Sale 1284 — The Yellowstone Collection of 1847 Issue Covers
Sale Date — Wednesday, 3 May, 2023
Category — 1847 Issue: Ship, Railroad and Steamboat Markings
5c Dark Brown (1a). Large margins to just touched at bottom left, dark shade and intermediate impression, small corner crease at top left, tied by red square grid cancel, matching "New-York Ship Feb. 27" (1849) circular datestamp on folded letter to Litchfield, Connecticut, Very Fine, a rare use of the New York Ship circular datestamp struck in error, ex Hart, Boker and Gross, with 2020 P.F. certificate
10c Black (2). Large margins to ample, bright shade, tied by red square grid cancel and matching "New-York Mar. 18" Ocean Mail style circular datestamp on buff envelope to Mt. Vernon O., 1850 docketing at leftFRESH AND VERY FINE. A RARE USE OF THIS NEW YORK MARKING ON AN 1847-ISSUE COVER.
This style of circular datestamp was made by modifying an old device which contained the word "Ship" at bottom. The marking would later be used on Ocean Mail carried by contract routes from New York to the West Coast via Panama. It saw occasional use starting in 1850 on domestic and cross-border mail.
Ex Hart, Boker and Gross. With 2013 P.F. certificate
5c Red Brown (1). Intermediate impression, large margins including left sheet margin, clear at top left, pre-printing paper fold, affixed over manuscript "Paid 5" and cancelled by bold blue 4-bar grid with matching perfect strike of "Norwich & Worcester R.R. Nov. 16" (1849) route agent's circular datestamp on blue folded letter to Suffield, ConnecticutVERY FINE SHEET-MARGIN 5-CENT 1847 STAMP AND EXTREMELY FINE STRIKES OF THE NORWICH & WORCESTER RAILROAD BLUE DATESTAMP AND 4-BAR GRID.
These are superb strikes of this route agent's circular datestamp and 4-bar grid, which are known in both red and blue and are very rare on 1847 covers. Ex Matthies, Boker and Gross. With 1990 P.S.E. certificate (as Pale Brown) and unsigned accompanying letter (presumably from expert committee) explaining why the stamp belongs on the cover
5c Red Brown (1). Huge margins including sheet margin at left, clear at upper right, rich color, worn-plate impression, tied by criss-crossing blue grid cancels, matching "Eastern R.R. 12 Feb." (1849) route agent's circular datestamp on folded letter datelined "Portsmouth Feb. 12, 1849" to Great Falls N.H., manuscript box charge number at upper left, Very Fine, ex Boker and Gross
5 Brown Orange (1d). Horizontal pair, large margins to just in at left, brilliant shade, late printing from worn plate, slight gum staining and small inclusion in left stamp, cancelled by two clear strikes of red Sunburst fancy cancel with matching "Little Miami R.R. Jun. 10" (ca. 1851) route agent's circular datestamp on envelope to Newtown, Pennsylvania, couple light gum residue spots on coverVERY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE LITTLE MIAMI RAILROAD "SUNBURST" FANCY CANCELLATION ON AN 1847 ISSUE COVER.
According to the Alexander book, two Little Miami Railroad route agents received 1,000 5c and 200 10c 1847 stamps. The Brown Orange shade of the pair on this cover indicates 1851 usage. There are six other Little Miami Railroad covers with 1847 stamps listed in the USPCS census, including four 5c covers (mailed between 1849 and 1850), the famous strip of five and single 10c on a legal-size cover (6/1/1851, ex Wyer) and a single 10c (3/16/18??). None of these has the Sunburst fancy cancel. According to Remele, the Little Miami Railroad was chartered in 1836 and completed between Cincinnati and Xenia in 1845. It was eventually incorporated into the Philadelphia railroad system.
Fancy "killer" cancels are extremely rare in the 1847-51 period. The term "killer" to describe the cancel was actually used by New York Postmaster Robert H. Morris. Although fancy rate markings from the pre-stamp era were used to cancel 1847 stamps, fancy cancels created for the specific purpose of "killing" stamps did not become popular until the 1850s. Fancy "killer" cancels on 1847s, such as the St. Johnsbury Scarab, Trenton Star and Binghamton Herringbone, have been known to collectors and highly prized for years. This Little Miami Railroad Sunburst, to the best of our knowledge, had not been recorded before the emergence of this cover from an estate in the early 2000s.
From our 2006 Rarities sale and ex Gross. With 2006 P.F. certificate.
5c Red Brown (1). Full margins to just into frameline at bottom, rich color on deeply blued paper (very close to Brown Orange), cleaned-plate impression, tied by bold strike of "Mic. Central R.R. Mic. May 17" (1851) Michigan Central Railroad route agent's circular datestamp on envelope to Jackson, Michigan, cover has been cleaned to remove staining, two sealed opening tears at top corners clear of stamp, Extremely Fine strike of this route agent's circular datestamp on an attractive cover, ex Hicks, Shierson, Dr. Kapiloff, Saadi and Gross, with 1992 P.F. certificate
10c Black, Double Transfer Ty. B (2-B). Position 31R, large margins to clear, cancelled by unusual blue quartered cork, matching "Alby. & Buffalo R.R. Apr." route agent's circular datestamp on buff cover to Boston street address, manuscript "Paid" at upper left, cover with tiny edge tear at upper left of no consequenceVERY FINE. A SCARCE AND ATTRACTIVE EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT 1847 DOUBLE TRANSFER TYPE B USED ON AN ALBANY AND BUFFALO RAILROAD COVER.
Only five 10c covers are recorded in the USPCS census with a marking applied on this railroad.
Ex Grunin, Garrett, Boker and Gross. With 1977 and 2013 P.F. certificates
5c Red Brown (1). Large margins to clear, rich color and intermediate impression, cancelled by unusual open grid of dots fancy cancel, matching "Lake Champlain S.B. Oct. 9" circular datestamp on cover to Malone N.Y., stamp with tiny tear at top, still Very Fine, scarce, illustrated and described in an article on "New York Steamboat Markings" by Creighton Hart in Chronicle 100 (p. 250), who notes that it is not possible to tell whether this originated in New York or Vermont, ex Bingham, Hart, Boker and Gross