Lot
2286 
Confederacy, Spartanburg, S.C., 1861, 5¢ Black, cut to shape as always, tied by straightline "Paid" handstamp on cover with "Spartanburg, S.C., Jul 4, 1861" double circle date stamp, addressed to Mrs. Edmund Bryan at Rutherfordton, N.C., some light staining at right, otherwise Very Fine, ex-Brooks, 'Beverly Hills'; signed by Stanley B. Ashbrook and P. Kaufman on reverse. Scott No. 78X1 $22,500.
THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW OF THE APPROXIMATELY TWENTY KNOWN COVERS BEARING THE SPARTANBURG POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL NOT FROM THE DEAN CORRESPONDENCE.
General Edmund Bryan (1791-1874) was of the North Carolina State Militia and a participant in the 1814 Creek Indian Campaign in Alabama. His daughter married Confederate Gen. Collett Leventhorp, who was the only English born rising to this Confederate rank.
Realized: $7,500
Lot
2267
Confederacy, New Orleans, La., 1861, 2¢ Red, radiant color with four margins, large except clear at right, tied by "New Orleans La. 7 Feb" cds on 1862 blue folded printed circular to members of the Southwestern Bible Society, addressed to Saml. Hollensworth at Blossom Hill La., couple unnoticeable stamp flaws, Very Fine and attractive; with 2005 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 62X2 $25,000.
AN OUTSTANDING CIRCULAR-RATE USE OF THE RARE NEW ORLEANS 2¢ RED PROVISIONAL ISSUE.
The New Orleans postmaster, J. L. Riddell, prepared provisional stamps in June 1861 and advertised them for sale on June 12th. The 2¢ red stamps were printed without the marginal inscription "Usable exclusively in the New Orleans Post Office". The 5¢ and subsequent 2¢ blue printings all have the imprint. It is the accepted theory that the 2¢ red stamps were printed first, before Riddell added the imprint, and were withheld from use until January 1862 when the supply of 2¢ blue stamps was exhausted.
Realized: $21,000
Lot
1715
Spaulding's Penny Post (2¢) Value Omitted Coin Handstamp, bold strike on folded letter sheet addressed to Buffalo, N.Y., red "New York, 10cts, Dec 15" integral rate cds, "Recieved Dec 16th, 1847" pencil docketing to the right of Spaulding handstamp, Very Fine, ex-Needham, Hollowbush, Petri & Hahn; signed George Sloane, with 2005 P.F. certificate. Estimate $7,500 - 10,000.
THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF SPAULDING'S PENNY POST COIN HANDSTAMP WITH VALUE REMOVED.
Proprietor of Spaulding's Penny Post, Enos W. Spaulding, raised the posts letter rate on November 15th, 1847 from one to two cents. Three different Spaulding's coin handstamps are known and are all unique. The first bearing the "One Cent" value is undated but obvious was used prior to the rate change. This cover with the value removed was posted approximately one month after the rate change to two cents. A later usage of the coin handstamp in April of 1848 bears a illustrated dove at the center. Shortly thereafter, Spaulding introduced his Striding Messenger handstamp and adhesives.
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Lot
2265
Confederacy, New Orleans, La., 1861, 2¢ Blue, vertical pair, three large margins, in at left, bright shade, tied by full clear strike of "New Orleans La. 3 Sep" cds on 1861 cover addressed to "Miss Martha Maddern, 34 Gasquet St., New Orleans La.", additional fine strike of "N.O.U.S. City Post" carrier rimless datestamp, small opening tear at top center has been invisibly sealed, Very Fine, ex-Needham, Skinner. Scott No. 62X1 Estimate $7,500 - 10,000.
A UNIQUE USE OF POSTMASTER PROVISIONAL STAMPS TO PREPAY THE CARRIER FEE AND DROP RATE FOR INTRA-CITY MAIL.
The New Orleans U.S. City Post continued to operate after Louisiana entered the Confederacy in 1861. Prior to the Confederate period, there is only one cover known with the carrier fee and drop rate prepaid by stamps; the cover will be found in our Sale 791 as lot 182. The pre-war cover has a U.S. 1c 1851 pair for the 1c fee plus 1c rate. During the Confederate period, the N.O.U.S. City Post charged 2c for a letter, and the post office charged the standard 2c rate for a drop letter. We have no record of another Confederate cover with both rates prepaid by stamps, and the use of a New Orleans 2c Blue provisional pair -- a major rarity in its own right -- to prepay the 2-plus-2 postage is a fantastic example of a theoretical possibility actually surviving for collectors.
Another cover addressed to Miss Martha Maddern in the same hand was offered in the Meroni sale (lot 165). It has a faint strike of the "N.O.U.S. City Post Sep. 7" circular datestamp and 5c 62X4 provisional tied by the "New Orleans La. Sep. 6" river-mail double-circle datestamp, indicating that it arrived by steamboat and was mailed at the wharf, using carrier service to bring it to the addressee. The identical handwriting and use of the city name "New Orleans La." in the address are evidence that this cover was brought in by someone on a steamboat, who mailed it as a drop letter with carrier service to the addressee.
Realized: $8,500
Lot
934
1848 (Jul. 1) Vera Cruz, Mexico To Worcestershire, England Via New Orleans, folded cover with boxed "Vera Cruz, July 1" origin postmark and and matching "10" rating handstamp, carried by RMSP steamer Great Western from Vera Cruz on July 10th via Cat Island Miss., black "New Orleans JY 20 1848" British Post Office split ring postmark used as a transit, carried transatlantic by RMSP British packet, red London (8.20) entry cds on flap and manuscript "1/-" packet due rating, Waterbury (8.22) arrival split ring postmark on flap; no side flaps, Very Fine, ex-Hubert C. Skinner. Estimate $6,000 - 8,000.
ONE OF ONLY THREE RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE NEW ORLEANS BRITISH POST OFFICE SPLIT RING POSTMARK. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED TYPE IV EXAMPLE USED ON THE 1848 SERVICE.
The first British Post Office in New Orleans was started in 1842 when the British Consul, John Crawford, was appointed Packet Agent and established a letter office in the city where mail could be left for forwarding to the West Indies and Europe. Both a New Orleans two-line postmark and split ring cds were supplied by the British Post Office. The route of the packet was Tampico-New Orleans-Havana. The service ended by the end of 1842. There are only two recorded examples of the split ring postmark used during the 1842 packet service.
In 1847 the RMSP service between Tampico and Southampton briefly included a stop at Cat Island in the Mississippi Delta to service New Orleans. In 1847, a fresh handstamp of the split ring postmark was sent to New Orleans when William Mure was the agent. The service was suspended in 1849 after limited demand.
There is an unusual note on the inside of the cover: "N.B. The name underneath is all that was written -- which suppose to be, some post office Inspector" and with signature "O.A. Foster" below in another ink.
Illustrated: A.S.C.C. volume II on page 90.
Realized: $13,000
Lot
3
[Indians - Cherokee Nation] "New Echota Ga, Feb 4", lengthy folded letter from Rev. Samuel Worcester to his brother Samuel Chandler in Bedford, New Hampshire, datelined "New Echota; Cherokee Nation, February 1, 1833", trace of edge wear, Very Fine and choice, ex-Chase, Bleuler. Estimate $5,000 - 7,500.
DR. CHASE'S NOTE ON THE REVERSE READS "THE ONLY RECORDED COVER FROM CHEROKEE NATION (OF WHICH NEW ECHOTA WAS THE CAPITAL) IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA BEFORE THE CHEROKEES WERE MOVED WEST/FULLY DATED COVER - AN EXTREME RARITY".
Reverend Worcester was a missionary of the American Board (Congregational-Presbyterian) and was an advocate of the Cherokees in Georgia starting in 1825. He starts this letter with "…you will learn, perhaps to your surprise, that I am no longer in prison", as he was heavily persecuted for his stand with the Cherokees and eventually moved to the Indian Territory when the Cherokees were removed from Georgia over the "The Trail of Tears".
Lot
1448
New York, N.Y., 5¢ Black on Bluish, position 32, four mostly large margins, bright fresh color and crisp impression, tied by clear strike of red "New York '5 Paid' May 30" balloon style foreign mail postmark to 1846 printed prices current from the Dobler correspondence to Lyon, France, endorsed "Str Cambia", red London (5.29) transit backstamp and matching "Colonies &c. Art. 13" framed accountancy handstamp, red Boulange (5.31) entry cds and manuscript "20" decimes due rating, Lyon (6.2) arrival backstamp; light horizontal fold, Extremely Fine and colorful. Scott No. 9X1 Estimate $3,000 - 4,000.
A PARTICULARLY CHOICE NEW YORK POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL USE FROM THE DOBLER CORRESPONDENCE TO FRANCE.
Realized: $9,500
Lot
692
[Treasury] Alexander Hamilton, 1st Secretary of the Treasury 1789-95. Free frank "A Hamilton" signature as Secretary on folded cover endorsed "Treasury Department" to Nathaniel Appleton, Comm. of Lands, Boston Mass., Philadelphia Jan. 12th Franklin mark and matching "Free" rating handstamp; docketed "rec'd 22d Jany /91", Very Fine, ex-Richard Graham Collection. Estimate $3,000 - 4,000.
A CHOICE ALEXANDER HAMILTON FREE FRANK AS THE FIRST SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY SERVING UNDER WASHINGTON.
Alexander Hamilton was born circa January 11, 1755 on the island of Nevis, British West Indies. In 1777, Hamilton became General George Washington's assistant. In 1788, he convinced New Yorkers to agree to ratify the U.S Constitution. He then served as the nation's first Secretary of the Treasury, from 1789 to 1795. On July 12, 1804, in New York City, Hamilton died of a gunshot wound that he sustained during a duel with Aaron Burr.
Realized: $10,500
Lot
129
[Mormon] "G.S.L.C. Cal July 11/50", manuscript postmark with matching "40" rating on folded letter to Frederickstown Missouri, datelined "Fort Hall Oregon 20th July 1849" at the fork of the Oregon and California Trails by Henry A. Cox, it was almost a year before this was posted at Great Salt Lake City, Samuel Woodson and James Brown were awarded the first mail route from Independence to Salt Lake City that was to begin on July 1, 1850 and was to run once a month, this was mailed shortly afterwards, Very Fine, A choice early California Trail letter during the first year of the Gold Rush mania. Estimate $3,000 - 4,000.
This letter is from one of the earliest emigrants on the California Trail during the first year of the Gold Rush mania. It was addressed to his mother and he describes the circumstances of the wagon train in which he was traveling:
"We have passed through several tribes of Indians and are now among the Foxes and flat heads and have found them perfectly peaceable - not only peaceable but they have been a very great assistance to emigration in general in selling them horses…deer skins…"
We offered another letter (sale 41 lot 466) written by William Stackpole datelined the same "Fort Hall, July 20th, 1849" and sent almost a year later with manuscript "G.S.L.C. Cal., July 11/50" postmark (Utah Territory) and matching "40" rate, and mentions the sending of the letter…"We have just arrived here and as an opportunity is now offered to send letters to the States by the Government Express.".
Realized: $8,500
Lot
1034
1897 (Jan. 7) Wuhu, China To Canton, Ohio, cover bearing Wuhu 1896, 1c. blue local, slightly rough perfs, tied by blue "Wuhu, 7 - Jan. 97" cds and with additional strike on reverse, addressed to "Hon. Maj. William McKinley" who was the president elect at this time, reverse with additional strike of Wuhu cds and red "Shanghai Local Post, JA 8 '97" cds, entered Japanese post with Japan 1896, 5¢ deep ultra, tied by blue "Shanghai, I.J.P.O., 11 Jan 97" cds; Yokohama (1.16) transit backstamp, cover with two small fumigation slits, San Francisco (2.5) and Canton (2.11) arrival backstamps; hint of toning most likely from fumigation, Very Fine. Scott No. Wuhu #47, Japan #88 Estimate $3,000 - 4,000.
A VERY RARE WUHU LOCAL POST STAMP USAGE TO THE PRESIDENT ELECT WILLIAM MCKINLEY.
Realized: $7,500