Sale 1326 — 2024 Rarities of the World
Sale Date — Thursday, 27 June, 2024
Category — Stampless Markings
HAWKINSVILLE GA, MAR 30. Clear strike of fancy red serrated circle handstamp with negative lettering and manuscript "25" rate on 1833 folded letter to Bozrah Conn., faint vertical file fold does not affect marking, some slight overall soiling
EXTREMELY FINE STRIKE AND THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THIS REMARKABLY DETAILED NEGATIVE WOODCUT CIRCLE FROM HAWKINSVILLE, GEORGIA. ONE OF THE MOST ELABORATE TOWN MARKINGS IN EXISTENCE.
This large-size handstamp has a serrated rim on the inside and outside, intricately carved acanthus leaves between the town name and state abbreviation, and the month also set in negative lettering. It is not only distinctive in design, it is represented by this sole reported example.
Ex Dr. Johnson.
Hartland Mich. Sep. 23. Circular datestamp on buff cover with bold strike of illustrated "Paid 3" in circle, depicting a man holding up and apparently painting a sign with the lettering, manuscript "Paid 3", also "52" of unknown meaning, addressed to Dansville N.Y., slightly reduced at right and some overall soiling and minor corner nicks, an incredible and rare illustrated "Paid" marking, the Hartland post office was the source of a few creative postal marking designs, ex Meroni and Lehman
U.S. Naval Lyceum. Absolutely perfect strike of oval handstamp with full-rigged sailing ship, shows every detail of the remarkable woodcut, on folded letter datelined "Kingston May 26, 1845", to "Dr. Thomas M. Potter, U.S. Frigate Raritan, Rio Janeiro", albino strike of "FREE" handstamp alongside manuscript "150" rating
EXTREMELY FINE. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION ONE OF THE FINEST STRIKES OF THE "U.S. NAVAL LYCEUM" THREE-MASTED FULL-RIGGED SHIP OVAL HANDSTAMP. THIS STRIKE SHOWS EVERY DETAIL OF THE INTRICATE DESIGN.
The oval handstamp depicting a full-rigged ship was applied to mail forwarded to naval personnel from the U.S. Naval Lyceum in Brooklyn at no additional charge. It is known used in conjunction with U.S. stamps and other postal markings, as well as independently for letters carried outside the mails, as was the case with this cover. Most of the known strikes are blurry or incomplete.
With 2009 P.F. certificate.
By Steamer Rapides. Perfect strike of illustrated packetboat design on 3c Red on Buff Nesbitt entire to New Orleans, cancelled by bold "STEAM" handstamp, light strike of red "New Orleans La. Dec. 20" circular datestamp, from the Buchannon Carroll correspondence with usual small filing holes
EXTREMELY FINE STRIKE OF THE RARE STEAMER RAPIDES NAME-OF-BOAT HANDSTAMP. ONE OF THE MOST DETAILED ILLUSTRATED AMERICAN POSTAL MARKINGS.
The Rapides was a wooden-hull side-wheel packetboat, built in New Albany Ind. in 1855. Originally built for C. J. Barston of Rapides Parish La., she plied the waters between New Orleans and Donaldsonville up to 1856, then later between New Orleans and Shreveport before being used by the Confederacy after 1861. The marking used on mail carried by the Rapides is an incomparable depiction of a Mississippi steamboat among handstamps of the period. Our Levi records contain six genuine covers with the pictorial Steamer Rapides handstamp. The clarity of five of the six strikes suggests that the marking was appreciated in its own time and applied very carefully.
Ex Hall.