5c Blue, Bluish (361). Deep rich color, natural s.e. at left, well-centered for this difficult issue, tied by "Cambridge Mass Oct. 24 12-M 1910" machine cancel on cover to Bangkok, Siam, addressed to Jens Iverson Westendard, Bangkok receiving backstamp, missing backflap

VERY FINE. THIS IS ONE OF ONLY FIVE RECORDED USED EXAMPLES OF THE 5-CENT 1909 BLUISH PAPER ISSUE, FOUR OF WHICH ARE ON COVER (ONE REMOVED). A RARITY AND VERY UNUSUAL USE OF THE STAMP TO AN IMPORTANT FIGURE IN THE HISTORY OF SIAM.

Our census of used 5c Bluish Paper stamps, available at our website at http://siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/361/361.pdf , records five examples. One is an off-cover stamp with small faults (ex Twigg-Smith). Another off-cover stamp (offered in lot 128) has been removed from its original cover, but the cover itself accompanies. In addition there are three stamps still on their respective covers, one of which is offered here.

This cover is addressed to Jens Iverson Westengard, a professor of law at Harvard University who resigned in 1903 to travel to Siam to serve as an assistant advisor to the King of Siam. He succeeded Edward Strobel as advisor in 1908 and was in turn succeeded by Wolcott Pitkin in 1915. The three General Advisors were known as the "Great Modernizers" of Thailand and the "Three American Kings of Siam" (http://www.siamese-heritage.org/jsspdf/1971/JSS_062_2f_ThamsookNumnonda_FirstAmericanAdvisersInThaiHistory.pdf ).

Census No. 361-COV-03. With 1980 P.F. certificate

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