Sale 1291 — United States Postal History
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 25-26 July, 2023
Category — 1870-88 Banknote Issues
Lot
Symbol
Photo/Description
Cat./Est. Value
Realized
244
30c Black, H. Grill (143). Horizontal pair, the left stamp has evident grill points at upper left, used with two singles 2c Red Brown, H. Grill (135) and single 24c Purple (153), the right 2c stamp has clear grill points, 24c straight edge at right, tied by circle of wedges cancels, partly clear strike of red Boston circular datestamp on 1871 printed Bissell correspondence cover to Ahmednuggur, India, printed "Via Southampton" directive, red crayon "72/4" credit for quadruple 22c rate (18c credit per rate), red crayon "4" British Colonial credit, red London Paid transit datestamp, Sea Post Office and receiving backstamps (Mar. 19, 1871), right 2c stamp tear at top, right 30c stamp minor corner crease, small cover tear at right and corner wearVERY FINE APPEARANCE. A STRIKING THREE-COLOR 1870 BANK NOTE ISSUE FRANKING TO INDIA, WITH 30-CENT AND 2-CENT GRILLED STAMPS. A COLORFUL COVER FROM THE BISSELL CORRESPONDENCE.
Ex Hirschfield and from our 1985 Rarities sale. Signed Bartels with his statement that the 2c and 30c stamps are grilled.
E. 1,500-2,000
0
245
24c Purple (153). Used with pair 10c Brown, (150), tied by segmented cork cancels, faint red Boston circular datestamp on 1871 printed Bissel correspondence cover to Ahmednugger, India, "Via Southampton" directive at bottom, red crayon "36/2" double-rate credit with "2" British Colonial credit, red London Paid transit datestamp (Oct. 23, 1871), Sea Post Office and receiving backstamps, right 10c stamp with faults from placement at edge, cover with minor corner wear, otherwise Fine, double the 22c rate by British Mail via Southampton
E. 400-500
0
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30c Black (154). Horizontal pair, this was in the Braus collection and our 1985 Rarities sale as the Grilled issue No. 143, and 1969 P.F. certificate states that as well but we are hard pressed to find more than a single point so offered as the ungrilled No. 154, used with 24c Purple (153), tied by bold circle of wedges cancels, red "Boston Paid Feb. 24" circular datestamp on Bissell correspondence cover to Ahmednuggur, India, sender's routing "Via Brindisi", red crayon "72/3" credit, red London Paid transit datestamp, Sea Post Office and receiving backstamps, minor cover corner wrinkling, Very Fine and scarce high-value franking for triple 28c rate, ex Braus and from our 1985 Rarities sale, with 1969 P.F. certificate stating 30c Grilled No. 143
E. 1,000-1,500
0
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30c Gray Black (165). Used with pair of 12c Blackish Violet (162), tied by segmented cork cancels, faint red "Boston Paid Dec. 1" (ca. 1875) circular datestamp on Bissell correspondence cover to Ahmednugger, India, red crayon "220/2" credit (44c expressed in centimes for double rate, applied in according with GPU/UPU requirements), red London Paid transit datestamp, Sea Post Office and receiving backstamps, fresh and Very Fine, double 27c rate by British Mail via Brindisi, from our 1988 Rarities sale
E. 500-750
0
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15c Yellow Orange (163). Horizontal pair, used with 6c Dull Pink (159) and tied by two clear strikes of New York Foreign Mail Geometric cancel, red "New York Paid Sup. Dec. 4" Type E Supplementary Mail (1875) circular datestamp on cover to Montpellier, France, boxed "P.D." handstamp, blue crayon "2" for double-weight, carried on North German Lloyd steamer Hermann, arriving Southampton Dec. 16, couple shortish perfs at top of left 15c stamp from placement near edge, cover reduced at left, Very Fine, scarce combination for double 9c rate with two-times premium for Supplementary Mail, ex Noel
E. 1,500-2,000
0
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10c Brown (161). Cork cancel, matching "Des Moines Ioa. Oct. 11" (1875) circular datestamp on cover with embossed initial "B" faintly addressed to Yeddo (Tokyo), Japan, sender's directive "Care of U.S. Legation", attempted routing through San Francisco, but underpaid for the 15c treaty rate to Japan (in effect for one year in 1875), "San Francisco Cal. Oct. 21" circular datestamp and "T" in circle due handstamp, re-routed through New York with "New York Br. Transit Oct. 28" backstamp, sent via Great Britain with manuscript "1/6" due marking and red "London AV NO 8 75" backstamp, ultramarine "Hong-Kong Marine-Sorter Singapore-to Hong-Kong DE 13 23 75" double-circle datestamp on back and matching COLONY'S SHARE OF FINE 1" with "1" (pence) in blue crayon which is also used to add 1p to 1sh6p due for a stated total of "1/7", manuscript "due 38 cts" marking equals 1sh7p due which was presumably paid by U.S. consul, 4s internal postage to Tokyo was paid with Japan, 1875, 4s Green on Foreign Wove Paper (42), Syllabic 3, tied between perfs at right by single ring cancel, "Yokohama A JA 3 76" backstamp, opening tear at top, otherwise Fine, a rare cover that was recently described in an article on similar covers by Philp Kaye (London Philatelist, Jan.-Feb. 2023)
Image 2
E. 1,000-1,500
0
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10c Brown (150). Bright shade and remarkably fresh, tied by clear strike of blue "PACIFIC MAIL S.S. CO." straightline handstamp with matching "SHIP" handstamp on cover to Jonathan A. Bingham, Minister Plenopotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary in (Tokyo) Japan, sender's note "Mr. Charles F. Powell", lightly cleaned and refolded at top, Very Fine, only a few covers are known with these markings, which were applied to letters carried privately by the Pacific Mail Steamship Co. to Japan, the 10c postage was required even though they never entered the U.S. mail, illustrated in Frajola-Perlman-Scamp book (p. 176), ex Dr. Spicer
E. 750-1,000
0
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10c Brown (150). Bright shade and remarkably fresh, tied by clear strike of blue "PACIFIC MAIL S.S. CO." straightline handstamp on cover to Henri Denison, care of Jonathan A. Bingham, U.S. Legation in Tokyo, Japan, -- carried on PMSS Colorado, arriving at Yokohama Nov. 26, 1874, entered Japan post office with Yokohama (Nov. 27) and Tokyo datestamps on back -- forwarding notations in Japanese characters, "28th Nov/74" receipt docketing, Very Fine, only a few covers are known with these markings, which were applied to letters carried privately by the Pacific Mail Steamship Co. to Japan, the 10c postage was required even though they never entered the U.S. mail, this cover is one of two reported which entered the Japanese mails, illustrated in Frajola-Perlman-Scamp book (p. 75), with 1996 P.F. certificate
Image 2
E. 1,000-1,500
0
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10c Brown (150). Bright shade and remarkably fresh, tied by bold strike of blue "PACIFIC MAIL S.S. CO." straightline handstamp with matching "SHIP" handstamp on cover from Eli T. Sheppard to U.S. Minister Bingham in Tokyo, Japan, sender's initials "E.T.S.", "Russell & Co. Shanghai China" embossed oval on back, receipt docketing "Sheppard, Ansd 11 Sep 76 c/o Jas Negley, Shanghai, Japan B" in Bingham's hand, small part of backflap missing and flap tears extend to top edge, otherwise Very Fine, only a few covers are known with these markings, which were applied to letters carried privately by the Pacific Mail Steamship Co. to Japan, the 10c postage was required even though they never entered the U.S. mail, in our opinion this was carried to Japan by a PMSS steamer well before it was answered by Bingham in September 1876, with 1996 P.F. certificate
E. 500-750
0
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10c Brown (161). Pair and single tied by crossroads cancels, magenta "San Francisco Cal. Paid Jun. 15" (1875) circular datestamp on cover to Tokyo, Japan, manuscript directive "Per Steamer 'Colorado'", "Ammon, Caspari & Co. San Francisco Jun. 14, 1875" blue oval datestamp on back, Yokohama receiving backstamp (Jul. 9), small opening tear at bottom right corner, Very Fine, a rare double 15c treaty rate cover, this rate was in effect for one year in 1875
E. 500-750
0
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3c Green (158). Used with 1c Ultramarine (156) and 2c Red Brown (157), originally franked with 1c and three 3c stamps for 10c rate on American Association for the Advancement of Science (F. W. Putnam) corner card cover to Benjamin Smith Lyman in Yokohama, Japan, tied by cork cancels with "Salem Mass Feb. 19" (1875) circular datestamp, the rate was increased to 15c in Jan. 1875, so marked "Due 5c" and held for postage, the 2c and 3c stamps were affixed overlapping the others and tied by cork cancels, Salem Feb. 21 datestamp struck over the earlier one, blue Yokohama receiving backstamp (Mar. 28), neat receipt docketing, Very Fine, scarce short-lived rate and unusual held-for-postage usage
E. 200-300
0
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5c Blue (179). Used with 10c Brown (161), tied by lightly struck target cancels, "Bedford Station N.Y. Jul. 7" (1876) circular datestamp on cover to Yokohama, Japan, red "New York 50 Jul. 8" 50-centimes credit datestamp, red London Paid datestamp (Jul. 19), red crayon used to cross out the "50" credit, re-rated "13" which is also crossed out and finally rated "1" but it is unclear to us exactly what was accepted or charged, "Hong-Kong Marine-Sorter Singapore-to Hong-Kong AU 20 28 76" double-circle datestamp on back, Yokohama receiving backstamp (Sep. 2), opening tear across cover at upper right, otherwise Fine, scarce and unusual routing through British mails
Image 2
E. 300-400
0
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5c Blue (179). Used with 10c Brown (161), tied by target cancels and "Buffalo N.Y. Aug. 27 3PM" (1875) circular datestamp on cover to Col. James Bassel, care of U.S. Consul at Yokohama, Japan, sender's directive "via San Francisco", Yokohama receiving backstamp (Sep. 26), forwarded to China as indicated by pencil docketing on back "Recd. Tientsin China, Oct. 17th 1875", slightly reduced at right, Very Fine, Bassel was in the Far East, following his short-lived service in the Khedive Ismail's army
E. 400-500
0
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2c Vermilion (183). Used with 3c Green (184), tied by "New-York Jan. 17 N" 1881 duplex datestamp and oval grid cancel on corner card cover to Benjamin S. Lyman in Yedo (Tokyo), Japan, red manuscript forwarding address to Calcutta, India, bold "Tokio Japan 4 Mar" and "Yokohama Mar. 5 1881" with star circular datestamp, backstamped New York, San Francisco, Yokohama (Mar. 4) and "Yokohama Paq. Fr. S No. 1 5 Mars 81" Ligne S octagonal datestamp -- carried on Menzaleh from Tokyo to Hong Kong -- Galle (Mar. 26) and Calcultta (Apr. 8) backstamps, Very Fine, rare use of French maritime datestamp on U.S. cover to Japan
E. 400-500
0
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5c Blue (185). Tied by blue cork cancel, matching "Zanesville O. Jan. 23" (1884) circular datestamp on cover to George V. N. Culbertson, U.S.S. Monocacy, at Yokohama, Japan, blue crayon "5", two strikes of "Yokohama Paid All" double-circle datestamp with Mar. 7 and 10 dates, postage due paid by Japan, 1876, 5s Brown (59), tied by circular cork cancels, roughly opened at right, 5c stamp creased at upper right, still Fine and attractive, scarce combination
E. 300-400
0
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4c Blue Green (211). Pair tied by quartered cork cancels with "North Andover Mass. Jul. 26, 1886" circular datestamp on 2c Red Brown entire to Niigata, Japan, forwarded with Japanese character notations, Japanese post office datestamps on front and back, partly clear Yokohama receiving backstamp, pencil receipt docketing dated Aug. 21, Very Fine, scarce use of 4c Jackson to Japan and rare with Niigata destination
E. 200-300
0
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5c Brown entire (U222). Mostly bold strikes of "Yokohama * Japan * 22 Nov. 1885" circular datestamp and "SHIP" handstamp, addressed to engineer on U.S.S. Ossipee at Yokohama, Japan, forwarded to Shanghai, slightly toned, otherwise Very Fine, rare use of these markings on inbound ship mail
E. 400-500
0
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