Sale 1110 — The Curtis Collection: U.S. Revenues, Part 2
Sale Date — Thursday, 1 October, 2015
Category — 1898 Spanish-American War Provisionals
1c Green, I.R. Overprint, Half Used as -1/2c (R154 var).Two diagonal bisects, tied by matching July. 14, 1898 blue double-oval datestamps on separate New York Plate Glass Insurance Company policies, first used with additional 1c and two 2c I.R. overprints (R154, R155), document reduced at bottom slightly affecting bisect, second is full document with pair of 2c stamps (R154), Very Fine, unlisted bisects, one of the provisional methods used to pay tax when the Bureau was unable to produce the new issue of revenue stamps for July 1898, ex Tolman
10c Dark Green, "I.R." Overprint (R157). Lightly cancelled, light diagonal crease at bottom left, small repair at top right adding a small portion of the design, otherwise Very Fine, with 1998 P.F. certificate
1c Dark Yellow Green, Chapman Overprint (R158A). Fresh color, neat "Jul. 17, 1898" handstamp cancel leaves overprint clearly visible, faint diagonal crease at bottom right, small tears at top left and bottom centerVERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE ONE-CENT CHAPMAN OVERPRINT. ONLY NINETEEN COPIES ARE RECORDED IN TOTAL. ONE OF THE GREATEST REVENUE RARITIES.
According to Scott Catalogue, the 1c Trans-Mississippi was overprinted by the Purvis Printing Company with federal government approval. They were ordered by L. H. Chapman of the Chapman Steamboat Line, which operated freight-carrying steamboats along the Erie Canal. Only 250 stamps were produced; additionally, 250 were printed reading "I.R./P.I.D. & Son", for P.I. Daprix & Son, which served different ports along the same waterway.
In his privately published census, Larry Lyons records fourteen used and one unused copies of Scott R158A. Our records contain two additional used and two additional unused, for a total of 19.
Owner's "CSY" backstamp. With 2002 P.F. certificate.