DESCRIPTION

5¢ Orange Brown, 10¢ Black (1b, 2), 5¢ horizontal strip of five, vivid color on strongly blued paper from a late printing--we are inclined to classify this shade as the Brown Orange--large margins except close at bottom of center stamp, 10¢ large margins at sides, ample at bottom and just in at top, fine impression, all six stamps tied by an equal number of strikes of vivid red 9-bar open grid cancel, matching "Mic. Central R.R. Mic. Apr. 4" (1851) Michigan Central Railroad route agent's circular datestamp on white envelope to Heidelberg, Baden, Germany, red "New-York Apr. 8" ocean mail circular datestamp (with "SHIP" removed) on back--carried on the Ocean Line Washington, departing New York on April 19, 1851, and arriving at Bremerhaven on May 5 after stopping at Southampton--black "PAID PART" straightline handstamp applied at New York to indicate prepayment of United States portion of postage (10¢ over-300 miles rate plus 24¢ ocean postage), red "AMERICA/UBER BREMEN" handstamp applied at the Hanover post office in Bremen, the same office applied red "1-1/3" gutegroschen handstamp indicating Hanover transit fee, the Thurn & Taxis office converted this to 6 kreuzers and added its 6 kreuzers transit fee--written as "6/6" in red--to which 4 kreuzers internal Baden postage was added for a total of 16 kreuzers due, written as a large "12" in black, Heidelberg backstamp (May 9)

PROVENANCE

C. R. Hurd, Daniel F. Kelleher sale, 1/11/1928, lot 180, to Gibson

Henry C. Gibson, Sr., Ward sale, 6/14-15/1944, lot 31, to Harry Keffer (either as agent for Meroni or later sold to Meroni)

Charles F. Meroni, John A. Fox sale, 11/10-14/1952, lot 1306, to Baker

J. David Baker, Siegel Auction Galleries, 4/4/1978, Sale 526, lot 57, to Dr. Kapiloff

Dr. Leonard Kapiloff, Siegel Auction Galleries, 1999 Rarities of the World, 5/15/1999, Sale 811, lot 28, to William H. Gross

CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES

USPCS census no. 12575 https://www.uspcs.org/resource-center/censuses/1847-cover-census/

Gordon Eubanks, Jr., "Covers with Three or More 1847 Stamps," Chronicle 254, fig. 8

Burkhard Krumm, "1847 Covers to the German States," Chronicle 256, fig. 9

Scott R. Trepel, "United States Classic Covers" (special color feature for Ameripex 1986), Chronicle 130, May 1986

CONDITION NOTES

Very Fine; 5¢ at center has sharp pre-use crease ending in small tear, Gibson backstamp

HISTORY AND COMMENTARY

Multiple Rare Elements in the Famous Heidelberg Cover

This cover is one of four 10¢ 1847 covers to Germany, and it is one of the few 1847 covers with either denomination carried by the Ocean Line. While that statement would suffice to make any cover stand out, this cover is even more significant. It is a combination franking with the 5¢ and 10¢ 1847 Issue, and the 5¢ stamps are in an extremely rare strip of five. The 5¢ strip is from a late printing in a beautiful Orange Brown shade (arguably Brown Orange). The envelope was carried on the Central Railroad of Michigan and has the route agent's datestamp, which is rarely seen on 1847 covers (only six recorded in USPCS census). At this point, we arrive at the most important historical aspect of this cover--it was prepaid 34¢ (with an unavoidable 1¢ overpayment) for the treaty rate to Germany for mail carried by an Ocean Line steamer.

Covers which have achieved iconic status are named, and this cover has been known to collectors as the Heidelberg cover for decades. A little background history will help put this cover in context.

The U.S. postal reforms of 1845 set in motion the post office's efforts to establish a subsidized American transatlantic mail line with regular routes to and from Europe. The creation of the Ocean Steam Navigation Company and successful negotiation of the U.S.-Bremen postal treaty of 1847 were consequences of this long and involved process, the history of which has been documented by students here and abroad. An excellent series of articles on the subject, including research by Wolfgang Diesner and Richard F. Winter, has appeared in the Chronicle (126, 129, 149 and 159), which updates earlier published work by George E. Hargest. More recently, Dwayne Littauer and Burkhard Krumm have made valuable contributions on this subject.

1847 Issue covers carried by the Ocean Line are very scarce, as are 1847 covers to Germany (fewer than 35 covers can be verified). Only four of the five 10¢ 1847 covers to Germany have been verified. The Heidelberg cover and the cover offered in lot 159 were carried on the same voyage of the Washington.

Lyman D. Norris was studying civil law in Heidelberg when he received this cover. In 1852 Norris represented Dred Scott when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Scott could not sue for his freedom, because he was property, not a person.

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