Sale 1025 — 2012 Rarities of the World
Sale Date — Tuesday, 26 June, 2012
Category — Postmasters Provisionals: St. Louis Mo.
St. Louis Mo., 5c Black on Gray Lilac (11X4). Type III, Position 5, large margins to clear, bright shade, unobtrusive pen cancelVERY FINE AND CHOICE. A RARE AND DESIRABLE SOUND FOUR-MARGIN EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT ST. LOUIS POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ISSUE ON GRAY LILAC PAPER. A WONDERFUL CONDITION RARITY.
The St. Louis "Bears" stamps were printed from a single plate of six subjects (two horizontal by three vertical) that was modified twice to change the denominations of two positions. The original plate contained three 5c stamps at left and three 10c stamps at right. All stamps from the first state of the plate were printed on Greenish paper. The plate was then altered by burnishing out the "5" on Positions 1 and 3 and engraving a new "20" denomination. A small printing on Greenish paper was made from this altered plate. 5c stamps (Position 5) and 10c stamps (Positions 2/4/6) on Greenish Paper cannot usually be identified as original or altered plate impressions (the 20c on Greenish paper is a great rarity). The larger portion of stamps from the altered plate are on Gray Lilac paper. However, because only one of six subjects was a 5c value, the 5c on Gray Lilac is an extremely rare stamp -- perhaps even rarer than the 20c on Gray Lilac. The plate was modified again by burnishing out each "20" and engraving the old "5" denomination (third state). At the time of this second alteration, a large ball was engraved inside the end curl of the numeral "5" on Position 5. As far as we know, all stamps from the third state of the plate were printed on a very thin pelure paper. These were the last stamps used before the 1847 Issue was placed on sale in St. Louis.
A review using Power Search shows that most examples of this issue either have faults or margins into the design. Power Search contains only six sound four-margin copies not in multiples: 1) pen cancel, ex Concord, Vineyard and Wall; 2) pen cancel, ex Twigg-Smith (2001 Siegel sale); 3) red cancel, barely clear, ex Twigg-Smith (2001 Siegel sale); 4) pen cancel, 1980 Rarities sale; 5) heavy pen cancel, 1974 Rarities sale; and 6) the example offered here. We estimate perhaps another half-dozen may exist in this condition.
Ex F.W. Hunter and Moody. Small "W.H.C." (Colson) backstamp. With 1967 P.F. certificate. Offered to the market for the first time since our 1970 Rarities sale.
