Sale 1211 — The William H. Gross Collection: United States Postal History
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 29-30 October, 2019
Category — 1861-1866 Issue
Fantastic matching pair of covers with 2¢ Black Jack vertical bisects from the same multiple2¢ Black, Vertical Half Used as 1¢ (73d), two covers bearing bisects, first is a double rate (6¢) with two bisects in pairs, each with a single normal stamp, second is a single rate (3¢) with one bisect in a pair with a normal stamp, this bisect represents the left half of the left pair on the first cover, formerly a strip of three, both covers are addressed to the Otsego County Bank in Cooperstown N.Y., dated October 26 and 28 (1865 based on enclosure), right stamp of the 6¢ cover with trimmed perfs at right and scissors-cut into design at bottom right, Very Fine appearance and a fascinating matched pair of covers, the use of two 2¢ bisects on the 6¢ rate cover instead of three normal Black Jack stamps indicates that the sender prepared a batch of these "3¢" pairs in anticipation of sending several letters, when one required a double rate he simply used two of his bisect pairs
