure with fold, cover with some edge wear and slight splitting along folds, Very Fine, a rare double rate Valentine cover sent over 300 miles and franked with the 1847 10¢ issue, ex-Pope, Garrett, Boker & Gross; with 1985 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 2 Estimate $7,500 - 10,000.
A REMARKABLE DOUBLE RATE VALENTINE COVER FRANKED WITH THE 1847 10¢ ISSUE - CONSIDERED TO BE THE FINEST VALENTINE USAGE OF THE 1847 ISSUE.
Realized: $8,000
Lot
1176
Hawkins' City Dispatch Post, small blue two line handstamp struck twice at top on large enamel Valentine cover with ornate bronze floral and address panel scroll design bearing multicolored floral design, addressed to "Miss Mary Hove, No 9 Dominick Street", with floral design Valentine enclosure; some light edge wear, Very Fine and choice; with 2012 P.F. certificate. Estimate $5,000 - 7,500.
THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE HAWKINS' CITY DISPATCH POST BEARING IT'S POST HANDSTAMP ON A VALENTINE COVER.
There is no known information regarding this post and possibly was short-lived and/or operated during the influx of Valentine correspondences. Since there is a Dominick St. in New York City and that another Valentine with matching design is known used in New York State, lends credence to the likely possibility that this post operated within New York City.
Realized: $6,500
Lot
1058
1847, 5¢ red brown, three singles, all clear to large margins, slightly overlapping on oversized silver ornamental bordered Valentine cover to South Dedham, Mass., canceled by grid handstamps with red "Boston, Mass., Feb 27" cds and matching "Paid" handstamp at top, stamps tied by red crayon with additional "Paid 5" and "20" total rating (for 15¢ franking plus 5¢ paid in cash), Very Fine and choice, ex-Wenk, Boker & Gross. Scott No. 1 Estimate $5,000 - 7,500.
A MAGNIFICENT MULTIPLE USAGE OF THE 1847 5¢ ISSUE ATTEMPTING TO PAY THE OLD TRIPLE RATE ON A VALENTINE DURING THE "NO TRIPLE RATE" 1849-51 RATE CHANGE.
At the advent of the 1847 Issue, the Act of March 3rd 1847 (and effective July 1st) modified the rate for the distance under 300 miles at 5¢ per half ounce and adding one rate for each additional ounce. This triple rating was eliminated by the Act of March 3rd 1849 where letters weighing over a half ounce to one ounce where charged the double rate and two additional rates for each succeeding ounce or fraction thereof.
Reverse of cover notated and signed by Stanley Ashbrook (in pencil and dated Oct. 21, 1954) reading…"In my opinion this cover is genuine in all respects. It shows the no triple rate of 1849-1851 and is the finest example of that rate I have ever seen." .
Realized: $9,000
Lot
1074
1851, 1¢ blue, type IIIa, horizontal pair, at upper left in combination with 1851, 1¢ blue, type II, horizontal pair and two singles (7) neatly arranged in other corners on oversized gold floral border Valentine cover to East Glenburn, Me., canceled and tied by grid handstamps with red "New Orleans, La., Feb 11" cds, reverse with cover with matching allover ornate gold design and forget-me-not label; lower right stamp with small scoring line at bottom, Very Fine, illustrated in Brookman The Nineteenth Century Postage Stamps of the United States, Volume 1 (page 121), ex-J. Jones & Kramer. Scott No. 8A Estimate $4,000 - 6,000.
A MAGNIFICENT OVERSIZED GOLD FLORAL VALENTINE USAGE BEARING A DOUBLE RATE FRANKING OF THE 1851 1¢ ISSUE FROM PLATE ONE EARLY.
Realized: $3,500
Lot
1060
1847, 5¢ red brown, ample to large margins, trivial minute margin nick at bottom right, tied by red "St. Louis, Mo., 5, Feb 16" integral rate cds with second strike at left on intricate bronze Valentine with allover floral and scroll designs, to Cathage, Ill., matching allover designs on reverse showing pen & scroll and arrow & harp illustrations; cover opened for display with a few light tone spots, Very Fine, illustrated in Baker Baker's U.S. Classics (page 176), ex-Weill, Boker & Gross; with 1966 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 1 Estimate $3,000 - 4,000.
A WONDERFUL VALENTINE COVER AND 1847 5¢ ISSUE COMBINATION.
Realized: $4,250
Lot
1177
Kidder's City Express Post, 1847, 2¢ black on pale blue, initialed "I S" (Isaac Snedecker), margins large to just shaving frameline at right, affixed mostly on backflap and around to front, canceled by strike of "Paid" handstamp with second strike alongside with both strong strike impressing through to reverse, on a most intricate pierced lace Valentine cover neatly street addressed in Brooklyn, matching lace Valentine enclosure with handwritten 8-line poem and "St. Valentine's Day 1848" dating; stamp with crease from cover edge placement and cover and enclosure in a remarkable state of preservation and especially so considering it's incredibly delicate nature, Very Fine and choice. Scott No. 93L1 Estimate $3,000 - 4,000.
A TRULY REMARKABLE VALENTINE COVER CARRIED BY KIDDER'S CITY EXPRESS POST.
Realized: $2,900
Lot
1059
1847, 5¢ red brown, ample to mostly large margins, neatly tied by blue grid handstamp with two matching strikes of "Northern R.R., Feb 14" route agent cds on allover Robin's egg blue floral and bronze bordered Valentine cover to Sutton, N.H., reverse with matching allover design and forget-me-not label; small cover tear at bottom and some trivial toning, Very Fine, ex-Meroni, Matthies, Kapiloff, Boker & Gross. Scott No. 1 Estimate $3,000 - 4,000.
A WONDERFUL AND VERY RARE MULTICOLORED VALENTINE COVER BEARING THE 1847 5¢ ISSUE AND VALENTINE'S DAY RAILROAD POSTMARKS.
Realized: $4,000
Lot
1183
Confederacy, 1861, 5¢ green, margins large to just touching at top right, deep bold color, tied by clear "Charleston, S.C., Feb 15, 1862" cds on intricate floral embossed Valentine cover military addressed in Church Flats, S.C., with original enamel embossed Valentine enclosure with central Cupid in heart design, erroneously docketed "1861" at center; cover with edge wear and some sealed tears, F.-V.F., ex-Brandon. Scott No. 1 Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
A VERY RARE 1861 5¢ CONFEDERATE STATES FIRST ISSUE USAGE ON A VALENTINE COVER.
Lot
1162
New York, N.Y., U.S. City Despatch Post, 1849, 1¢ black on rose, bottom margin single, ample to large margins with full sheet selvage at bottom, tied by neat red "New York, 5 cts, Feb 6" cds on ornate gold floral bordered Valentine cover, matching "Paid" handstamp and pencil "5" rating, with matching allover design on reverse; portion of address erased and light corner wear, Very Fine, ex-Worthington; with 1991 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 6LB9 Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
A REMARKABLE NEW YORK, U.S. CITY DESPATCH POST 1¢ ROSE ISSUE TIED ON A GOLD PRINTED VALENTINE COVER.
Most examples of these printed Valentine designs of this era where printed in bronze with many incorrectly described as gold. This example in true gold print as quite rare.
Realized: $2,500