Sale 1188 — United States Stamp Treasures: The William H. Gross Collection
Sale Date — Wednesday, 3 October, 2018
Category — Saint Louis, MO Postmaster's Provisionals
A marvelous corner sheet-margin 5¢ St. Louis “Bears” provisional stamp printed on Greenish paper and neatly tied by the red town datestamp on a folded letter to Jefferson City, MissouriDESCRIPTION
St. Louis, Missouri, 5¢ Black on Greenish (11X1), Type III, Position 5, from the bottom left position with huge corner sheet margins and large margins at top and right, sharp impression on bright greenish paper, tied across the corner by red “St. Louis Mo. Dec. 21” circular datestamp, matching “PAID” handstamp and manuscript “5” rate on folded cover (contents separated from address panel) datelined “S. Louis Decr. 20th 1845” from John F. Darby to Benjamin F. Hickman in Jefferson City, Missouri
PROVENANCE
* Herbert R. Duckwall (sold privately to Colson)
* Alfred H. Caspary, H. R. Harmer sale, 11/15/1955, lot 129
* Edward Grombacher (bought and sold privately through Weills)
* Weill Brothers’ Stock, Christie’s Robson Lowe sale, 10/12/1989, lot 641
* Dr. Charles E. Test, “Concord” Collection, 1994 Rarities of the World, Siegel Auction Galleries, 5/19/1994, Sale 759, lot 17, to William H. Gross
CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES
* USPCS census Nos. 21119
* https://www.uspcs.org/resource-center/censuses/postmasters-provisionals-cover-census/
CERTIFICATION
* The Philatelic Foundation (1989)
CONDITION NOTES
* Very Fine appearance; address panel with bottom panel intact and letter separated, vertical file fold clear of stamp; stamp with a tiny tear at top and a lightened manuscript cancellation (nearly invisible pen line)
* “WEILL” backstamp (Raymond H. Weill Co.)
VIEW PDF OF HISTORY AND COMMENTARY at https://siegelauctions.com/2018/1188/9.pdf
A choice 10¢ St. Louis “Bears” provisional stamp printed on Greenish paper and neatly tied by the red town datestamp--without any pen cancellation--on a folded letter from the famed Charnley & Whelen correspondenceDESCRIPTION
St. Louis, Missouri, 10¢ Black on Greenish (11X2), Type I, Position 2, full even margins, sharp impression on greenish paper, cancelled and tied solely by red “St. Louis Mo. Jan. 12” (1846) circular datestamp, matching “PAID” handstamp and manuscript “10” rate on folded letter datelined “Saint Louis, January 10th, 1846” from Loker, Renick & Co. to Charnley & Whelen in Philadelphia
PROVENANCE
* Charnley & Whelen correspondence, H. R. Harmer sale, 12/13/1948, lot 2
* T. Cullen Davis, Siegel Auction Galleries, 10/6/1964, Sale 276, lot 15
CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES
* USPCS census nos. 21133
* https://www.uspcs.org/resource-center/censuses/postmasters-provisionals-cover-census/
CERTIFICATION
* The Philatelic Foundation (1993)
CONDITION NOTES
* Very Fine; cover with light horizontal file fold; H. R. Harmer (1948 sale) description noted a “small break” in the stamp’s margin at bottom from the “2” numeral in datestamp, but this was never mentioned again nor is it noted on 1993 P.F. certificate
VIEW PDF OF HISTORY AND COMMENTARY at https://siegelauctions.com/2018/1188/10.pdf
The unique St. Louis “Bears” cover with a 10¢ and 20¢ se-tenant pair--one of two recorded examples of this combination multiple and the only se-tenant “Bears” multiple known on cover--an iconic Postmasters’ Provisional rarity and one of the greatest items in classic United States philatelyDESCRIPTION
St. Louis, Missouri, 20¢-10¢ Black on Gray Lilac, Se-Tenant Pair (11X5-11X6), Both Type II, Positions 3-4, large margins except cut into outer frameline at left, deep impression on crisp grayish paper, tied by two single pen strokes and also tied at lower right by red “St. Louis Mo. May 31” (1846) circular datestamp, matching “PAID” handstamp and manuscript “30” triple 10¢ rate on blue folded letter datelined “Banking House of W. Nisbet & Co., Saint Louis, May 30th, 1846” to Charnley & Whelen in Philadelphia
PROVENANCE
* Charnley & Whelen correspondence, H. R. Harmer sale, 12/13/1948, lot 35
* Siegel Auction Galleries, 1964 Rarities of the World, 2/27/1964, Sale 267, lot 23
* John D. Pope III, John A. Fox sale, 12/1/1984, lot 57
* Margie and Robert Faiman, Bennett sale, 10/31/2003, lot 100, to William H. Gross
CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES
* USPCS census no. 21188
* https://www.uspcs.org/resource-center/censuses/postmasters-provisionals-cover-census/
* Scott R. Trepel, “United States Classic Covers” (special color feature for AMERIPEX 1986), Chronicle 130, May 1986
* ANPHILEX 1971 (Pope)
*World Stamp Show 2016 Court of Honor (Gross)
CERTIFICATION
* The Philatelic Foundation (1985)
CONDITION NOTES
* Very Fine cover with light horizontal file fold; tiny scissors-cut in top margin clear of design and not noted on certificate
VIEW PDF OF HISTORY AND COMMENTARY at https://siegelauctions.com/2018/1188/11.pdf
The only recorded cover with this combination of the 5¢ and 20¢ St. Louis “Bears” postmaster’s provisional stamps and the most outstanding of the three covers known with the extremely rare 5¢ on Gray Lilac paper--truly one of the greatest Postmasters’ Provisional coversDESCRIPTION
5¢ Black on Gray Lilac, 20¢ Black on Gray Lilac (11X4, 11X6), two 5¢ stamps, both Position 5--the only 5¢ denomination on the plate used to print stamps on Gray Lilac paper--ample margins except at bottom of one and left of the other, used with 20¢ Position 3, three large margins, slightly into frameline at left, intense impressions on fresh paper, probably an early printing from the altered plate (earliest documented use is dated February 27, 1846), without manuscript cancel, tied solely by a single bold strike of the vivid red “St. Louis Mo. Apr. 10” (1846) circular datestamp, matching “PAID” handstamp and manuscript “30” triple 10¢ rate on fresh blue folded letter datelined “Banking House of Wm. Nisbet & Co., St. Louis 9th April 1846” to Charnley & Whelen in Philadelphia
PROVENANCE
* Charnley & Whelen correspondence, H. R. Harmer sale, 12/13/1948, lot 37
* Siegel Auction Galleries, 1966 Rarities of the World, 2/24/1966, Sale 296, lot 20
* Benjamin D. Phillips (collection sold privately to Weills, 1968)
* Edward Grombacher (bought and sold privately through Weills)
* Weill Brothers’ Stock, Christie’s Robson Lowe sale, 10/12/1989, lot 654, to Middendorf
* Hon. J. William Middendorf II, Christie’s Robson Lowe sale, 9/25/1991, lot 65
* Dr. Charles E. Test, “Concord” Collection, 1994 Rarities of the World, Siegel Auction Galleries, 5/19/1994, Sale 759, lot 19, to William H. Gross
CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES
* USPCS census no. 21174
* https://www.uspcs.org/resource-center/censuses/postmasters-provisionals-cover-census/
* L. N. Williams, Encyclopaedia of Rare and Famous Stamps, Vol. I, p. 316
CERTIFICATION
* The Philatelic Foundation (1989)
CONDITION NOTES
* Very Fine and pristine cover with light horizontal file fold; middle stamp (5¢) has a negligible small corner crease ending in a tiny tear
* “WEILL” backstamp
VIEW PDF OF HISTORY AND COMMENTARY at https://siegelauctions.com/2018/1188/12.pdf