DESCRIPTION

5¢ Red Brown (1), horizontal strip of three in gorgeous deep shade with lots of orange on deeply blued paper--a late printing from the cleaned plate, which in our opinion and Ashbrook's opinion is Brown Orange--large margins except in one small spot at top right where frameline is touched, used with 10¢ Black, Double Transfer Type B (2-B), Position 31R, major double transfer in "Post Office," mostly ample to full margins, intense shade, all four stamps tied by neat single stroke of pen on fresh blue folded letter from Augusta, Georgia, to Belfast, Ireland, datelined "Augusta 30 November 1850" with sender's route directive "P. Mail Steam Packet to Liverpool, Mail Paid P Stamp," the only U.S. postal marking (other than the cancel) is a red "3" handstamp for 3¢ credit to Great Britain--carried by Collins Line Atlantic, departing New York on December 7, 1850, and arriving at Liverpool December 19--red "America Liverpool Paid DE 19 A50" rimless datestamp, blue "Belfast DE 20 1850 M" receiving backstamp

PROVENANCE

Otto M. A. Bacher, Ph.D. (Westminster Stamp Co., London)

H. R. Harmer London sale, 10/2/1945, lot 251

Siegel Sale 358, 9/25-27/1969, lot 91, where the distinctive 5¢ shade was described as Brown Orange (it is certified as Red Brown), to Dr. Kapiloff

Dr. Leonard Kapiloff, Siegel Auction Galleries, 1999 Rarities of the World, 5/15/1999, Sale 811, lot 30, to Feldman

David Feldman, The "Emerald" Collection, D. Feldman SA sale, 5/15/2003, lot 41005, to William H. Gross

CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES

USPCS census no. 1075 https://www.uspcs.org/resource-center/censuses/1847-cover-census/

Stanley B. Ashbrook index card files at The Philatelic Foundation-- Ashbrook comments on the 5¢ "Plate 2" color and impression, which refers to late printing from the cleaned plate, the photo has Ashbrook's identification of shade as Brown Orange

CERTIFICATION

The Philatelic Foundation (1999)

CONDITION NOTES

Extremely Fine; 5¢ insignificant small tear at top of center stamp just touches design (not noted on certificate)

HISTORY AND COMMENTARY

The Only 5¢ and 10¢ Combination Cover to Ireland

As of February 15, 1849, the new postal treaty between the United States and Britain commenced, officially ending the punitive Retaliatory Rate period. Both sides agreed to a reciprocal 24¢ rate (or one shilling). For letters to Great Britain, including the British Isles, a credit of either 3¢ or 19¢ was given, depending on whether it was carried by a British or U.S. steamship.

The cover offered here was written from Augusta, Georgia, on November 30, 1850. The addressee, William J. C. Allen, was secretary to the Royal Belfast Academical Institution in 1851. There are no markings to indicate where it entered the post office before it reached New York City--the stamps are cancelled by a pen stroke, and the red "3" handstamp was applied at the New York foreign-mail office. Since it was bagged for the Collins Line steamer, the credit to Great Britain was 3¢, and the U.S. retained 21¢ (5¢ shore-to-ship postage and 16¢ ocean postage, excluding the 1¢ overpayment).

Only four combination covers with 5¢ and 10¢ 1847 stamps paying the 24¢ rate to Great Britain (1¢ overpayment) are recorded, listed at bottom with USPCS 1847 census numbers. The two additional entries are a front only (*) and a cover with the 5¢ replaced (**).

Two of the below-listed covers were carried by a U.S. steamship: the cover to Scotland (#3) and this cover to Ireland (#2). The others were carried by British steamers and have 19¢ credit handstamps.

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