Sale 1316 — United States Postal History
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 19-20 March, 2024
Category — 1869 Pictorial Issue thru Bank Note Issues
2c Brown (113). Used with 10c Green, F. Grill (96) and horizontal pair 15c Black, F. Grill (98), slightly overlapping, one 15c small tear at top and one with couple perfs affected by placement near edge, tied by grid cancels, "Jersey City N.J. Jun. 28" (1869) circular datestamp on yellow cover to Hong Kong, China, red "New York Paid All Jun. 29" circular datestamp struck on back and matching "32" credit handstamp, red London Paid datestamp (Jul. 9) and "1d" British Colonial credit backstamp, perfect strike of "Hong Kong Marine-Sorter Singapore-to-Hong Kong Au. 19/26 69" backstamp (Webb Ty. B-2), Aug. 25, 1869 receipt docketing on back
EXTREMELY FINE. AN OUTSTANDING 1868 GRILLED ISSUE AND 1869 PICTORIAL MIXED-FRANKING COVER TO HONG KONG, SENT BY BRITISH MAIL VIA MARSEILLES AND BEARING A PERFECT STRIKE OF THE HONG KONG MARINE SORTER BACKSTAMP.
According to the Webb book, the sorting of mail on board ship was first tried in 1857 and was found to speed the delivery of the mails on arrival in Hong Kong. The Governor of Hong Kong petitioned to make this a permanent position, but the scheme was not implemented. Seven years later, after the GPO decided that Hong Kong should assume greater responsibilities, the sorting plan was green-lighted. An official from the Hong Kong post office would meet the P&O steamer in Singapore and sort the mails during the trip to Hong Kong. The mails could then be delivered immediately on arrival or forwarded faster to their final destination outside of Hong Kong. The new service started with the arrival of mails at the end of July 1868. Mails were sorted between Singapore and Hong Kong, and another line was also established to sort mails between Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Ex Arch, Ainsworth and Stephen Rose.
2c Brown (113). Centered strongly to top, tied by grid with "Bloomington Ill. May? 30" circular datestamp on bright buff cover to Wilmington Del. with "Dr. E. Smiths, Patient Magnetic Inductor" illustrated design, depicting a man wrapped in wires and hooked to batteries, Very Fine and an extremely rare design which puts most patent medicine advertisements of the era to shame, according to the Oxford Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences, "a portable shock-producing electrotherapeutic device known as the medical battery (1870-1920), provided both direct and alternating current and was thought to cure a wide variety of ailments. The product occupied a unique space at the nexus of medicine, consumerism and quackery: it was simultaneously considered a legitimate device by medical professionals who practiced electrotherapeutics, yet identical versions were sold directly to consumers, often via newspaper advertisements and with cure-all marketing language." (https://academic.oup.com/jhmas/article/72/2/166/3073509)
3c Ultramarine (114). Tied by target cancel, "Minneapolis Min. Jan. 19" circular datestamp on cover with photograph of waterfall with embossed frame and "Minne Ha Ha" to St. Charles Ill., Very Fine, very unusual with the photograph on the cover, the embossing indicates this envelope was made specifically to hold the photo, with 2005 Sismondo certificate
10c Yellow (116). Used with 2c Red Brown (146) and two 3c Green (147), affixed slightly overlapping, tied by octagonal "Pleasanton Kans. Jan 17, 1871" datestamp on buff registered cover to Knightstown Indiana, docketing at left, small ink stain at bottom right edge is inconsequential, Very Fine and scarce combination of a mixed-issue franking and registered, from our 1989 Rarities sale, with 1983 P.F. certificate
10c Yellow (116). Horizontal pair, cancelled by segmented corks, "New Canaan Conn. Dec. 18" circular datestamp on cover to U.S.S. Delaware in Yokohama, Japan, sender's directive "Via Pacific R.R.", stamps with slight toning at edges, barely reduced at right, Very Fine, this was likely carried in 1869, the Delaware was back in New York by November 1870
6c Carmine (148). Used with 10c Brown (150), the 10c a replacement hinged in place but does have an "H" cancel that is likely from Hiogo, 6c tied by cork cancel, clear strike of "Yokohama Japan Jun. 22" (1872) circular datestamp on blue folded cover originating in Nagasaki, Japan, to London, England, blue oval "Van De Pol, Nagasaki" company handstamp struck on front and back, sender's directive "Via San Francisco" —carried on PMSS America, departing Yokohama Jun. 22, 1872, arriving San Francisco Jul. 13--red "PAID" in frame handstamp with blue crayon "16" indicating payment in cash for stamps applied at Yokohama, red "New York Jul. 24" datestamp, red "London A Paid 7 AU 72" datestamp
VERY FINE. A PHENOMENAL BANK NOTE ISSUE USE ON A COVER FROM NAGASAKI TO ENGLAND, SENT VIA THE UNITED STATES POST OFFICE IN YOKOHAMA.
The presence of the red "PAID" marking is significant. A reasonable scenario is the sender did not possess any stamps and paid 16c postage in cash. The "PAID" must have been applied by a forwarder or possibly by a consular/postal agent, and the "16" notation indicated how much was received. The stamps must have come from the Yokohama post office. At least one other is known with the red "PAID" marking. It bears 25 copies of 2c Red Brown (146) and is used in 1874 from Yokohama to Maine (Magnolia Part 1, Sale 1248, lot 2085). On that cover, the stamps were placed partly over the "PAID" marking.
Ex "Magnolia".
10c Brown (150). Horizontal pair, used with 2c Red Brown (146) and 6c Carmine (148), tied by circle of wedges cancel, red "New York 24 Mar. 8" (1871) 24c credit datestamp on blue folded cover to Cadiz, Spain, red London Paid datestamp (Mar. 20) also ties stamps, receiving backstamp, red "4" crayon credit marking, stamps barely affected from placement near edge of cover, Very Fine and colorful use paying the 28c rate by British Mail via France
30c Gray Black (165). Used with 1c Ultramarine (156) and two 10c Brown (161), 1c straight edge at left, tied by "New-York May 1 AM" (1877) duplex datestamp and oval grid on folded cover to Lima, Peru, sender's directive "Str Acapulco via Panama", various rate markings, back with Peru 20c and 30c Postage Due stamps (one torn), a Very Fine and colorful use
90c Rose Carmine (166). Bright shade, used with pair of 10c Brown (166), tied by "N.Y. Supplementary Mail Feb. 1 Paid" Type F (1879) duplex datestamp and oval grid cancel on large blue cover to Paris, France, red Calais arrival datestamp (Feb. 13), 90c stamp small edge tears at lower right, left 10c stamp surface scuff, some minor cover edgewear and tiny bleaching spots
VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE USE OF THE 90-CENT 1873 CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY ISSUE ON A SUPPLEMENTARY MAIL COVER TO FRANCE.
The $1.10 franking on this cover paid 11-times the 5c UPU rate (55c), doubled for Supplementary Mail, which allowed it to be processed in New York after the regular mails had closed. Of the small number of on-cover uses of the 90c 1873 Continental, this is among the most attractive and easiest to display, as it is not a wide courthouse cover.
Ex Braus. Illustrated in Chronicle 106 (1980 London Special Issue). Signed Ashbrook. Scott value $7,500 for 90c on cover.
2c Vermilion (183). Tied by "New York Aug. 25 10PM E 1879" duplex datestamp and affixed over pair of Cuba 25c stamps on folded cover to New York, second strike of marking at upper right, some slight wear, Very Fine and unusual use, the cover must have been delivered directly to the ship and so the Cuba stamps were not cancelled, the 2c stamp was affixed on arrival
3c Purple (221). Used with 1c Ultramarine (212), 4c Carmine (215) and 5c Indigo (216), tied by target cancels, "Paterson N.J. Feb. 28 6:30PM 1890" circular datestamp on 2c Green entire to Wellington, New Zealand, San Francisco and receiving backstamps, stamps with some toned perfs, entire with faint vertical crease at right, Fine appearance and scarce five-color franking to New Zealand, also the earliest documented use of the Scott 221, ex Markovits, Berkun and Dr. Johnson, with 2004 A.P.S. certificate
5c Chocolate (223). Intense color, cancelled by open grid, "Haddonfield N.J. Jun. 14, 1890" circular datestamp on cover to London, England, Philadelphia and receiving backstamps, fresh and Very Fine, this is the earliest documented use of Scott 223, the 4c and 5c were issued later than others in the series as their designs had not yet been finalized, ex Dr. Johnson
Cleveland to Norway, Sweden and Russia. 3c Green entire cancelled by "Cleveland Ohio Jul. 3 91" duplex and addressed to Thondhjeim, Norway, forwarded to Stockholm and then again to St. Petersburg, Russia, back of cover with range of Norway stamps and also Sweden stamps, wide range of transit and receiving markings, some slight wear, Very Fine and colorful use, with 2014 Obermüller-Wilén certificate