Sale 1159 — 2017 Rarities of the World
Sale Date — Tuesday, 27 June, 2017
Category — 1847 Issue (Scott 1-2)
5c Red Brown (1). Original gum, full even margins, dark shadeVERY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT 1847 ISSUE.
With 1995 P.F. certificate
5c Orange Brown (1b). Original gum, h.r., large to full margins all around, brilliant color, showing stitch watermark, two vertical creasesVERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT 1847 ISSUE IN THE ORANGE BROWN SHADE.
With 1991 P.S.E. certificate
10c Black (2). Unused (no gum), full to large margins, intense shade on blued paperVERY FINE AND CHOICE. AN OUTSTANDING AND RARE SOUND, UNUSED, FOUR-MARGIN EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT 1847 ISSUE.
The 1847 Issue is much scarcer in unused condition than other issues, because the stamps were demonetized in 1851. They could be exchanged for the new issue, but once the exchange period ended, the stamps would have no postage value. Considering the purchasing power of ten cents in 1851, it is not surprising that the stamps were either used or exchanged, rather than left for future generations of collectors.
With 2001 P.S.E. certificate
10c Black (2). Unused (traces of gum), large margins to just into frameline at top, detailed impressionFINE AND SCARCE UNUSED EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT 1847 ISSUE.
With 1994 P.F. certificate
10c Black (2). Vertical pair, original gum, large to huge margins at left and top, full at bottom and just clear of framelines at right, intense shade, light vertical crease between stamps does not affect the design of either, accompanying certificate mentions small corner crease on bottom stamp and tiny thin spot on top stamp -- both of these are nearly undetectableFINE APPEARANCE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE ORIGINAL-GUM PAIR OF THE 10-CENT 1847 ISSUE.
To underscore the rarity of any original-gum multiple of the 10c 1847, there are only three unused blocks recorded (two with original gum), one of which is contained in the Hirzel collection at the Swiss PTT Museum. Only four pairs and a strip of three could be located in our computerized sale records using Power Search.
With 2016 P.S.E. certificate
10c Black (2). Vertical pair and single, pair with ample to large margins, single with three large margins to just in at bottom, tied by blue manuscript and red New York "10" in circle cancels on blue Feb. 14, 1849 folded letter from Montreal, Canada to New York City, from the Kennedy correspondence, red "Montreal/Paid/FE 14/1849/Canada" tombstone style datestamp, manuscript "1/6" (quadruple Canadian rate), top stamp with minor crease from filing folds which have been skillfully pressedVERY FINE. A SPECTACULAR TRIPLE-RATE USE OF THE 10-CENT 1847 ISSUE FROM CANADA TO NEW YORK. ONE OF THE FEW EXAMPLES OF THIS RARE USE WITH THE STAMPS TIED BY A UNITED STATES POST OFFICE MARKING, AND THE LARGEST RECORDED 1847 ISSUE FRANKING FROM CANADA.
The 10c 1847 Issue stamps were affixed to the cover in Canada and paid the triple rate from the border to New York City. Canadian postage "to the lines" was paid in cash, with the "1/6" (1sh, 6p) rate reflecting the quadruple-rate to the border (triple rate was not possible in Canada -- see below for an explanation). Among all the 1847 Issue covers from Canada recorded in the USPCS online census, this is the only cover with an over-300 miles triple-rate franking for U.S. postage and the highest franking from Canada.
The Post Office Reform Act of 1845 greatly simplified the rate structure for sending mail. It provided for a 10c rate per half ounce for distances over 300 miles, with an increase of 10c for each additional half ounce or portion thereof.
A clause included in the Act of March 3, 1849 (30th Congress, Session II, Ch. 104) modified the postage on a letter weighing more than one ounce to bring U.S. domestic rate progression in line with the 1848 U.S.-Great Britain postal treaty, which had gone into effect on February 15, 1849. The relevant clause reads:
"That the better to enable the postal treaty with Great Britain to go Into full effect with equal advantage to both countries, letters shall be mailed as composing one rate only where the letter does not exceed the weight of a half ounce avoirdupois; where it exceeds a half ounce, but does not exceed an ounce, as composing two rates; where it exceeds an ounce, but does not exceed two ounces, as composing four rates..."
This change eliminated the 30c rate for a letter weighing between one and one-and-a-half ounces and traveling over 300 miles. Letters weighing between one and two ounces would be charged four times the single rate (40c for distances over 300 miles). The elimination of the triple rate went into effect with the Postmaster General's notice on March 15, 1849. Therefore, the use of 1847 Issue stamps to prepay a triple rate was allowed for approximately 20 months. This cover was mailed in February 1849, just before the rate change went into effect.
Ex Dale-Lichtenstein, Peyton and Kapiloff
10c Black, Diagonal Half Used as 5c (2a). Top left diagonal half, large margins, well tied across the cut by red grid cancel, matching "New-Haven Ct. 5 Jun." circular datestamp on 1851 City Bank of New Haven folded notice to Birmingham Conn., some internal splits not affecting the outside of the cover, fresh in every respectEXTREMELY FINE. A SUPERB DIAGONAL BISECT OF THE 10-CENT 1847 ISSUE, USED TO PAY THE 5-CENT UNDER-300 MILES RATE JUST A FEW WEEKS PRIOR TO DEMONETIZATION OF THE 1847 ISSUE.
Effective July 1, 1851, the basic letter rate was reduced to 3c for domestic letters sent up to 3,000 miles. New stamps were issued to accommodate the new rates, and the old stamps were demonetized and invalid for postage after June 30, 1851. This letter was sent June 5, 1851, less than a month prior to demonetization.
Ex Caspary
10c Black, Vertical Half Used as 5c (2b). Left vertical half with sheet margin, tied across the cut by squiggly pen cancel, green "Dodgeville Wis. Sep. 3" (1849) circular datestamp with matching "Paid" and "5" handstamps on blue folded cover to Potosi Wis., central file fold, stamp with some slight soilingVERY FINE. A RARE 10-CENT 1847 ISSUE VERTICAL BISECT ON A COVER WITH GREEN POSTMARKS.
This is the only recorded 1847 Issue cover from Dodgeville, Wisconsin, bisect or otherwise. The presence of green cancels makes it an even more desirable use of the 10c 1847 Issue.
Scott Retail $30,000.00