Sale 1211 — The William H. Gross Collection: United States Postal History
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 29-30 October, 2019
Category — 1847 Issue— 10¢ Bisected Usage
An outstanding 10¢ 1847 bisect cancelled in grayish blue, paying the 5¢ under-300 miles rate from Mineral Point, Wisconsin, to the postmaster of Hampton, Illinois10¢ Black, Diagonal Half Used as 5¢ (2a), upper right diagonal half, large margins at top and right, tied across the cut by bold dark grayish blue grid cancel with matching double-struck "Mineral Point W.T. 27 May" (1851) circular datestamp and "PAID" straightline handstamp on folded letter to the postmaster of Hampton, Rock Island County, Illinois, the letter asks the postmaster to forward any letters he may be holding for Isaac Smith (himself) and two other names, the Mineral Point datestamp still has the "W.T." territorial initials, but Wisconsin became a state three years earlier on May 29, 1848
Extremely Fine--an unusually choice 10¢ 1847 bisect on cover from Wisconsin.
The USPCS census records three bisects used from Mineral Point, Wisconsin, which did receive 5¢ stamps, but apparently ran short during a brief period. This cover is easily the finest of the three--one of the others is a cover front only.
This cover was sold in a Hugh C. Barr sale on 12/19-20/1941 and then in an Irwin Heiman sale 11/21-22/1975, where acquired by Haas. Ex Marc Haas, Duane B. Garrett and John R. Boker, Jr. With 1986 P.F. certificate.
