Sale 1139 — U.S. Treasures of Philately from The Irwin Weinberg Inventory
Sale Date — Wednesday, 9 November, 2016
Category — Wreck Covers
"Saved from the Wreck of the Steamship Stella, April 2 '65". Red manuscript endorsement with postmaster's signature on red and blue George Washington and Flag Patriotic cover with sender's notation "(Co)me and be drafted...can't see it" (probably a draft evader), originated in Peru and addressed to Union Me., red "Paid at Callao" crown-circle handstamp, "A Callao FE 27 65" British P.O. backstamp, "Forwarded by Crosby & Co. Ship Chandlers and Ship Agents, Callao, Peru" oval handstamp, Panama transit (Mar. 6), "Steamship 10" in circle applied at New York, red crayon "6", waterstained and stamp floated off during wreck, still intact and highly exhibitableA REMARKABLE AND UNDOUBTEDLY UNIQUE EXAMPLE OF A CIVIL WAR PATRIOTIC COVER USED FROM OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES AND SAVED FROM A MARITIME DISASTER.
Our search for information on the 1865 wreck of the Stella was unsuccessful, but clearly this is an extremely rare salvaged-mail cover and undoubtedly unique as a Civil War Patriotic use.
Ex Dr. LeBow
R.M.S. Titanic, U.S. Mail Facing Slip. Clear strike of "O.S. WOODY/TITANIC" two-line handstamp on U.S. Post Office form reading "Sealed Distributions Customs/ Second Div. N.Y.P.O./ From Sea Post 9 Letters", "9" in blue crayon, with "Transatlantic Post Office 7 Ap. 10 '12" circular datestamp, faint staining at top from contact with sea waterVERY FINE. AN OUTSTANDING POSTAL HISTORY ARTIFACT FROM THE FAMED R.M.S. TITANIC.
Oscar Scott Woody, along with each of the other four postal clerks aboard the Titanic, perished at sea the night of the sinking on April 14-15, 1912. Among the personal effects recovered with Woody's body were U.S. postal facing slips, used on top of mail bundles to indicate their destination. Woody struck the April 10, 1912 circular datestamp (the date of sailing from Southampton), the ship name and his name on each slip, to indicate who had handled each specific bundle. No actual mail from the 3,423 sacks aboard the ship was recovered. For an exhibition related to the Titanic mail clerks, see http://postalmuseum.si.edu/fireandice/titanicsmailclerks.html