Sale 1211 — The William H. Gross Collection: United States Postal History
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 29-30 October, 2019
Category — 1851 3¢ Orange Brown and Red Shades
The largest recorded block of the 3¢ 1851 on cover and a marvelous use to Denmark3¢ Dull Red, Type II (11A), Positions 13-18/23-28R3, block of twelve, large margins to slightly in on four stamps, four stamps cancelled by manuscript squiggles, tied by "Braunfels, Tex. Oct. 3" (1856) circular datestamp on bluish gray folded cover to Gettorf, Schleswig-Holstein, then under Danish crown rule, sender's directive "pr prussian closed mail" at lower left--carried on the Cunarder Niagara, departing Boston on October 22, 1856, and arriving at Liverpool November 2--red "N. York Br. Pkt. 7 Paid Oct. 21" 7¢ credit datestamp, the foreign-mail office applied the 7¢ credit instead of 12¢, so this was marked as paid to Prussia only and not to its final destination, red "AACHEN 4 11 FRANCO" (November 4) framed datestamp, red framed "Franco Preuss:/resp. Vereinsl:AusgGr" handstamp (paid only to limits of German-Austrian Postal Union), "St.P.A. 5 Nov 56" oval datestamp on back, "KDOPA HAMBURG 9/11" (November 9) Royal Danish Postal Agency in Hamburg double-circle backstamp, red crayon "9" Danish skillings due
Very Fine appearance; the block was originally folded over the top edge of cover, which has been refolded and pressed out for display, stamps with few faults.
This block is reported to be the largest multiple of the 3¢ 1851 Issue on cover. The franking pays the 35¢ Prussian Closed Mail rate, but it was treated as paid only to the border and Danish postage was collected.
Ex Robert S. Emerson, Dr. Carroll Chase, Col. Oliver S. Picher, Tracy W. Simpson, Ryohei Ishikawa and Joseph Hackmey. Illustrated in U.S. Classics Society Silver Anniversary Booklet (p. 14) and Simpson's U.S. Postal Markings (p. 291).
