Sale 1297 — United States Stamps
Sale Date — Tuesday-Thursday, 31 October-2 November, 2023
Category — Postmasters' Provisionals
Baltimore, Maryland, 5c Black on Bluish (3X3). Position 6, ample margins showing frameline on two sides, tied by manuscript "X" cancel, blue "PAID" handstamp and matching "Baltimore Md. May 5" (1846) circular datestamp on folded letter to Upper Marlboro, manuscript "Paid" and "5" rate at top right, vertical file fold well clear of stamp
VERY FINE AND DESIRABLE EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT BALTIMORE POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ON BLUISH PAPER TIED ON COVER.
USPCS census no. 20156. No. 17 in the Hayes census. With 1970 (copy) and 2017 P.F. certificates.
Brattleboro, Vermont, 5c Black on Buff (5X1). Position 6, full margins to just in at a couple points on sides, cancelled solely by red "PAID" handstamp cancel, vertical crease ending in a small tear at top, small thin at bottom
FINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE SCARCE BRATTLEBORO POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL.
The USPCS census records 57 examples of the Brattleboro, Vermont, Postmaster's Provisional (37 off cover and 20 stamps on 19 covers). Four off-cover stamps recently emerged after decades off the market. Most of the known examples have faults, ranging from thins to creases and repairs.
USPCS census no. 23101. With 2019 P.F. certificate.
New York N.Y., 5c Black, Without Signature (9X1e). Position 29 with double transfer, unused (no gum), full margins all around, detailed impression
VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A BEAUTIFUL UNUSED EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT NEW YORK POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL WITHOUT SIGNATURE, AND WITH A DOUBLE TRANSFER.
The New York postmaster's provisionals are normally found with the signed initials of the postmasters, which was used as a control. For collectors of unused stamps, this is an annoyance, as the signatures obscure part of the design. The 9X1e stamps without signature are thus especially desirable to collectors of unused stamps. We have offered only one sound example with gum (realized $22,000 hammer in our Frelinghuysen sale). Sound examples without gum are also very rare.
With 1974 and 2007 P.F. certificates.
New York N.Y., 5c Black, "ACM" Initials (9X1). Full margins all around, faintly cancelled in red at bottom left corner, Extremely Fine, with 1991 P.F. certificate
New York N.Y., 5c Black, "ACM" Initials (9X1). Ample margins to just clear, neat blue pen stroke cancel, Very Fine, with 1993 P.F. certificate
Providence, Rhode Island, 5c & 10c Gray Black, Se-Tenant (10X2a). Positions 2-3 with large top right corner sheet margins, unused (no gum), fresh and Extremely Fine, SCV as original gum
St. Louis, Missouri, 5c Black on Greenish (11X1). Type II, Position 3, large margins to clear at top left, pen cancel, completely sound
FRESH AND very FINE. A CHOICE SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT ST. LOUIS "BEARS" PROVISIONAL ON GREENISH PAPER.
With 2019 P.S.E. certificate.
St. Louis, Missouri, 10c Black on Greenish (11X2). Type II, Position 4, full margins to touched at lower right, cancelled solely by red St. Louis circular datestamp, fine impression on greenish paper, small thin spot at top
VERY FINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT ST. LOUIS "BEARS" PROVISIONAL ON GREENISH PAPER, CANCELLED ONLY BY THE RED CIRCULAR DATESTAMP (WITHOUT THE USUAL PEN CANCELLATION).
The Scott Catalogue states "Values for used off-cover stamps are for pen-cancelled copies. Handstamp cancelled copies sell for much more." With 2019 P.S.E. certificate.
St. Louis, Missouri, 5c Black on Gray Lilac (11X4). Type III, Position 5, three large to clear margins, just into frameline at left, single vertical penstroke cancel leaves design clearly visible
FINE. A RARE SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT ST. LOUIS POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ON GRAY LILAC PAPER. ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL ST. LOUIS PROVISIONAL ISSUES.
The St. Louis Bear stamps were printed from a single plate of six subjects (two horizontal by three vertical) that was modified twice to change the denominations of two positions.
The original plate (First State) contained three 5c stamps at left and three 10c stamps at right. All stamps from the First State plate were printed on Greenish paper. The plate was then altered by burnishing out the "5" on Positions 1 and 3 and engraving a new "20" denomination (Second State). A small printing on Greenish paper was made from this Second State altered plate. 5c stamps (Position 5) and 10c stamps (Positions 2/4/6) on Greenish Paper cannot usually be identified as First State or Second State impressions (the 20c on Greenish paper is a great rarity).
The larger portion of stamps from the Second State plate are on Gray Lilac paper. However, because only one of six subjects was a 5c value, the 5c on Gray Lilac is an extremely rare stamp — perhaps even rarer than the 20c on Gray Lilac. The plate was modified again by burnishing out the "20" and engraving the old "5" denomination (Third State). At the time of this second alteration, a large ball was engraved inside the end curl of the numeral "5" on Position 5. As far as we know, all stamps from the Third Plate were printed on a very thin pelure paper. These were the last stamps used before the 1847 Issue was placed on sale in St. Louis.
St. Louis, Missouri, 10c Black on Gray Lilac (11X5). Type II, Position 4, large margins to full, pen cancel and also part of red St. Louis circular datestamp
VERY FINE. A LOVELY SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT ST. LOUIS POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ON GRAY LILAC PAPER.
With 2017 P.S.E. certificate.
St. Louis, Missouri, 10c Black on Gray Lilac (11X5). Type I, Position 2, ample margins to just in at bottom and top left, unusual impression with areas of doubling of the design caused by a "Slip Print", pen cancel and red St. Louis circular datestamp, small tear at bottom
FINE APPEARANCE. AN ATTRACTIVE EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT ST. LOUIS "BEARS" PROVISIONAL WITH AN UNUSUAL "SLIP PRINT" IMPRESSION.
With 1984 P.F. certificate stating "Genuine, Skid Impression" (we presume this is the same as "Slip Print").