Sale 1188 — United States Stamp Treasures: The William H. Gross Collection
Sale Date — Wednesday, 3 October, 2018
Category — Millbury, MA Postmaster's Provisional
This is one of the finest of the eight recorded covers with the distinctive Millbury postmaster’s provisional stamp--the cartoon-like woodcut portrait of George Washington was undoubtedly inspired by the engraved provisional stamp issued earlier by the New York City postmasterDESCRIPTION
Millbury, Massachusetts, 5¢ Black on Bluish (7X1), large margins to ample at bottom, sharp impression, tied by red “PAID” handstamp, matching “Milbury Ms. Jan. 12” (1847) circular datestamp and “5” sans-serif numeral in circle handstamp (the latest of four different numeral handstamps used on Millbury provisional covers) on light brown envelope to “Mr. William E. Hoit, Care Loder & Co., 83 Cedar St., New York”
PROVENANCE
All sales private until 2012 Frelinghuysen auction
* Frank J. Dutcher
* Henry G. Lapham (and his son, Raymond)
* Warren H. Colson
* Sen. Peter H. B. Frelinghuysen (bought privately from Colson), Siegel Auction Galleries, 3/28/2012, Sale 1020, lot 15, to William H. Gross
CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES
* USPCS census no. 20240
* https://www.uspcs.org/resource-center/censuses/postmasters-provisionals-cover-census/
* Siegel census no. 7X1-COV-19
* https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/7X1
* New York International Philatelic Exhibition 1926 (Lapham)
* World Stamp Show 2016 Court of Honor (Gross)
CERTIFICATION
* The Philatelic Foundation (2011)
CONDITION NOTES
*Extremely Fine--a superb stamp on fresh cover--opening tear in backflap barely shows at top edge
* Small “W.H.C.” handstamp at lower right (Warren H. Colson)
VIEW PDF OF HISTORY AND COMMENTARY at https://siegelauctions.com/2018/1188/6.pdf
