Sale 1304 — The Brian M. Bleckwenn Collection of United States First Issue Revenues
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 12-13 December, 2023
Category — First Issue Cancellations (Match, Medicine, Playing Companies), Cancellation Balances
4c Proprietary, Purple, Perforated (R22c). Three-line Type 1 printed "S.F.P.M. Co. 1869, S.F." cancellation of the San Francisco Percussion Match Co., trivial corner crease and trace of perf tip toning, Fine appearance, rare example of this provisional Match issue, Morrissey valuation "Q"
1c Proprietary, Red, Perforated (R3c). Printed three-line "S.R.V.D. Jan. 1868." cancel, used on complete box of "Superior Friction Matches Manufactured by S.R. Van Duzer" of New York City (flattened for display), stamp somewhat faulty, still Fine and rare complete matchbox with a provisional Match stamp, Selah R. Van Duzer opened his drug store in 1849 and produced Mrs. S. A. Allen's Hair Restorer, for which private die proprietary stamps were produced (RS249-RS250)
1c Proprietary, Red, Perforated (R3c). Bold "Benton's Pine Tree Tar Troches, 1868" printed illustrated boxed cancel, Fine and attractive, ex Bulkley
1c Proprietary, Red, Perforated (R3c). Double impression of "Benton's Pine Tree Tar Troches, 1868" illustrated boxed cancel, reinforced horizontal crease, Fine appearance
2c Proprietary, Blue, Perforated (R13c). Sharp "Benton's Pine Tree Tar Troches, 1868" illustrated boxed cancel, Fine, this cancellation is much scarcer on the 2c stamp than it is on the 1c stamp
2c Proprietary, Blue, Perforated (R13c). Crisp "Benton's Pine Tree Tar Troches, 1868" illustrated boxed cancel, Fine, this cancellation is much scarcer on the 2c stamp than it is on the 1c stamp
2c Proprietary, Blue, Perforated (R13c). Sharp "Benton's Pine Tree Tar Troches, 1868" illustrated boxed cancel, small faults including pinhole and short perfs, appears Fine, this cancellation is much scarcer on the 2c stamp than it is on the 1c stamp
2c Internal Revenue, Orange, Perforated (R15c). Bold "Benton's Pine Tree Tar Troches, 1868" illustrated boxed cancel, last two digits of the year nearly gone, pinhole at center, Fine, this cancellation is much scarcer on the 2c stamp than it is on the 1c stamp
Benton's Pine Tree Tar Troches Cancellations on First Issue Revenues. Two 1c Proprietary and one 2c Proprietary, each with illustrated "Benton's Pine Tree Tar Troches" boxed cancellation, Fine to Very Fine, this cancellation is particularly scarce on the 2c
4c Proprietary, Purple, Perforated (R22c). Black circular "F.B. Clock, Druggist and Chemist" illustrated cancel with balance and scales, Fine and attractive
2c Proprietary, Blue, Perforated (R13c). Printed type 2 five-line "Dr. Fitler's Carminative for Infants and Adults. Price 35 Cts." cancel, tiny thin, Fine appearance, this cancellation is believed to have been prepared by the firm of Wright & Siddall, Morrissey valuation "Q"
4c Proprietary, Purple, Perforated (R22c). Red five-line "John Moffat & Co's Genuine Vegetable Life Pills and Phoenix Bitters." printed cancel, Fine and rare, John Moffat began selling his bitters around 1835, and according to an 1863 New York Times article his medicines were "familiar to every household", this cancellation was applied in black to 1c Proprietary stamps and in red to the 4c
1c Proprietary, Red, Perforated (R3c). Three singles, each with five-line printed "John Moffat & Co's Genuine Vegetable Life Pills and Phœnix Bitters" cancellation, two with small faults, Fine appearing trio of stamps with this rare cancellation, Morrissey valuation "Q"
2c Proprietary, Blue, Perforated (R13c). Bold, sharp "Poland's Magic Powders" illustrated mortar and pestle printed cancellation, few trimmed perfs, Fine appearance, an attractive example of what is almost certainly the most famous printed cancel found on First Issue Revenues, Morrissey valuation "Q"
2c Proprietary, Blue, Perforated (R13c). Crisp "Poland's Magic Powders" illustrated mortar and pestle printed cancellation, Fine, an attractive example of what is almost certainly the most famous printed cancel found on First Issue Revenues, Morrissey valuation "Q"
2c Proprietary, Blue, Perforated (R13c). Sharp "Poland's Magic Powders" illustrated mortar and pestle printed cancellation, small thins, Fine appearance, an attractive example of what is almost certainly the most famous printed cancel found on First Issue Revenues, Morrissey valuation "Q"
2c Proprietary, Blue, Perforated (R13c). Sharp "Poland's Magic Powders" illustrated mortar and pestle printed cancellation, Fine, an attractive example of what is almost certainly the most famous printed cancel found on First Issue Revenues, Morrissey valuation "Q"
1c Proprietary, Red, Perforated, Silk Paper (R3d). Printed seven-line "Scovil's Worm Killer. Christie's Ague Balsam. Dr. Bicknell's Bitters. 1870" cancellation, stamp small faults and lightly oxidized, Very Fine appearance, a scarce printed cancellation on a 1c Proprietary on silk paper
H. Scovil Cancellations on First Issue Revenues. Four stamps including Type 1 cancellation on 1c Proprietary (3) and Type 2 cancellation on 4c Proprietary, all with small to moderate faults, still Fine appearing and scarce group, Morrissey valuation "O" for Type 1 and "Q" for Type 2
1c Proprietary, Red, Perforated (R3c). Bold "Walker & Taylor, Proprietors, W.B. Sloan's, Condition Powders, Horse Ointment, Family Ointment, Instant Relief, P.&B.'s Magic Oil, Irving's Pain Cure, 1866" printed cancel, fresh and Very Fine, scarce proprietary cancel, ex Bulkley
4c Proprietary, Purple, Perforated (R22c). Printed seven-line "Walker & Taylor, Proprietors of Brown's Vegetable Oriental Hair Renever, Dr. Weaver's Compound Extract of Firewood. 1866." cancel, color slightly faded and short perf at lower right, still Fine and rare, the seven-line Walker & Taylor cancel found on the 4c Proprietary is much scarcer than the 10-line cancel found on the 1c and 2c
Walker & Taylor Cancellations on First Issue Revenues. 15 stamps including Type 1 "1866" on 1c Proprietary (3), 2c Proprietary (4), and 4c Proprietary, Type 1 "1870" on 1c Proprietary (2), Type 2 on 1c Proprietary (4), and Type 3 on 4c Proprietary, small faults on most of the lower denominations and both 4c stamps damaged, still a Fine and scarce group
1c Proprietary, Red, Perforated (R3c). Two intact boxes of "Doct. Wilcox's Liver Pills", each with 1c Proprietary stamp attached, stamps faulty from application, still a Very Fine and rare pair of items which the manufacturer claims are "composed entirely of vegetable and the best Cathartic and Alteravive", additionally a tube of Lee's Blood and Nerve Pills with a 1¼c Battleship revenue
Proprietary Medicine Cancellations on First Issue Revenues. Approximately 73 items with proprietary medicine handstamps or printed cancellations, with companies including Seth Arnold, Costar's Bishop Pills, Hamlin Bros., Johnston, Holloway & Co., Joseph Burnett & Co., Lee & Osgood, Edward Wilder, and more, also two labels for "Dr. Seth Arnold's Indian Vegetable Sugar-Coated Bilious Pills" with 1c stamps attached, as well as original packaging for B.O. & G.C. Wilson's Salve, Costar's Bishop Pills, and Crisper Coma ("For Curling the Hair!"), some small faults to be anticipated but overall a wonderful lot for the specialist with many scarce-to-rare cancellations
1c Playing Cards, Red, Perforated (R2c). With "A.D. Feb 1863" (Andrew Dougherty) printed cancel on beautiful illustrated wrapper for "Great Mogul Cards", printed by Jones & Co. in London, wrapper with hinge reinforcements and stamp trace of perf toning, Very Fine and attractive
5c Playing Cards, Red, Perforated (R28c). Single with "J.J.L. Dec. 1862" printed cancel on reverse of illustrated "Super Eagles Polish'd Surface" playing cards, manufactured by John J. Levy in New York City, pencil "Best Euchre Pack", light creases and small tears to wrapper, Very Fine and attractive, the 5c stamp indicates that this deck of cards retailed for more than 36c
Playing Card Cancellations on First Issue Revenues. Approximately 53 stamps from companies including Andrew Dougherty, Samuel Hart & Co., Charles Bartlet, and Lawrence, Cohen & Co., additionally two wrappers from Samuel Hart and Charles Bartlet (both faulty), generally Fine to Very Fine, an attractive group with numerous combinations of dates and denominations sure to please the specialist
Imperforate First Issue Revenue Singles with Handstamped Cancels. Nine, including Nos. R1a, R19a, R32a, R41a, R42a, R67a, R72a (2) and R101a, all with large margins, last with "City Treasurer Boston" handstamp, Very Fine-Extremely Fine, Scott value $952
Perforated First Issue Revenue Singles with Handstamped Cancels. 47, excellent range of stamps and cancels, including R100c with Manchester Print Works, R77c with blue datestamp, several, other better with retail pricing to around $75, few with small faults, almost all with Extremely Fine strikes, a beautiful group
Cancellations on First Issue Revenues Balance. Approximately 100 stamps with a wide variety of different printed and handstamped cancellations, we note better including "J.P. Morgan" straightline on $1.00 Foreign Exchange, "L.T. Sparhawk, Artist" in oval, several Chinese chop marks, all-over advertising, variety of medicine cancellations, few better stamps including 3c Telegraph imperforate, and much more, mixed condition but most appear Fine to Very Fine, a wonderful group for the revenue specialist and worthy of close inspection
Cancellations on First Issue Revenues. Green Scott binder with homemade album pages, with sections for handstamped cancels and pen and ink cancels, including two R1a, R19a (2), R33a, R41a (2), R43a, R61a, R63a, R74a (2), R75a (2), R90a, R91a, some nice part perforated such as R17c (2), R45b, R77c (2), R79c (2), R80c, R97c, R98c, several other better, carefully selected for superior quality, cancels and condition, few small faults as inevitable for these issues, Very Fine-Extremely Fine, a wonderful group