Sale 1085 — The Curtis Collection: U.S. Officials
Sale Date — Thursday, 6 November, 2014
Category — Navy Department (Scott O35-O45)
1c Navy (O35). Block of four, original gum, h.r.'s, each stamp with choice centering, one with natural inclusion, Extremely Fine, ex Markovits
3c Navy, Dull Blue (O37a). Block of four, original gum, h.r., lovely pastel color, Fine-Very Fine, Scott Retail as singles
7c Navy (O39). Balanced wide margins, rich color, light strike of purple cancel leaves design completely visible, Extremely Fine, a lovely stamp, ex Kirke, with 2009 P.S.E. certificate (XF 90; SMQ $440.00), this is the highest grade awarded and no other examples have achieved this grade
10c Navy (O40). Block of four, original gum with light toned spots, one stamp with some gum loss due to hinge removal, otherwise lightly hinged, stunning centering, bright color, Extremely Fine appearance, ex Markovits
15c Navy (O42). Original gum, lightly hinged, exceedingly well-centered within wide margins, bright color, Extremely Fine
24c Navy (O43). Original gum, well-centered, balanced wide margins, bold color, Very Fine, with 2008 P.S.E. certificate (OGph, VF 80 Jumbo; SMQ $455.00)
24c Navy (O43). Horizontal block of six, slightly glazed original gum, incredibly fresh color, well-centered throughout, sensible perf reinforcements, Very Fine, blocks of this value are incredibly scarce and are rarely offered with this block possibly being the largest
30c Navy (O44). Original gum, lightly hinged, marvelously well-centered within wide margins, deep color on fresh paper, Extremely Fine, with 2009 P.F. certificate (XF 90 XQ)
30c Navy (O44). Block of four, original gum, deep rich shade on bright paper, Fine-Very Fine, with 2001 P.S.E. certificate
30c Navy (O44). Choice wide margins, well-centered, bold cork cancel, Extremely Fine, ex Kirke, with 2011 P.F. and 2009 P.S.E. certificates (XF 90; SMQ $115.00), this is the highest grade awarded and it is shared by only one other
90c Navy (O45). Block of four, original gum, slight gum loss from hinge removal, well-centered for a multiple of this high value, bright color, light crease along bottom pair, small hinge reinforcement and couple perf separations, Fine-Very Fine, blocks of the 90c Navy Department are rarely encountered
2c Navy (O36). Well-centered with wide top margin showing trace of plate number, tied by red quartered cork cancel and "Washington D.C. Local Mar. 15" circular datestamp on Paymaster's Office corner card cover to Rear Admiral Charles Wilkes in the city, red "Carrier 15 Mar. 7PM" backstamp, opening tears on back and small repair at top right not affecting stamp, otherwise Very Fine, only a few 2c Navy covers cancelled in red are known (there are four listed in the 2002 Campbell census in Chronicle 193), ex Ackerman and Starnes
6c Navy (O38). Tied by "New-York Aug. 22 4PM" duplex datestamp and oval grid cancel on legal-size Navy Pay Office imprint cover to Oxford Mass., neat 1877 docketing, slightly wrinkled around edges, small holes in cover at lower left (very minor), Very Fine, 2002 Campbell census reported 16 6c Navy covers (updated to 21 in 2004 Markovits sale catalogue), ex Starnes
12c Navy (O41). Bright color and well-centered, tied by quartered cork cancel on "Official Business" Bureau of Ordinance corner card label for printed matter only and signed by chief clerk Samuel Ellis, label pasted on complete cloth-lined envelope, addressed to Rear Admiral A. A. Harwood in Marion Mass.VERY FINE. AN INCREDIBLY RARE 12-CENT NAVY DEPARTMENT USE, BEING ONE OF ONLY FIVE RECORDED. THIS IS ONE OF TWO SOLO FRANKINGS KNOWN. AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF OFFICIAL POSTAL HISTORY.
Unlisted in the Campbell census (Chronicle 193, February 2002) which only lists two examples known. No. 51 (used with 3c) in his census is ex Lockyear and Hughes, No. 56 (used with 30c) is ex Starnes (Siegel Sale 945, realized $37,500 hammer), and the other unlisted cover (also used with 30c) is the newly-discovered Commodore Caldwell cover (Siegel Sale 1048, realized $15,000 hammer). We have reports that one other solo use is in private hands.
According to the Stanford Archives, the recipient of this package was Rear Admiral Andrew Allen Harwood (1802-1884), who was a great grandson of Benjamin Franklin. He began his career in the Navy as Midshipman on the USS Saranac in 1818 and ultimately retired in 1874 as Rear Admiral.
With 2013 P.F. certificate
24c Navy (O43). Well-centered with sheet selvage at left, rich color, tiny margin tear between perfs at right, tied by quartered cork cancel, "Washington D.C. Sep. 11 4PM" circular datestamp on legal-size cover with "Navy Department, Official Business" imprint, addressed to "Commo. C. H. B. Caldwell, Commd'g U.S. Naval Force So. Atlantic Station, Montevideo, Uruguay", red "New York 1.10 Sep. 27" (110 centimes = 22c) credit datestamp, red "London Paid 7 Oct. (76?)" transit datestamp, "20" in circle due handstamp, toned along bottom edge and sealed tear at bottom leftONE OF THREE RECORDED COVERS BEARING THE 24-CENT NAVY DEPARTMENT STAMP, INCLUDING TWO TO URUGUAY. THIS COVER FROM THE COMMODORE CALDWELL CORRESPONDENCE IS ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING OFFICIAL COVERS EXTANT.
In an article on Navy Department covers, Alan C. Campbell wrote: "Despite the obvious need for regular communication with station squadrons in foreign waters, little foreign mail from the Navy Department has survived. I record only six covers, of which three were in the Starnes collection stolen in 1983 and may have been lost to philately forever. These were the celebrated pair to Commodore Caldwell (24c to Uruguay, 12c, 30c combination to Brazil) and a 2c, 3c combination on an 1875 cover to Italy." ("Usages of Navy Department Stamps", Alan C. Campbell, Chronicle 193, Feb. 2002, pp. 44-58). This cover was also listed as No. 20 in Campbell's census of high-value Official stamps on cover (Chronicle 188, Nov. 2000, pp. 287-299). Campbell's article was published before the recovery of the Starnes collection and the emergence of other covers from the Caldwell correspondence.
Commodore Charles H. B. Caldwell was the commander of the U.S. Navy's South Atlantic Station (the flagship was the U.S.S. Richmond). As a lieutenant during the Civil War, commanding the U.S.S. Itasca, Caldwell captured the Confederate schooner Lizzie Weston off Florida en route to Jamaica with a cargo of cotton. The following year, the Union Mortar Flotilla under his command opened the bombardment of the Confederate works at Port Hudson, Louisiana.
At the time of mailing, Uruguay was not a U.P.U. member. There were two rates to Uruguay: 23c by U.S. Packet via Brazil and 27c by British mail (effective 7/1/1875 to 7/1/1880). The April 1877 U.S. Postal Guide only lists the 27c rate with a note that U.S. Packet service was infrequent and unreliable. The 27c rate via G.B. included 5c for the U.S. and a 22c credit to G.B. for carrying the letter to Uruguay (the credit is expressed in centimes, as per the U.P.U. regulations). Although underpaid 3c for the 27c rate, this Navy Department cover was treated as fully prepaid.
Ex Starnes