Sale 1211 — The William H. Gross Collection: United States Postal History
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 29-30 October, 2019
Category — 1851 12¢ Black
A breathtaking mixed-issue franking with 1¢ and 12¢ 1851 Imperforate stamps and the 1857 10¢ Perforated Issue, including a strip of five of the scarce 10¢ Type I, Scott 31-- a total of $2.50 postage paying the 25-times 10¢ transcontinental rate from California12¢ Black (17), nine stamps in three horizontal strips of three, margins vary from large to slightly in, used with two 1¢ Blue, Type IV (9), one has huge margins, other huge to deeply cut in, and fourteen 1857 Perforated 10¢ Green, Types I, II and III (31, 32, 33), including a Type I horizontal strip of five, Positions 91-95L1, vertical pair Types II/III, two Type III horizontal pairs and three singles (two Type II, one Type III), all stamps tied by "San Francisco Cal. Oct. 10, 1857" circular datestamps on large blue cover to Coleman & Bailey, Baltimore, Maryland, with "U.S.A." designation in address, suggesting this originated from somewhere outside the United States
Fine appearance; stamps have faults, left strip of 12¢ repaired, the cover is professionally cleaned and pressed with cosmetic improvements; part of backflap missing.
Elliott Perry remarked about this cover, "I have never seen anything like this in my life."
The firm of Coleman & Bailey, the addressee, was a ship chandler and operator of omnibuses, located at 105 and 107 Thames Street in Baltimore (1858 city directory).
Ex Philip G. Rust, Tito Giamporcaro and Joseph Hackmey. With 1999 P.F. certificate.
