DESCRIPTION

5¢ Red Brown (1), large margins to clear, bright shade, used with Canada, 1851, 3p Red on Laid (1), large margins to just clear where bottom right corner clipped, used on folded letter from the United States to Canada, datelined "Scottsville May 3 1851" and addressed to Thomas R. Merritt at St. Catharines, red grid cancel struck twice--one tying 5¢ and other cancelling 3p at origin--matching red "Rochester N.Y. May 4" (1851) circular datestamp, red "U. STATES" in arc handstamp (Type A-2, probably applied at Lewiston, New York), black "Queenston U.C. May 6, 1851" circular datestamp also ties 5¢ stamp, no due markings which indicates the 3p Beaver stamp was accepted at the U.S. origin and Canadian receiving post offices, receipt docketing "Scofield & Co., May 3d 1851"

PROVENANCE

Hermann Wollenberger (given to grandson, Robert Friend), Ashbrook index card files

J. M. Bartels "Rarity" sale, 4/27/1940, lot 7

Barrett G. Hindes, H. R. Harmer sale, 1/23/1968, lot 22

Dr. John L. Robertson, Bennett sale, 9/23/2004, lot 138, to Hackmey

Joseph Hackmey (collection sold privately to William H. Gross, 2010)

CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES

USPCS census no. 9024 https://www.uspcs.org/resource-center/censuses/1847-cover-census/

Winthrop S. Boggs, The Postage Stamps and Postal History of Canada, p. 77, fig. 34

Lester G. Brookman, United States Postage Stamps of the 19th Century, Vol. I, p. 24, fig. 21

Ed Richardson, "Philatelic Byways Thru 19th Century B.N.A. Victorian Canada," The Stamp Specialist, 1944 Maroon Book, p. 78

CERTIFICATION

The Philatelic Foundation (1959 and 2004)

CONDITION NOTES

Very Fine; 3p light soiling and small crease, cover with faint waterstains (the latter not noted on certificate)

Signed by Stanley B. Ashbrook with note "after a very careful examination it is my opinion that this rare cover is absolutely genuine" (September 15, 1944)

HISTORY AND COMMENTARY

The Unique Beaver Cover to Canada

As explained in the History and Commentary section of the previous lot description, the 1851 postal treaty created a reciprocal postage rate--6 pence in Canada and 10 cents in the U.S.--without any need for cumbersome postage collection. The new agreement went into effect on April 6, 1851. On April 23, 1851, Canada's first issue of postage stamps became available. The 3-pence stamp was an orange-red, rectangular design depicting a beaver--it is familiarly known to stamp collectors as the Beaver.

The time between the release date of Canada's first issue and the last day the 1847 Issue was valid for postage in the U.S. is 69 days. During this brief period, the first issues of both countries, printed by the same firm--Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson--could be used on the same letter, but only under very unusual circumstances, which technically skirted the rules of the new treaty, but were nonetheless practiced and accepted by post offices on both sides.

Three covers and two pieces are recorded with mixed frankings of Canada 3p Beaver and 1847 Issue stamps (all 5¢). Two of the covers and both pieces originated in Canada. The Beaver and single 5¢ cover is addressed to New York City (offered in lot 146), and both stamps were cancelled in Canada. The other cover from Canada is addressed to England and has a strip of 5¢ stamps, which was not cancelled until the cover reached New York City. The cover offered here was mailed in the opposite direction, from Scottsville, New York, to Canada. Scottsville is located near Rochester, where it was postmarked. It traveled about 90 miles west to Lewiston, New York, an exchange office for cross-border mail, and was carried another 10 miles to St. Catharines, Canada.

Stanley B. Ashbrook made note of this cover after it first appeared in one of the J. M. Bartels "Rarity" sales, held on April 27, 1940. Ashbrook's index card notes state that the original owner was Hermann Wollenberger, a Chicago resident, who informed Ashbrook on December 12, 1942, that he had given the cover to his grandson, Robert Friend. The cover later appeared in the 1968 Barrett G. Hindes sale held by H. R. Harmer. It may have been acquired in that sale by Dr. John L. Robertson. When the Robertson collection was sold by Bennett in 2004, it was bought by Joseph Hackmey. The entire Hackmey collection was acquired by William H. Gross in 2010. With the acquisition of the Hackmey collection, Mr. Gross became the first collector to own all three 1847/Beaver mixed-franking covers.

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