Sale 1211 — The William H. Gross Collection: United States Postal History
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 29-30 October, 2019
Category — Civil War Postal History
The only complete postally used set of Lincoln-Davis "5 Rounds" Prize Fight cartoon envelopes--with two additional "The Champion Belt" envelopes--forming one of the most outstanding Civil War Patriotic cover groups extant"CHAMPION PRIZE ENVELOPE LINCOLN & DAVIS IN 5 ROUNDS", five envelopes with cartoon designs comprising the original "5 Rounds" prize fight between U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and C.S.A. President Jefferson Davis, in black on white, imprints at bottom left "Published by J. H. TINGLEY 152-1/2 Fulton St. N. Y." and at bottom right "Entered according to Act of Congress in the Year 1861 by T. S. Peirce in the Clerks Office of the Southern District of New York", all five from one correspondence to John E. Miller in Oxford, New York, with "Princeton N.J." circular datestamp (Rounds 1, 3-5) and "Hamilton N.Y." circular datestamp (Round 2), each with 3¢ Rose (65) tied by grid or datestamp, and two additional envelopes with variation of 5th Round "The Champion Belt" design with new caption "ARMY ENVELOPE OR THE UNION WE FIGHT FOR", one in red on white with "Port Royal S.C. Apr. 19" circular datestamp and "Due 3" straightline handstamp, and other in red on buff with "Georgetown D.C. Feb. 11" circular datestamp tying 3¢ Rose (65)
Very Fine overall condition; covers with some minor edgewear, 1st Round with small nicks from opening, not seriously affecting appearance, some hinge residue on backs, and the red on buff envelope slightly reduced.
Although unused sets of the famous Lincoln-Davis Prize Fight envelopes are offered with some frequency, there are very few used examples of any of these designs. George Walcott, the pioneering collector of Civil War Patriotics whose collection was sold in 1935, owned the 2nd through 5th Rounds and the red on white "Champion Belt" design (lots 164-168 in Walcott sale--all five offered here), but evidently he was missing the 1st Round and the red on buff "Champion Belt" variation. Katherine Matthies acquired all five of Walcott's covers and added the 1st Round to complete the set. The Matthies set was acquired by Blake Myers, and when his collection of Union Patriotics was sold by Christie's Robson Lowe (3/12-13/1991), the six Lincoln-Davis Prize Fight covers sold to Janos Gabriel, who added the "Champion Belt" red on buff cover. All seven were sold to William H. Gross in Siegel Sale 784 (lot 2126).
2nd-5th Rounds and "Champion Belt" red on white, ex George Walcott; the Walcott set plus 1st Round, ex Katherine Matthies, Blake Myers and Janos Gabriel; additional "Champion Belt" red on buff, ex Gabriel.
