Sale 1188 — United States Stamp Treasures: The William H. Gross Collection
Sale Date — Wednesday, 3 October, 2018
Category — 12c 1851 Issue, including Multiples and Bisect
This superb sheet-margin block of nine of the 12¢ 1851 Imperforate--a block of extraordinary beauty, quality and rarity--passed from Caspary to Lilly, then to Ishikawa, and for the past 25 years has been one of the stellar items of the Gross collection and Grand Prix exhibitDESCRIPTION
12¢ Black (17), Positions 3-5/13-15/23-25L1, block of nine (three by three) with top sheet margin, full to large margins all around, original gum, seven lightly hinged, center and bottom right stamps Mint N.H., deep shade and sharp impression
PROVENANCE
* Alfred H. Caspary, H. R. Harmer sale, 1/16-18/1956, lot 525 (Ward claimed that Caspary bought this block in the 1917 Worthington sale, lot 109; however, based on the catalogue description, we question the accuracy of Ward’s statement)
* Josiah K. Lilly, Jr., Siegel Auction Galleries, 2/7/1968, Sale 327, lot 18
* Ryohei Ishikawa, Christie’s Robson Lowe sale, 9/28-29/1993, lot 184 to William H. Gross
CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES
* Mortimer L. Neinken, The 1851-57 Twelve Cent Stamp, p. 63
CERTIFICATION
* The Philatelic Foundation (1993)
CONDITION NOTES
* Extremely Fine block; left vertical row has faint vertical crease described in 1956 Caspary sale as “invisible” and in 1966 Lilly sale as a “natural vertical wrinkle”--obviously of no significance and not mentioned on accompanying certificate
VIEW PDF OF HISTORY AND COMMENTARY at https://siegelauctions.com/2018/1188/41.pdf
One of the most beautiful 1851-56 Imperforate Issue covers extant, with a perfect sheet-margin block of five of the 12¢ 1851 paying the double rate to Württemberg via the Prussian Closed Mail routeDESCRIPTION
12¢ Black (17), Positions 71/81-82/91-92R1, block of five from the lower left corner of the right pane of Plate 1 with large part of interpane margin at left, large to ample margins all around, intense shade and proof-like impression on bright white paper, lightly cancelled by grids and tied by “Wheeling Va. Feb. 4” (1857) circular datestamp on buff cover to Württemberg, Germany, addressed to the district court in Horb am Neckar, double 30¢ Prussian Closed Mail rate with sender’s route directive “Per Prussian Closed Mail”, red “N. York 14 Am. Pkt. Paid Feb. 7” 14¢ credit datestamp--carried on the Havre Line’s Arago from New York on February 7, arriving in Southampton on February 20--entered Prussian mail system at Aachen with red “AACHEN 21/2 FRANCO” (Feburary 21) framed transit datestamp, back of cover with Stuttgart (February 23) and Horb (February 24) transit and receiving datestamps, additional part strike of German transit backstamp (February 23)
PROVENANCE
No record of this cover has been located prior to 1983, when it was acquired from a European source by Duane B. Garrett and certified by The Philatelic Foundation
* Christie’s Robson Lowe sale, 10/30/1986, lot 329, to Zoellner
* Robert Zoellner, Siegel Auction Galleries, 10/8-10/1998, Sale 804, lot 92, to William H. Gross
CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES
* ANPHILEX 1996 Invited Exhibits (Zoellner)
CERTIFICATION
*The Philatelic Foundation (1983)
CONDITION NOTES
* Extremely Fine block and flawless cover; small scissors-cut between two stamps
* Small red “ALCURI” backstamps (Paul J. Alcuri, Great Britain)
VIEW PDF OF HISTORY AND COMMENTARY at https://siegelauctions.com/2018/1188/42.pdf
This 12¢ 1851 bisect used on a dual green-and-red cameo cover with the “Via Nicaragua” and “Steam Ship” markings is uniquely spectacularDESCRIPTION
12¢ Black, Diagonal Half Used as 6¢ (17a), top right diagonal half, large margins, affixed by sender with sealing wax for security, tied across the cut by clear “STEAM/SHIP” two-line handstamp applied at the New York City post office on buff cover to Major Daniel Hudson on Shelter Island, New York, green cameo corner card on front and red cameo card on backflap, the green card on front reads “George Hudson, Counsellor at Law, San Francisco, Cal.” and the red on back reads “George Hudson, Counsellor at Law & Commission of Deeds, 13 Beekman St., New York”, sender’s manuscript “Paid” notation, bold oily red strike of “VIA NICARAGUA/AHEAD OF THE MAILS.” two-line framed handstamp, undated but probably originated in San Francisco in August 1853 since the bisect was accepted by New York post office, which started marking covers with bisects postage due with the mail no later than on September 25
PROVENANCE
* John McKnight Storrow (collection sold privately to Colonel Edward H. R. Green for $77,500, circa 1920)
* Col. Edward H. R. Green (Storrow collection), Harmer, Rooke sale, 5/26-28/1943, lot 105
* William L. Moody III, H. R. Harmer sale, 11/27/1950, lot 183, to Jessup
* Edgar B. Jessup (inherited by Pearce)
* Basil C. Pearce (Jessup’s son-in-law; inherited and sold privately)
* Dr. W. Scott Polland (bought privately from Pearce; sold privately to Haas, 1969)
* Marc Haas (bought privately from Dr. Polland, September 1969; collection sold privately to Stanley Gibbons International, 1979; the cover sold privately to Grunin, 1980)
* Louis Grunin, Christie’s Robson Lowe sale, Part One, 3/25/1987, lot 74, to Ishikawa
* Ryohei Ishikawa, Christie’s Robson Lowe sale, 9/28-29/1993, lot 203, to Hackmey
* Joseph Hackmey (collection sold privately to William H. Gross, 2010)
CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES
* Lester G. Brookman, United States Postage Stamps of the 19th Century, Vol. I, p. 180
* Jesse L. Coburn, Letters of Gold, p. 112
* Richard B. Graham, “Postal History and Stamps: A Colorful Combination, 1847-1861,” American Philatelist, November 1978
* Jonathan W. Rose, Classic United States Imperforate Stamps, p. 88
* Scott R. Trepel, “United States Classic Covers” (special color feature for AMERIPEX 1986), Chronicle 130, May 1986
CERTIFICATION
* The Philatelic Foundation (1993)
CONDITION NOTES
* Extremely Fine; cover with sealed tear in return address on backflap
VIEW PDF OF HISTORY AND COMMENTARY at https://siegelauctions.com/2018/1188/43.pdf