Sale 1334 — The Dr. George Haikel Collection: Stamps and Covers of Exceptional Beauty and Rarity
Sale Date — Tuesday, 12 November, 2024
Category — St. Louis Postmaster's Provisional, 1847 Issue
St. Louis, Missouri, 10c Black on Greenish (11X2). Type III, Position 6, large margins all around, strong impression on fresh paper, bright color, without manuscript cancel and tied solely by red "St. Louis Mo. Feb. 3" circular datestamp, matching "PAID" handstamp and manuscript "10" on 1846 folded letter to the firm of Charnley & Whelan in Philadelphia
AN EXTREMELY FINE STAMP AND WONDERFULLY CHOICE 10-CENT ST. LOUIS "BEARS" PROVISIONAL COVER FROM THE FAMOUS CHARNLEY & WHELEN CORRESPONDENCE. ONE OF THE VERY FEW FOUR-MARGIN EXAMPLES TIED ON COVER WITHOUT A PEN CANCEL.
The St. Louis "Bears" were issued by Postmaster John M. Wimer from November 1845 until the first United States General Issue became available in July 1847. The stamps were issued in three denominations—5c and 10c at first and a 20c denomination later—and were sold at a premium over face value to pay the cost of printing.
USPCS census no. 21150. From our 1964 Rarities of the World sale (Sale 267, lot 22). With 1987 and 1996 P.F. certificates.
5c Dark Brown (1a). Horizontal pair, large even margins all around, original gum, small hinge remnant, deep rich color and proof-like early impression
EXTREMELY FINE. AN ABSOLUTELY STUNNING ORIGINAL-GUM PAIR OF THE 5-CENT 1847 ISSUE IN THE DARK BROWN SHADE FROM THE EARLIEST STATE OF THE PLATE. WITHOUT QUESTION ONE OF THE FINEST UNUSED MULTIPLES OF THE 5-CENT 1847 ISSUE.
5c 1847 multiples with original gum are rare, especially with a sharp early impression from the first printing. We regard this pair as one of the finest 5c 1847 original-gum multiples extant.
Ex Caspary as part of a reconstructed block of six. Ex Ishikawa as a pair—acquired by Dr. Haikel in the 1993 Christie's Robson Lowe sale of the Ishikawa collection. With 1993 P.F. certificate. The Scott value we quote has little relevance to the value of a multiple with an early impression.
5c Red Brown (1). Positions 91-92R, horizontal pair from the bottom left corner of the right pane with enormous interpane and bottom sheet margins, 6mm interpane margin at left and an amazing 13mm sheet margin at bottom, huge margins other sides, dark shade and intermediate impression, neat strikes of red grid cancels and part of matching town datestamp (only the letter "M" is visible, but probably Mobile, Alabama), tiny corner crease in extreme tip of the sheet margin
EXTREMELY FINE GEM. THIS IS THE FAMOUS "NORCROSS" PAIR, nAMED FOR AN EARLIER OWNER AND WIDELY CONSIDERED TO BE THE FINEST USED PAIR OF THE 5-CENT 1847 ISSUE IN EXISTENCE.
Ex Robert S. Emerson (Kelleher sale, Nov. 23, 1946), Arthur Norcross and Walter C. Klein. With 1975 and 2006 P.F. certificates.
5c Dark Brown (1a). Mostly large margins, full at bottom right, dark grayish shade and intermediate impression, tied by incredibly intense socked-on-the-nose red "East Bennington Vt. Jun. 15" (1849) circular datestamp on blue folded cover to D. A. Heald in Proctorsville, Vermont, the perfectly struck datestamp seems to "float" above the 5c 1847 stamp
EXTREMELY FINE. by virtue of the stunning east bennington red datestamp, THIS IS WIDELY REGARDED AS ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR DOMESTIC 1847 ISSUE COVERS IN EXISTENCE.
The USPCS census entry states: "According to Dr. Paul Abajian, the East Bennington P.O. moved around a bit, but during the 1847 period only existed between Jan. 28, 1848 and July 12, 1849, when it was renamed Bennington and the CDS was altered to remove 'East.'" We have seen thousands of 1847 Issue covers, but this stands out as one of the most visually compelling examples of a red datestamp used to cancel the postage stamp.
USPCS census no. 13819 (the same cover is listed as 13821). Ex J. W. Sampson, Lehman, Dick and Haas. Acquired by Dr. Haikel in our 1996 Rarities sale. With 1981 and 1982 P.F. certificates describing the color as "Blackish Brown" and 1996 P.F. certificate describing the color as "Dark Brown."
5c Red Brown (1). Large margins to just clear at top left, deep rich color, intermediate impression, tied by perfectly struck red "Burlington Vt. 24 Jun. 5" 5c integral-rate circular datestamp on small envelope to Miss Harriet Wood in Malone N.Y., impeccable handwriting
EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A GORGEOUS 5-cent 1847 COVER IN TERMS OF SHADE, CLARITY OF POSTMARK AND OVERALL EYE APPEAL.
USPCS census no. 13801 (the finest of nine from the Harriet Wood correspondence). Ex Krug and Rose. With 1999 P.F. certificate.
5c Red Brown (1). Horizontal pair, huge even margins all around, beautiful deep rich color and early impression, tied by four clear strikes of blue "PAID" straightline handstamp with matching "Louisville Ky. Aug. 30 10" (1848) 10c integral-rate circular datestamp on blue folded cover to Canal Bank in New Orleans
AN EXTREMELY FINE GEM PAIR AND ABSOLUTELY PERFECT COVER. ONE OF THE CHOICEST PAIRS OF THE 5-CENT 1847 ISSUE IN EXISTENCE.
USPCS census no. 1482. Ex Norcross, Rust, Dr. Kapiloff and "Sevenoaks". With 1998 P.F. certificate.
5c Red Brown (1). Large margins all around including part of adjoining stamp at left (small separation tear entirely in margin between stamps), rich color, intermediate impression, tied by bold strike of red 7-bar large open grid cancel, matching "Housatonic Railroad 5" in circle route agent's handstamp on blue folded letter datelined "Newark Fri. Ev" to Lee, Massachusetts
EXTREMELY FINE AND RARE HOUSATONIC RAILROAD 1847 ISSUE COVER WITH AN UNUSUALLY CLEAR STRIKE OF THE ROUTE AGENT'S DATESTAMP.
USPCS census no. 12475. Ex Dr. Chase, Ackerman, Hall, Hackmey, Gross and Sharrer. With 2000 and 2013 P.F. certificates.
5c Red Brown (1). Large margins, beautiful bright shade with strong reddish hue, cleaned-plate impression, tied by perfect strike of red grid cancel, matching and equally perfect strike of "Chicago Ill. 14 Sep." circular datestamp on blue folded cover to Oregon, Illinois, 1850 docketing on back
EXTREMELY FINE GEM STAMP AND COVER. ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLES OF THE 1847 ISSUE USED FROM CHICAGO WE HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED.
USPCS census no. 1218. Ex Newbury, Hart, Boker, Gross and Sharrer. With 2013 P.F. certificate.
5c Red Brown (1). Vertical pair, large even margins, beautiful bright shade and intermediate impression, tied by four overlapping strikes of red "PAID" straightline handstamp with matching "Charleston S.C. 10 Oct. 7" 10c integral-rate circular datestamp on blue folded cover to Philadelphia, from the Ludlow Beebee & Co. correspondence
EXTREMELY FINE GEM PAIR ON A PRISTINE COVER WITH PERFECTLY STRUCK CHARLESTON S.C. DATESTAMP AND QUADRUPLE "PAID" CANCELLATION.
USPCS census no. 13536. Ex "European Connoisseur" and Sharrer. With 2015 P.F. certificate.
10c Black (2). Horizontal pair, Positions 53-54L, incredibly huge margins all around showing parts of framelines of adjoining stamps at bottom and right, fine impression on bright paper, tied by two neat strikes of vibrant red grid cancel, matching "20" in circle rate handstamp and "Boston Mass. Nov. 23" circular datestamp on light blue folded cover to Ludlow Beebee & Co. in Philadelphia, circa 1849-50
EXTREMELY FINE. A PHENOMENAL PAIR OF THE 10-CENT 1847 ISSUE ON A FRESH COLORFUL COVER from the ludlow beebee & co. correspondence. ONE OF THE FINEST KNOWN MULTIPLES OF THIS STAMP USED ON COVER.
USPCS census no. 4046. Ex West, Brooks and "Sevenoaks". Small Ward backstamp. With 1998 P.F. certificate.
10c Black, Diagonal Half Used as 5c (2a). The lower left and upper right halves of the same stamp, Position 7R, ample to large margins except just touched at top right corner, intense shade and impression, well-tied across the cuts by blue grid cancels, matching "Gardiner Me." May 19 and May 20 circular datestamps on immaculate light buff envelopes to Brattleboro Vt., from the Evans correspondence in 1851
EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF FOUR RECORDED MATCHING DIAGONAL BISECTS FROM THE EVANS CORRESPONDENCE, OF WHICH ONLY THREE ARE AVAILABLE TO COLLECTORS. A BEAUTIFUL PAIR OF COVERS IN THE FINEST ATTAINABLE QUALITY.
In April and May 1851, a former U.S. senator from Maine, George Evans, wrote a series of letters to his wife in Brattleboro, Vermont. The 54-year-old distinguished politician, whom John Quincy Adams described as "one of the ablest men and most eloquent orators in Congress," paid the 5c postage with diagonal halves of the 10c stamps on hand from the issue of 1847. Perhaps his knowledge of current legislative acts made him aware that the recently passed Act of March 3, 1851, would reduce postage rates, and his 10c stamps would not fit the new 3c domestic rate, starting July 1. The post office in Gardiner, Maine, did not object to the senator's thrifty half-stamps, and each letter traveled 225 miles to Brattleboro, where the postmaster was equally accommodating.
About 80 years later, the Evans 1847 bisect covers were bought by a stamp dealer, H. A. Robinette. Details of his fortuitous purchase were provided by Ezra D. Cole in a Chronicle article published by J. David Baker in 1968:
"In the 1930s [Ezra Cole] rented a farm in West Brattleboro, Vermont... While there Ezra visited his friend Dana Stafford [who] invited him to attend several meetings of the Brattleboro Stamp Club. At one of them, who should appear but H. A. Robinette, the well-known Washington, D.C., dealer... Before [Robinette] left Vermont, he visited Ezra at his farm and showed him a package of covers, a package of twenty-eight 10c 1847 bisects postmarked Gardiner, Maine, addressed to Mrs. George Evans. As Ezra recalls, six or seven were damaged, torn or had parts of the bisected stamp missing, and he believes they were destroyed as they talked about destroying them. Ezra bought three matching pairs, six bisected covers for $600 a pair, and two other bisected covers for $250 each..."
Working with the USPCS 1847 census, we have verified 12 Gardiner, Maine, 10c bisect covers. Four have bisects that cannot be matched. Eight covers have bisects from four stamps. The dates and census numbers are:
1) 4/28 and 5/2 (#1984/1986), red grids, Gross collection (Sale 1211, lot 40)
2) 5/12 and 5/14 (#1989/1990), blue grids, last seen in a 1986 Frajola sale
3) 5/19 and 5/20 (#1991/1992), blue grids, offered here
4) 5/23 and 5/26 (#1993/1994), blue grids, Hirzel Collection, Swiss Museum of Communications
Since one set of pairs is in the Hirzel collection at the Museum of Communications in Switzerland, only three are available to collectors. In addition to these, there is a pair of matching diagonal bisects on covers from the Stilphin correspondence, and a pair of vertical bisects sold in the Gross U.S. Treasures sale.
USPCS census nos. 1991-1992. Illustrated in Anphilex 1996 exhibition catalogue (p. 38). Ex Rust (from our 1981 Rarities sale, where this pair realized $44,000), Garrett, Dr. Kapiloff (Sale 742, realized $49,500) and "Sevenoaks" (Sale 799, realized $47,500). Each with 1937 A.P.S. and 1998 P.F. certificate.