Lot
1378 
1898, $1 Trans-Miss., First Day Cover. Attractively centered, tied by light Washington, D.C. oval handstamps on registered cover to Baden-Baden, Germany, purple "Registered, Jun 17, 1898, Washington D.C., Sub-Station No. 29, No. 767" straight line postmark, New York registry exchange etiquette, reverse with New York oval date stamp and receiving date stamp, Very Fine and choice, A Truly Outstanding and Unique First Day Usage of the $1 Trans-Mississippi Issue on Cover; with 2011 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 292; $55,000 Estimate $75,000 - 100,000.
This cover, coming from a matched set of Trans-Mississippi first day covers of at least eight different values, was sent by Washington stamp dealer J. Murray Bartels to Herrn Hermann August Kah.
Realized: $150,000
Lot
1377
1898, 50¢ Trans-Miss., First Day Cover. Natural s.e. at left, tied by light Washington, D.C. oval handstamp on registered cover to Baden-Baden, Germany, purple "Registered, Jun 17, 1898, Washington D.C., Sub-Station No. 29, No. 768" straight line postmark, New York registry exchange etiquette, reverse with New York oval date stamp and receiving date stamp, Very Fine, A Marvelous and Unique First Day Usage of the 50¢ Trans-Mississippi Issue on Cover; with 2011 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 291; $50,000 Estimate $50,000 - 75,000.
This cover, coming from a matched set of Trans-Mississippi first day covers of at least eight different values, was sent by Washington stamp dealer J. Murray Bartels to Herrn Hermann August Kah.
Realized: $100,000
Lot
1190
1847, 5¢ red brown and 10¢ black. Matching pair of 1848 folded letters to Pilkington Brothers & Co. in Blackburn, England; 5¢ horizontal pair (positions 99-100R) in deep red brown shade with full even margins, tied by black grids, "New Orleans La., Jan. 16" cds, with "1/-" rate handstamp also tying pair, "America/Liverpool/FE 13/1848" transit datestamp and "Blackburn, Feb 14" receiving backstamp, letter written on printed prices-current list; and 10¢ single (position 30R) with full to large margins, intense shade and impression, tied by black grid, "New Orleans La., May 7" cds, "1/-" rate handstamp, "Liverpool, May 30" transit and "Blackburn, May 31" receiving backstamps, Extremely Fine, a Spectacular Matched Pair of 1847 Issue Covers To England, ex Jack Dick, Sevenoaks & Latshaw; both covers with 1981 and 2007 P.F. certificates, accompanied by analysis letter from Calvet M. Hahn. Scott No. 1-2 Estimate $20,000 - 30,000.
Both covers were carried by Cunard steamships during the period when mail transported on American packets was subjected to a British charge of one shilling, which led to the U.S. Retaliatory Rate period from July to December 1848. The 5¢ cover was carried on the Cunarder - Cambria departing New York on January 29th and arriving in Liverpool on February 13th. The 10¢ cover was carried on the Cunarder - Britannia departing Boston on May 17th and arriving in Liverpool on May 30th.
Lot
1012
Seattle, Wash. Exposition Station, Jun 23, 1909, Alaska - Yukon - Pacific Exposition. Bold strike of flag machine cancel (Bomar S09-04, Langford T26) tying 2¢ Wash-Frank on cover to San Francisco, Cal. with gold "California Building Exposition Grounds" corner card showing Exposition emblem, original enclosure with matching letterhead; cover roughly opened at right and most of sideflap missing, otherwise Very Fine, a Great Exposition Rarity With This Being the Only Known Usage of This Cancel on a Cover. Estimate $15,000 - 20,000.
One of two legitimate postal uses are known, the above cover and a post card, which are both postmarked on the 23rd of June. The post card, which sold at auction in 2003 brought $9,000. It is reported that Langford at one time refused an offer of $25,000 for this cover.
Realized: $9,000
Lot
1543 (
)
1851, 1¢ blue, type II, Unofficial "Chicago" Perf 12½, without gum, fresh color, full perforations all around, small lightened stain spot at left and some ink on reverse which barely shows through, Fine appearance, This Being One of Only Two Recorded Unused Examples of the 1¢ Chicago Perforation. One of the Great Rarities of the 1851-57 1¢ Issue.; with 2001 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 7 $22,500.
The origin of the Chicago perforation was revealed in an article published by Jerome S. Wagshal in the Chronicle 130 (May 1986). To briefly summarize Mr. Wagshal's revelations, the inventor of the machine used to create the Chicago Perf stamps was Dr. Elijah W. Hadley, a Chicago dentist. He probably constructed the machine in 1854. Over a two-year period, beginning in November 1854, Dr. Hadley's device was offered for sale to the Post Office Department thru R. K. Swift, a prominent Chicago banker and businessman. The distinctive 12-1/2 gauge Chicago Perf was applied to sheets of the 1c (Plates 1 Late and 2) and 3c 1851 Issue, the former being considerably rarer. According to the census of Chicago Perf items compiled by W. Wilson Hulme II (Chronicle 175, Aug. 1997), a total of 17 examples of the 1c Chicago Perf have been recorded, comprising 2 unused, 3 used on covers, 12 used off cover (including a strip of three). The P.F. certificate states "small lightened stain spot at top left, and manuscript ink on the reverse bleeding through to the face at bottom right". The other unused example also has a stain.
Realized: $15,000
Lot
98
Eastbound Transcontinental Pony Express Way Usage. Cover with manuscript "By Pony Express" and "The Central Overland California & Pikes Peak Express Company, St. Joseph, November 23" oval handstamp, "Saint Joseph, Mo., Nov 24" cds and franked with 1857, 3¢ dull red canceled by matching grid handstamp, light pencil "¼oz" endorsement below stamp indicating pony express fee, addressed to Charles White of Whitestown, New York; cover slightly reduced at left and stamp with margin nick at lower right, otherwise Extremely Fine, A Remarkable Pony Express Way Cover That Was Picked Up By the Pony Express Rider Along the Route From California to Saint Joseph and Deliver to the Pony Express Office at Saint Joseph, Mo.; with R. Frajola letter of attest. Scott No. 26 Estimate $10,000 - 15,000.
Based on another Pony Express cover postmarked at Saint Joseph on November 24, this Pony Express trip originated in San Francisco on November 10, 1860, and terminated in Saint Joseph late on November 23. The cover was picked up someplace between California and Missouri and the US postage was either unpaid, or paid in cash by the sender. The cover a pencil "1/4" notation under the stamp indicating the sender paid the pony express fees for a letter to one-quarter ounce ($2.50). The letter was received at the Pony Express Office in Saint Joseph and they applied their date stamp on the envelope and attached a 3¢ stamp. The envelope was then delivered to the Saint Joseph Post Office where it received a postal date stamp and the stamp was canceled with a matching grid cancel.
At the starting terminus the envelopes were wrapped in oil skin and placed in one of the four compartments that were part of a saddlebag specially designed to fit over the riding saddle. These compartments were then locked. This saddlebag or mochila as it was called could be quickly transferred from horse to horse. One of the four compartments was used for way mail. Each Home Station manager (about every tenth station) would have a key that would allow only this compartment to be unlocked. At each Home Station envelopes could then be added or removed. Envelopes would be removed and given to the rider for distribution to the stations between that Home Station and the next Home Station down the line. Each Home Station along the route therefore acted as a way station. The other three compartments on the mochila could only be unlocked at the terminus.
This cover is unusual in that the sender did not apply US postage. This may have been due to a lack of stamps on the sender's part or unavailability at the Way Station.
This cover was discovered after the publication of "The Pony Express" by Frajola, Kramer and Walske. In discussion with the authors it was established that this cover would have been placed in a position between E39 and E40.
Realized: $11,500
Lot 1946 o
Documentary, 1871-72 Third Issue, $1 green & black, center inverted. Rich colors both frame and vignette, used on partly printed August 5, 1872 Administrator's Bond document from Chatham County, Georgia, manuscript initials and "August 5/72" date, faintly toned perf tips of virtually no consequence and some minor splitting along document edges, Extremely Fine, a Magnificent Rarity As This Is One of Two Recorded Usages of the $1.00 Second Issue with Inverted Center on an Original Document, ex Zoellner, Cunliffe; with 2009 P.F. certificate.Scott No. R144a Estimate $10,000 - 15,000.
In his privately published census, Larry Lyons records a total of 26 copies. The other recorded document bears five copies of the error and is also used with a normal $1.00 stamp. These are the only complete documents bearing revenue inverts above the 2¢ denomination (one piece is also recorded).
Realized: $10,000
Lot
115
California Penny Post Co., 1855-59, 7¢ Black on Buff. Printed frank with ad directive at left, on buff cover addressed to the President of the Chamber of Commerce in San Francisco, franked with 1852, 1¢ blue, type IV tied by "San Francisco, Cal., Aug 11" cds, Extremely Fine, an outstanding California Penny Post 7¢ Black on Buff Frank Entire usage in combination with a 1¢ blue adhesive, One of Only Two Such Combinations Known, ex Dale-Lichtenstein. Scott No. 34LU14+9 Estimate $7,500 - 10,000.
Cover with directive imprint crossed out in pencil with "Over" notation at left. On the reverse, a notation reads "Mr Weller will please notice the address on this letter, and in delivering it, establish a precedent from which he will not depart." with later portion crossed out in pencil.
Realized: $11,500
Lot
1931 ()
St. Louis, Mo., U.S. Penny Post, 1849, 2¢ black. Type I, without gum, large margins all around with outer framelines complete on all four sides, intense shade and impression, Extremely Fine, the Finest of the Fourteen Recorded Examples of the St. Louis 2¢ Black Carrier Stamp, only two of the five recorded type I varieties are in sound condition, ex Caspary, Boker, Golden; with 1999 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 8LB1 $7,000.
Realized: $5,000
Lot
369
1857 New Orleans, La. To Marseille, France. Folded printed circular franked with clear to large margin 1857, 1¢ blue, types III-IIIA horizontal pair (positions 55-56L4), rich color, tied by partial New Orleans, La. cds's and red "15" centimes due handstamp, Paris transit and receiving backstamps, Extremely Fine, an Outstanding 1¢ Franklin Type III-IIIA Combination Pair and Usage, ex White; with 1978 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 8, 8A Estimate $5,000 - 7,500.
Sent via Collins Line - per steamer Baltic, departing New York on August 16th and arriving in Liverpool on August 28th.
Realized: $9,500