Sale 1211 — The William H. Gross Collection: United States Postal History

Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 29-30 October, 2019

Category — 1869 Pictorial Issue

Lot
Symbol
Photo/Description
Cat./Est. Value
Realized
524°
c
Sale 1211, Lot 524, 1869 Pictorial IssueThe only recorded cover with 1869 Pictorial and Canadian stamps used together

3¢ Ultramarine (114), horizontal pair, trimmed perfs at left, used with horizontal pair of Canada 1870 3¢ Red, Ottawa Printing, Perf 12 (37), stamps have faults, both pairs tied by circle of wedges cancels and red exchange office circular datestamp ("Apr." clear, but New York or Boston city name is too faint to determine) on small narrow cover to London, England, red "London Paid" receiving datestamp with 1870 year date, opened on three sides, Fine appearance, this is the only recorded cover with the 1869 Pictorial Issue used in conjunction with Canadian stamps--the first 3¢ Small Queen stamps were issued in January 1870 from the Ottawa printing, this April 1870 cover bears a pair from the early printing, there are no Canadian postal markings; therefore, it appears that this cover was first prepaid with Canadian stamps for the 6¢ rate to England, then the U.S. stamps were applied for the corresponding rate to England from a U.S. origin point, the cover was probably carried outside the mails to Boston or New York and mailed from there, ex Stark (Ashbrook files), Ishikawa and Kuphal ("European's Large Gold" collection), illustrated in Ashbrook Special Service, #7, p. 41, photo 29

E. 2,000-3,000
5,750