Sale 1188 — United States Stamp Treasures: The William H. Gross Collection
Sale Date — Wednesday, 3 October, 2018
Category — 1869 Pictorial Issue, including the Unique Block of the 24c Invert
The only recorded intact cover with the 10¢ 1869 Pictorial and French stamps used together in a mixed franking during the post-treaty period--one of the most outstanding 1869 Pictorial Issue covers extantDESCRIPTION
10¢ Yellow (116), intense shade, perfs in at top, tied by circle of wedges cancel, used in combination with France 1867-68 20c Blue and 40c Orange, Napoleon III (33, 35a), both French stamps tied by a single strike of Anchor in Diamond of Dots cancel, 20c also tied by red “Etats- Unis Paq. Fr. H. No. 1 5 Fevr. 70” (February 5, 1870) French Ligne H octagonal datestamp and matching framed “P.P.” (Paid to Port) handstamp--the French stamps and markings were applied on the ship in New York harbor--on blue folded cover to Bordeaux, France, red “New York Feb. 5” circular datestamp, “H. Astie & Co. New-York Feb. 4, 1870” blue oval datestamp applied by sender--this was carried on the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique line’s Péreire, which departed New York on February 5, 1870 (the date of the New York and Ligne H postmarks) and arrived at Brest on February 16 and Le Havre the next day--three backstamps including Paris and Paris-to-Bordeaux railway (both February 17) and Bordeaux (February 18), back panel docketed with February 4 correspondence date
PROVENANCE
* Dr. Joseph Schatzkés
* Edgar Kuphal (“A European’s Large Gold Collection of The 1869 Pictorial Issue”), Siegel Auction Galleries, 12/13/1999, Sale 819, lot 2251, to William H. Gross
CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES
* Michael Laurence, United States Ten-Cent 1869 Covers: A Postal Historical Survey, fig. 14-5, p. 170
CONDITION NOTES
* Very Fine; trivial small sealed tear in cover at right, file fold at bottom clear of stamps
* Roger Calves handstamp at lower right
VIEW PDF OF HISTORY AND COMMENTARY at https://siegelauctions.com/2018/1188/86.pdf
