Sale 1188 — United States Stamp Treasures: The William H. Gross Collection
Sale Date — Wednesday, 3 October, 2018
Category — Baltimore, MD and Brattleboro, VT Postmasters' Provisionals
One of two recorded pairs of the provisional stamps issued by Baltimore postmaster James M. Buchanan, whose engraved signature appears in the distinctive design--both pairs are on white paper, and they are the only known multiples of this celebrated postmaster’s provisional issueDESCRIPTION
Baltimore, Maryland, 5¢ Black on White (3X1), Positions 3/5, vertical pair, trace of frameline at bottom left, tied by cross-hatched pen strokes, matching manuscript “10” rate, clear strike of blue “Baltimore Md. Mar. 21” (1847) circular datestamp and matching “PAID” handstamp on cover to Miss Mary Floyd in Port Tobacco, Maryland
PROVENANCE
All sales private until 2012 Frelinghuysen auction
* Frederick Wellington Ayer
* George H. Worthington
* Henry C. Gibson, Sr.
* Henry G. Lapham (and his son, Raymond)
* Warren H. Colson
* Sen. Peter H. B. Frelinghuysen (bought privately from Colson), Siegel Auction Galleries, 3/28/2012, Sale 1020, lot 4, to William H. Gross
CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES
* USPCS census no. 20122
* https://www.uspcs.org/resource-center/censuses/postmasters-provisionals-cover-census/
* Hayes census no. 27
* New York International Philatelic Exhibition 1913 (Worthington)
* TIPEX 1936 (Lapham)
CERTIFICATION
* The Philatelic Foundation (2011)
CONDITION NOTES
* Very Fine appearance; the pair has a pre-use horizontal crease mostly along the frameline between stamps
* Worthington’s source code in pencil on back: “11/20/03 New Eng S. Co. ESS.SS” (New England Stamp Company, $900.00)
* Small “W.H.C.” handstamp at lower left (Warren H. Colson)
VIEW PDF OF HISTORY AND COMMENTARY at https://siegelauctions.com/2018/1188/4.pdf
