Sale 1066 — The Wildhorse Collection of U.S. Revenues and Encased Postage
Sale Date — Monday, 24 March, 2014
Category — Civil War Encased Postage
Ayer's Cathartic Pills, Lowell Mass., 1c Blue, Short Arrows (EP2). Stamp well-positioned and mica intact with just some trivial crazing at bottom, original silvering on back, Very Fine and choice
Ayer's Cathartic Pills, Lowell Mass., 3c Rose, Long Arrows (EP3). Stamp with fresh bright color, mica with small imperfection near bottom, minor bit corrosion on back, Very Fine appearance, with 2007 P.F. certificate mentioning only the mica flaw
Take Ayer's Pills, 1c Blue (EP8). Retains large part of original silvering on reverse, slight stamp bends and trivial mica flaw bottom right, Very Fine, ex Summit, with 2007 P.F. certificate
Take Ayer's Pills, 1c Blue (EP8). Retains most of original silvering on reverse, slight stamp bends and trivial mica flaw top, Very Fine
Take Ayer's Pills, 3c Rose (EP9). Bright stamp color and choice centering in the case, slight bends, beautifully intact mica, Very Fine and choice, with 2007 P.F. certificate
Ayer's Sarsaparilla, Lowell Mass., 1c Blue, Medium "Ayer’s" (EP13). Stamp with rich color with attractive case, small bit of mica crazing, Very Fine, with clear 2007 P.F. certificate
Ayer's Sarsaparilla, Lowell Mass., 1c Blue, Small "Ayer’s" (EP13a). Deep rich stamp color, case is golden brown, tiny bit of corrosion on reverse, intact mica, still Very Fine, with clear 2005 P.F. certificate
Ayer's Sarsaparilla, 3c Rose, Medium "Ayer's" (EP15). Excellent stamp color, some mica cracks and laminations, Very Fine, ex Summit
Ayer's Sarsaparilla, Lowell Mass., 3c Rose, Medium "Ayer’s" (EP15). Stamp with rich color and just some minor wrinkling, beautiful case and intact mica, fresh and Very Fine, with 2000 P.F. certificate
Ayer's Sarsaparilla, Lowell Mass., 3c Rose, Large "Ayer's" (EP15b). Stamp with vivid color, well-centered in case which has wonderful rich color, small mica crack at bottom, Very Fine, with clear 2000 P.F. certificate
Ayer's Sarsaparilla, 10c Green, Medium "Ayer's" (EP17). Stamp centered, case with lovely brown color, small mica fault at top, Very Fine and scarce, 16-20 reported in Reed census, ex Summit
Joseph L. Bates, Boston, 1c Blue, "FANCYGOODS" One Word (EP26). Stamp nicely centered, small mica fault at bottom, Very Fine and scarce with only 16-20 reported in Reed census, this is the only example contained in Power Search, ex Summit
Brown's Bronchial Troches, 3c Rose (EP32). Stamp with slight wrinkling, dark case color, intact mica, Very Fine, ex Walton (Stack's Oct. 1963)
Brown's Bronchial Troches, 10c Green (EP34). Wonderful deep rich color with fair amount of original silvering on reverse (called traces on accompanying certificate), Extremely Fine, a choice example, ex Summit, with 2008 P.F. certificate
Burnett's Cocoaine Kalliston, 1c Blue (EP44). Rich stamp and case colors, intact mica, Very Fine
Burnett's Cocoaine Kalliston, 5c Red Brown (EP46). Stamp nicely positioned and with rich color, mica is clear and intact, just the slightest corrosion on back at bottom right, Very Fine, nice quality for this
Burnett's Cocoaine Kalliston, 10c Green (EP47). Slight mica flaws, reverse shows some original silvering, some spotty black discoloration on obverse rim and reverse, Fine, ex Summit
Burnett's Standard Cooking Extracts, 1c Blue (EP52). Minor wrinkling and soiling, small mica fault at bottom, Very Fine, ex Summit
Burnett's Standard Cooking Extracts, 3c Rose (EP53). Rich stamp color and precise placement, slight wrinkling, mica intact with only a few tiny cracks, Very Fine
H. A. Cook, Evansville Ind., 10c Green (EP65). Stamp with rich color, case intact, a few mica faultsFINE APPEARING AND RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT H.A. COOK ENCASEMENT. ONLY 5-CENT AND 10-CENT DENOMINATIONS WERE ISSUED BY THIS EVANSVILLE, INDIANA, DRY GOODS MERCHANT.
Henry A. Cook was one of John Gault's earliest customers. The 10c is the more available of the two Cook encasements, but still only 11-15 are reported in the Reed census.
Ex Summit.
Dougan, Hatter, New York, 3c Rose (EP67). Mica in excellent condition with only tiny imperfections, small stamp edge fault, the reverse is beautiful and looks almost like a proof strikeVERY FINE AND RARE EXAMPLE OF THE DOUGAN 3-CENT "TOP HAT" ENCASEMENT. BETWEEN ELEVEN AND FIFTEEN ARE RECORDED IN THE REED CENSUS.
John A. Dougan sold his hats from a store located at 102 Nassau Street in New York City. The advertising legend on Dougan’s encasements depicts a men’s top hat, making them among the most distinctive and desirable of encased postage stamps. Dougan’s store and $5,000 worth of goods were destroyed in a fire on December 12, 1878 (New York Times archive).
Ex Summit. With clear 2008 P.F. certificate
Drake's Plantation Bitters, 1c Blue (EP70). Stamp well-positioned, rich color, mica intact and reverse with small part of original silvering, Extremely Fine, ex Summit
Drake's Plantation Bitters, 3c Rose (EP71). Stamp with good color and mica intact, well-struck and pretty "brassy" reverse, Extremely Fine, ex Summit, with 2008 P.F. certificate
Drake's Plantation Bitters, 10c Green (EP73). Deep rich stamp color, intact mica, Extremely Fine, ex Walton (Stack's Oct. 1963)
Drake's Plantation Bitters, 30c Orange (EP76). Stamp with strong color and positioned a bit to left, slight soiling, minor mica lamination, the case is a lovely olive brown shade and in excellent conditionVERY FINE. THIS IS AMONG THE FINEST OF THE FEWER THAN FIVE REPORTED SURVIVING EXAMPLES OF THIS 30-CENT DRAKE'S PLANTATION BITTERS ENCASED POSTAGE STAMP.
Col. Patrick H. Drake and Demas Barnes formed a partnership sometime around 1862 to manufacture and market Drake’s Plantation Bitters. Their partnership ended in 1867, and Plantation Bitters was sold thereafter by P.H. Drake & Co. The digestive aid — made with 38% alcohol — was sold in a distinctive log cabin-shaped bottle. This bottle design was patented in 1862, and Plantation Bitters was one of more than 40 cabin-shaped bitters bottles produced by various makers.
Ex Ford (where the stamp color was described as "typically faded," an opinion with which we disagree) and Summit
Gage Bros. & Drake, Tremont House, Chicago, 5c Red Brown (EP90). Stamp has beautiful rich color, slight crease, mica with a few trivial imperfections, the case is in excellent condition, Very Fine, ex Summit
J. Gault, 1c Blue (EP93). Stamp very well-positioned, rich color, slight mica lamination, case shows traces of original silvering, Very Fine and choice, ex Summit, Reed census reports 11-15 known
J. Gault, 3c Rose (EP95). Stamp with deep Brown Rose color, light bend, mica clear and intact (faint soiling in cross-lighting), the case is a beautiful light olive brown, Extremely Fine, rarely seen this nice, Reed census reports 11-15 known, ex Ford and Summit
J. Gault, New York N.Y., 10c Green, Plain Frame (EP97). Stamp with rich color, mica intact, case a deep brown, Extremely Fine, with 2007 P.F. certificate
J. Gault, 10c Green, Ribbed Frame (EP97a). Couple tiny pinpoint punctures in mica, case in excellent condition, Very Fine, ex Summit
J. Gault, New York N.Y., 24c Violet, Plain Frame (EP99). Stamp with rich color, mica beautifully intact, case in excellent conditionEXTREMELY FINE. A CHOICE EXAMPLE OF THE 24-CENT GAULT ENCASED POSTAGE STAMP.
During the Civil War, in response to speculation and hoarding, all forms of coins — silver, gold and even copper-nickel — disappeared from circulation, making transactions of one or two dollars difficult. Postage stamps, with a face value good for a government service, helped fill the void, but the use of stamps as currency was impractical, because the paper and gum made handling difficult. Postage envelopes were printed to hold stamps, but these paper envelopes were also problematic. John Gault, seeing opportunity, filed his patent for a “Postage Stamp Case” on July 24, 1862. A few weeks later, on August 12, he was granted patent No. 1627. Gault’s “New Metallic Currency” was promoted through Horace Greeley’s Tribune and other newspapers, and they soon became not only a form of currency, but an advertising medium for merchants, hotels and other businesses.
With 2000 A.N.A. certificate
Hunt & Nash, Irving House, New York, 5c Red Brown, Ribbed Frame (EP108a). Stamp has rich color, reverse is exceptionally beautiful with bright golden color, small mica flaw at top and an even more trifling imperfection at bottom, otherwise Extremely Fine, ex Summit
Hunt & Nash, Irving House, New York, 12c Black, Ribbed Frame (EP110a). Stamp lightly toned and minor mica flaws, excellent encasement condition with a brightly colored reverseVERY FINE. ONLY TWO OR THREE OF THE 12-CENT IRVING HOUSE RIBBED-FRAME ENCASED POSTAGE STAMPS ARE KNOWN.
The Irving House was the only New York City hotel to order Gault’s encased postage. The “new” Irving House hotel, located on the corner of Broadway and 12th Street, advertised its “European Plan,” which allowed guests to pay a flat rate for the room, with additional charges for meals and other services. George W. Hunt took over as proprietor in 1862, and he brought in restaurateur Charles W. Nash to manage the food and catering services. Nash left in 1863 to open his own restaurant. The Irving House encasements have “Hunt & Nash” as the proprietors. Examples are known with ribbing and non-standard postage, indicating they were made very early in Gault’s production.
The Ford sale catalogue (Stack's 6/23/2004, lot 528) reports "two or three known" of the 12c Irving House with ribbed frame.
Ex Summit
Kirkpatrick & Gault, New York N.Y., 5c Red Brown (EP115). Stamp with rich color, some mica crazing, Very Fine, with 2007 P.F. certificate
Kirkpatrick & Gault, New York, 30c Orange (EP119). Stamp with rich shade suggestive of the Deep Orange seen on the 30c First Color (Scott 61), positioned with "Thirty Cents" well-framed by bottom edge of case (this encasement is usually not well-centered), small bit of soiling evident in cross light, tiny mica flaw at right, intact case with a brightly colored reverseVERY FINE. THIS KIRKPATRICK & GAULT ISSUE IS ONE OF THE FEW 30-CENT ENCASEMENTS WHICH EXIST IN ANY SORT OF COLLECTIBLE QUANTITY.
Joseph Kirkpatrick was a small-time munitions importer and president of the United States Dispatch Company in New York City. He became John Gault’s partner in the summer of 1862. According to research by Fred L. Reed III, Gault and Kirkpatrick probably met through a mutual business associate, William V. Barkalow. The Kirkpatrick & Gault encasements solicited “Applications for Advertising on this Currency” and gave the 1 Park Place address.
The Reed census assigns an R-6 rating to the 30c Kirkpatrick & Gault (16-20 known). With clear 2006 P.F. certificate
Lord & Taylor, New York, 3c Rose (EP122). Stamp has rich color, usual trivial mica irregularities, choice reverse showing original silvering (described as "traces" on accompanying certificate)EXTREMELY FINE. A VERY DESIRABLE EXAMPLE OF THE 3-CENT LORD & TAYLOR ENCASED POSTAGE STAMP.
Lord & Taylor was founded in 1826 by Samuel Lord, an immigrant from England, who started with capital borrowed from his wife’s uncle. Lord was soon joined by his wife’s cousin, George Washington Taylor, and they created the “department store” that remains one of the leading retailers of fashionable apparel. In 1862 there were three different stores in Manhattan, all of which are listed on their encased postage.
Ex Mayer and Summit. With 2008 P.F. certificate
Lord & Taylor, New York, 10c Green (EP124). Stamp superbly positioned showing full labels at top and bottom, mica shows only slight lamination in cross-lighting, sound case with the reverse in an attractive olive brown color, Extremely Fine, Reed census reports 16-20 known, ex Ford and Summit
Mendum's Family Wine Emporium, New York N.Y., 1c Blue (EP129). Stamp with deep rich color, case has rich olive brown color, mica has slight lamination, Very Fine, George Mendum was a wine merchant and retailer of other goods, such as cigars, pickles and luxury food items, his "family emporium," located at Broadway and Cedar Street, was primarily a drinking establishment, but Mendum cleverly offered other products to justify its "family" appeal.
North America Life Insurance Co., New York, 1c Blue, Straight "INSURANCE" (EP140a). Stamp with bright color, slight wrinkles, mica is clear with slight lamination visible in cross-lighting, the case with nearly full original silvering on the reverse, Extremely Fine, the equal of the Ford specimen, which also showed considerable silvering ex Summit
North America Life Insurance Co., New York, 3c Rose, Straight "INSURANCE" (EP141). Stamp with wrinkles, minor mica faults around edge, lovely case in an olive brown color, Very Fine, ex Summit
Schapker & Bussing, Evansville Ind., 3c Rose (EP156). Stamp with tiny toned spot, trivial mica flaws, attractive case with olive golden tone on the reverse, Very Fine, a choice example of this scarce encasement, ex Summit, with clear 2005 P.F. certificate, Schapker & Bussing was one of two firms in Evansville, Indiana, that ordered encased postage from Gault, the partnership between Bernard Schapker and John W. Bussing, both German immigrants and employees of Samuel Embich & Co., was started in 1860, their business was located on Main Street near the Ohio River, the firm prospered until the Panic of 1873 caused its failure
Schapker & Bussing, Evansville Ind., 5c Red Brown (EP157). Stamp has bright color, nice positioning with full denomination at bottom, minor mica flaws, case with pretty olive gold reverse, Extremely Fine, ex Summit, the 5c has a lower Scott value than the 3c but higher rarity rarity in Reed census, with 1987 P.F. certificate
Weir & Larminie, Bankers and Specie Brokers, Montreal, Canada, 10c Green (EP177). Stamp with deep rich color, centered with "U.S. Postage" and value tablet clearly visible, mica intact with some lamination at top and tiny flaw at bottom, case in a rich olive brown shadeEXTREMELY FINE. A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT WEIR & LARMINIE ENCASED POSTAGE. ONLY 20-30 ARE KNOWN.
The firm of Weir & Larminie was a private banking and specie broker in Montreal, Canada. William Weir, a Scottish immigrant, is a prominent figure in Canadian financial history. During the Civil War, Weir was the government official in charge of the U.S. silver coins brought into Canada to take advantage of the difference in the two country's specie exchange rates. According to numismatic historians, Weir's junior partner, G. H. Larminie, ordered the encased stamps during a trip to New York City. Since there was no need for coin substitutes in Canada, which was awash in silver U.S. coins, the order was apparently intended for promotional purposes. Surviving examples are extremely rare. Years after the war, Weir was involved in a banking scandal that resulted in his conviction.
With clear 2008 P.F. certificate