Sale 1106 — 2015 Rarities of the World
Sale Date — Thursday, 25 June, 2015
Category — Postmasters Provisionals
Baltimore Md., 5c Black on Bluish (3X3). Positions 8, clear margins to just in, nicely blued paper, tied by blue "PAID" handstamp on small piece, tiny tear at upper leftFINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT BUCHANAN PROVISIONAL ON BLUISH PAPER.
Weill backstamp. With 2012 P.F. certificate
Baltimore Md., 5c Black (3X1). Position 5, large margins to just in, cancelled by pen and with part of blue circular datestamp at bottom, light vertical crease at right, accompanying certificate notes "lightened pen cancel" but we see no evidence of this in the paperFINE APPEARANCE. A RARE OFF-COVER EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT BALTIMORE PROVISIONAL ON WHITE PAPER.
With 1974 P.F. certificate.
Brattleboro Vt., 5c Black on Buff (5X1). Position 9 with bottom sheet margin and large even margins all around, guideline at right, light red pen mark at upper left -- found on all ten stamps from the original Chubbuck sheet -- deep shade and impression with every line of engraving in perfect clarity, completely soundEXTREMELY FINE GEM. ONE OF THE THREE FINEST EXAMPLES OF THE BRATTLEBORO POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL STAMP, OF WHICH A TOTAL OF 32 ARE KNOWN OFF COVER, INCLUDING FIVE SOUND COPIES. THIS SUPERB STAMP COMES FROM THE ORIGINAL CHUBBUCK SHEET AND LAPHAM-COLSON-WALL RECONSTRUCTION.
Of the 32 off-cover Brattleboro stamps recorded by Philip T. Wall, five are sound. Only three of the five have four full margins (the framelines are touched on two others). These three sound four-margin stamps are as follows: 1) Position 5, tied by red "Paid" on piece, sold for $32,500 hammer in our 2000 Rarities sale; 2) Position 1, red "Paid", offered as part of the Lapham-Colson-Wall reconstruction, Christie's Oct. 12, 1989 sale, lot 628; and 3) Position 9, light red manuscript control mark, part of the Lapham-Colson-Wall reconstruction (Christie's Oct. 12, 1989) and offered here. In addition to the off-cover stamps recorded by Wall, there are six sound stamps still on covers. A total of 52 Brattleboro provisional stamps have been recorded by Wall (32 off cover and 20 stamps on 19 covers).
This stamp comes from the sheet retained by the printer, Thomas Chubbuck, who sold three stamps to collectors before selling the remaining block of seven to L. H. Bragg in September 1870. Bragg, in turn, sold the block to John W. Scott. The stamps from the Chubbuck block were eventually cut apart and sold to different collectors. In the 1920's Raymond W. Lapham, with the professional help of Warren H. Colson, reconstructed the Brattleboro plate positions, including some stamps from the Chubbuck sheet.
Ex Lapham, Colson, Gibson, Weill and Wall.
Brattleboro, Vermont, 5c Black on Buff (5X1). Position 5, huge margins to full including top right corner sheet margin, faint red manuscript cancel at left leaves entire design clearly visible, few thinsEXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE CORNER SHEET-MARGIN EXAMPLE OF THE BRATTLEBORO POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL. THIS SUPERB STAMP COMES FROM THE ORIGINAL CHUBBUCK SHEET AND LAPHAM-COLSON-WALL RECONSTRUCTION.
A total of 52 Brattleboro provisional stamps have been recorded by Wall (32 off cover and 20 stamps on 19 covers). Of the 32 off-cover Brattleboro stamps recorded by Philip T. Wall, five are sound. Only three of the five have four full margins (the framelines are touched on two others).
This stamp comes from the sheet retained by the printer, Thomas Chubbuck, who sold three stamps to collectors before selling the remaining block of seven to L. H. Bragg in September 1870. Bragg, in turn, sold the block to John W. Scott. The stamps from the Chubbuck block were eventually cut apart and sold to different collectors. In the 1920's Raymond W. Lapham, with the professional help of Warren H. Colson, reconstructed the Brattleboro plate positions, including some stamps from the Chubbuck sheet.
Ex Lapham, Colson, Gibson, Weill and Wall.
Brattleboro Vt., 5c Black on Buff (5X1). Position 3, large to huge margins including sheet margin at top, traces of guidelines at sides, crisp impression, faint red manuscript control mark at left, thinned, vertical crease at rightEXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. AN OUTSTANDING RARITY FROM THE ORIGINAL CHUBBUCK SHEET AND LAPHAM-COLSON-WALL RECONSTRUCTION.
A total of 52 Brattleboro provisional stamps are recorded (32 off cover and 20 on 19 covers). Of these, many are faulty due to the softness of the paper. This stamp comes from the sheet retained by the printer, Thomas Chubbuck, who sold three stamps to collectors before selling the remaining block of seven to L. H. Bragg in September 1870. Bragg, in turn, sold the block to John W. Scott. The stamps from the Chubbuck block were eventually cut apart and sold to different collectors. In the 1920's Raymond W. Lapham, with the professional help of Warren H. Colson, reconstructed the Brattleboro plate positions, including some stamps from the Chubbuck sheet.
Ex Lapham, Colson, Gibson, Weill and Wall.
Brattleboro, Vermont, 5c Black on Buff (5X1). Position 4, large margins to just in at top, guidelines visible at left and bottom, "D" of "PAID" handstamp at right leaves entire design clearly visibleFRESH AND FINE. A RARE SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE BRATTLEBORO POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL.
A total of 52 Brattleboro provisional stamps are recorded (32 off cover and 20 on 19 covers). Of these, many are faulty due to the softness of the paper.
Ex Wall. With 1975 P.F. certificate
Brattleboro Vt., 5c Black on Buff (5X1). Position 2, margins clear of framelines all around to just touched at top left, guideline visible at right, cancelled by complete strike of red "Paid", intense shade and impression, thin spotsVERY FINE APPEARANCE. A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF THE BRATTLEBORO PROVISIONAL WITH RED "PAID" CANCEL.
The unpublished Brattleboro census by Philip T. Wall lists a total of 52 stamps, including 20 stamps on 19 covers. Of these, many are faulty due to the softness of the paper.
With 1982 P.F. certificate.
Brattleboro Vt., 5c Black on Buff (5X1). Position 2, clear margins to just in, cancelled by red "Paid" straightline, second strike at right and matching "Brattleboro Vt. Apr. 5" circular datestamp on 1847 folded letter to Wareham Mass., stamp barely affected by vertical file foldVERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN ATTRACTIVE COVER BEARING THE RARE 5-CENT BRATTLEBORO POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL STAMP.
Only 20 stamps on 19 covers are recorded by Philip T. Wall in his unpublished census.
Ex Hessel and Wall. With 1997 P.F. certificate
St. Louis, Missouri, 10c Black on Greenish (11X2). Type III, Position 6, large margins to just clear at top right, tied on small piece solely by complete red "Paid" handstamp and without pen cancellation, sharp impressionVERY FINE AND CHOICE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT ST. LOUIS "BEARS" POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL CANCELLED SOLELY BY THE RED "PAID" HANDSTAMP.
Accompanied by the remainder of the piece this was cut from (with St. Louis Mo. Jan. 10 circular datestamp). With 1970 A.P.S. certificate (for larger piece). Scott Retail for pen-cancelled and notes "Values for used off-cover stamps are for pen-cancelled copies. Handstamp-cancelled copies sell for much more."
St. Louis, Missouri, 10c Black on Gray Lilac (11X5). Type III, Position 6, full margins, intense shade, cancelled solely by neat strike of red circular datestampVERY FINE. A RARE SOUND FOUR-MARGIN EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT ST. LOUIS "BEARS" POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ON GRAY LILAC PAPER.
With 1976 and 2003 P.F. certificates. Scott value is for a normally pen-cancelled stamp off cover (footnote states: "Values for used off-cover stamps are for pen-cancelled copies. Handstamp-cancelled copies sell for much more.")