Lot
391 
Via Nicaragua/Ahead of the Mails, red boxed handstamp on buff cover to New York franked with 1851 12¢ black, diagonal bisect (well margined) tied by bold "New York" cds, cover with some wear, Very Fine and rare, ex-Stephen Brown. Scott No. 17a Estimate $5,000 - 7,500.
An extremely rare use of the 1851 12¢ bisect in combination with the "Via Nicaragua/Ahead of the Mails" handstamp.
During the period from 1853 to April 1855, bisected 12¢ 1851 stamps were used on mail from San Francisco to prepay the 6¢ over-3,000 miles rate to the East Coast. Upon arrival in New York, the bisects were either accepted or rejected. In this case, the New York office accepted the bisect as prepayment of the rate.
Realized: $4,000