An astounding combination of four different 1869 Pictorial Re-Issue stamps on a registered cover to Germany--this March 20, 1880, date is the earliest documented use of no less than three of the four Re-Issues (2¢, 12¢ and 15¢), and the cover is widely regarded as one of the greatest covers bearing any of the 1875 Re-Issues

DESCRIPTION

1¢ Buff, 2¢ Brown, 12¢ Green, 15¢ Brown & Blue, 1875 Re-Issue of 1869 Pictorial Issue (123, 124, 128, 129), four stamps tied by "New York R" registry oval cancels on large cover to Brunswick, Germany, stamps paying four-times 5¢ U.P.U. rate for two ounces plus the 10¢ registry fee, sender's route and ship-name directive "Via England per City of Chester", two clear strikes of purple "REGISTERED/MAR. 20, 1880/NEW YORK P.O." three-line datestamp, German registry label, New York registry and Brunswick receiving backstamps, the return address "3 Veasy St" on back was the location of N. F. Seebeck, one of the stamp dealers who used 1869 Re-Issues

PROVENANCE

Marc Haas, Stanley Gibbons Auctions Ltd. (London), 5/9/1980, lot 252

Leonard Sheriff, Siegel Auction Galleries, 12/11-12/1985, Sale 655, lot 481, to Coulter

Elliott H. Coulter, Siegel Auction Galleries, 5/12/2006, Sale 911, lot 340, to William H. Gross

CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES

Siegel census no. 129-COV-01 https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/129

CERTIFICATION

The

Philatelic Foundation (1986)

CONDITION NOTES

Extremely Fine appearance; vertical fold in cover, 15¢ pulled corner perf, 1¢ small sealed tear

HISTORY AND COMMENTARY

The 1869 Pictorial Re-Issues

The stamps called Reproductions, Reprints, Re-Issues and Special Printings were created by the Post Office Department to exhibit every United States stamp at the 1876 Centennial, and to furnish examples to collectors. The program began in 1875 and ended in 1883, and was managed by the Third Assistant Postmaster General's office. Invoices were made for all sales, listing the denomination, quantity sold and name of purchaser. Unsold stamps were destroyed on July 3, 1884.

To have an inventory to fill orders, postal officials authorized the printers under contract to make special printings. For the 1847 Issue, new dies and plates with different engravings were made by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing--these are Reproductions (Scott 3-4). Stamps no longer valid for postage, but which could be reprinted using the original die designs are Reprints (Scott 40-47, PR5-PR7 and LO3-LO6). Those still valid for postage are called Re-Issues (Scott 102-111, 123-133a)--they were printed either from the original plates or from plates created for the Special Printing program. Re-Issues can be found cancelled and, in rare cases, used on cover. Finally, the special-order printings of currently circulating issues are called Special Printings, which include the Bank Note regular issues (Scott 167-177, 180-181, 192-204, 205C, 211B, 211D), and Postage Dues, Officials and Newspapers & Periodicals stamps (the Official stamps received "Specimen" overprints).

The 1847 Reproductions were presumably printed at the Bureau, where the imitation dies and plates were made. The 1861-66 and 1869 Re-Issues were printed by the National Bank Note Co. The 1851-57 Reprints and 1875 Bank Note stamps on hard paper were printed by the Continental Bank Note Co. The American Bank Note Co. printed the 1879-83 Special Printings on soft paper. The 1861-66 and 1869 Re-Issues are the only sets with gum.

This four-stamp combination cover is considered to be the most spectacular of all 1875 Re-Issue covers. Together with the 3¢ 1869 Pictorial Re-Issue cover, ex Caspary, the two covers are considered to be the most important of their kind. As always, there was a philatelic motivation behind using the re-issued stamps. However, despite the demand for cancelled off-cover stamps to sell to European collectors, this cover survived intact. The number of known covers for each stamp is shown in parentheses: No. 123 (7), 2¢ (3), 12¢ (2), and 15¢ (4).

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