Sale 1089 — The Curtis Collection: U.S. Revenues, Part 1
Sale Date — Tuesday, 16 December, 2014
Category — 1898 Provisionals
1c Dark Yellow Green, Chapman Overprint (R158A). Rich color, original gum, h.r., almost perfectly centered with wide and well-balanced margins, small thin spotsEXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE ONE-CENT CHAPMAN OVERPRINT. ONLY NINETEEN COPIES ARE RECORDED IN TOTAL, OF WHICH ONLY THREE ARE UNUSED.
According to Scott catalogue, the 1c Trans-Mississippi was overprinted by the Purvis Printing Company with federal government approval. They were ordered by L. H. Chapman of the Chapman Steamboat Line, which operated freight-carrying steamboats along the Erie Canal. Only 250 stamps were produced; additionally, 250 were printed reading "I.R./P.I.D. & Son", for P. I. Daprix & Son, which served different ports along the same waterway.
In his privately published census, Larry Lyons records fourteen used copies of Scott R158A and one unused. Our records contain two additional used and two additional unused, for a total of 19. The three unused examples are: 1) original gum, natural s.e. at right, small diagonal crease at top right ending in a tear, ex Joyce and Whitpain; 2) original gum, small thin spots, ex Drucker, the example offered here; and 3) natural s.e. at right, diagonal crease and small thin spot, ex Tolman (Siegel Sale 915, lot 3543, realized $7,000 hammer).
Ex Drucker. With 2002 P.F. certificate.
