Sale 1188 — United States Stamp Treasures: The William H. Gross Collection
Sale Date — Wednesday, 3 October, 2018
Category — 1c and 3c 1857 Issue Covers
One of three recorded covers with the Cumberland, Maine, printed precancellation--an outstanding classic cover and one of the most desirable of all precancellations from this early period of stamp useDESCRIPTION
1¢ Blue, Type V (24), perfectly centered, tied by printed “CUMBERLAND, ME./OCTOBER, 15” two-line precancel on yellow cover to “Superintending School Committee” in Pennsylvania with part-printed address and lines for town and county, “Paradise” and “Monroe” county completed in manuscript
PROVENANCE
* George B. Sloane, sold to Hollowbush in “Summer 1932” (note on back)
* Frank A. Hollowbush, John A. Fox sale, 10/13-14/1965, to Haas
* Marc Haas, Siegel Auction Galleries, 3/15/1983, Sale 615, lot 424, to Grunin
* Louis Grunin, Christie’s Robson Lowe sale, Part Two, 10/7/1987, lot 98, to Boker
* John R. Boker, Jr., Siegel Auction Galleries, 4/27/2004, Sale 875, lot 924, to William H. Gross
CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES
* Stanley B. Ashbrook, The United States One Cent Stamp of 1851-1857, 1938 edition, Vol. 2, fig. 42-E and 42-F, p. 94
CONDITION NOTES
* Extremely Fine cover with usual faint gum toning around perfs
* Signed “George B. Sloane, March 1932” with lengthy note about another example that was known before this was discovered
VIEW PDF OF HISTORY AND COMMENTARY at https://siegelauctions.com/2018/1188/45.pdf
This Valentine cover and matching original enclosure may justifiably be called the most beautiful example of 19th century Valentine postal usage extantDESCRIPTION
3¢ Dull Red, Type III (26), bright shade, tied by “Geneva N.Y. Feb. 13, 1858” circular datestamp on small cover to Miss Edith Holley in Niagara Falls, New York, gold-leaf and hand-colored Romeo and Juliet Valentine design with matching enclosure, a love poem in the same hand as address, immaculate condition
PROVENANCE
* Robert G. Kaufmann, 6/6/1985, Sale 40, lot 51, to Grunin
* Louis Grunin, Christie’s Robson Lowe sale, Part One, 3/25/1987, lot 83, to Jarrett
* David L. Jarrett, Siegel Auction Galleries, 3/25/2009, Sale 970, lot 55, to William H. Gross
CONDITION NOTES
* Extremely Fine--perfection
VIEW PDF OF HISTORY AND COMMENTARY at https://siegelauctions.com/2018/1188/46.pdf