Sale 1211 — The William H. Gross Collection: United States Postal History
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 29-30 October, 2019
Category — 1893 Columbian and 1898 Trans-Mississippi Issues
Complete set of Columbian Issue stamps used on five covers to New York City with World's Fair Station registry datestamps--a spectacular groupDESCRIPTION
1¢-$5.00 Columbian (230-245), complete set of 16 values arranged on four legal-size covers and one letter-size cover sent by registered mail from the Columbian World's Fair post office, addressed in the same hand to Paul Weidnor, in care of J. Marsching & Co. in New York City, the four legal-size covers with stamps tied by "World's Fair Sta., Chicago Ill. Sep. 22 12:30PM, 1893" duplex datestamp and oval grid cancels, blue and purple registry numbers 52638-52641 and 46495-46498, letter-size cover with $2.00 and $4.00 tied by World's Fair Station September 28 machine cancels, blue registry number 55298 and purple number 52359, all have the red "REGISTERED/ [DATE] /World's Fair Station/ CHICAGO, ILL." four-line datestamp (legal-size dated September 22 and letter-size September 28), all have "RECEIVED/ [DATE] 1893/CHICAGO, ILL." three-line backstamp in blue-green (September 22 and 28 dates), "C" in circle backstamps (September 24 and 30 dates)
PROVENANCE
Jack Rosenthal (sold privately)
CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES
USPCS census nos. 97, 102, 103 and 106 for dollar-values only
CERTIFICATION
The Philatelic Foundation (1980) issued to Dr. Werner R. Fleischer
CONDITION NOTES
Fine-Very Fine centered stamps on attractive covers; each cover has a vertical fold at center which does not affect stamps; 3¢/4¢/$3 cover with 4¢ and $3.00 stamps slightly toned; 1¢/2¢/$5.00 cover has few toned perfs on all three stamps and the $5.00 is faulty at bottom left
HISTORY AND COMMENTARY
The Columbian World's Fair Dollar Values
The World's Columbian Exposition was held in Chicago in 1893 to promote industry, commerce, technology, the arts and social causes. Over 183 days, from May 1 to October 30, the Columbian Exposition attracted nearly 27 million visitors to the specially constructed "White City," to see exhibits, amusements and demonstrations, and to ride the original Ferris Wheel.
The Columbian Exposition also provided the Post Office Department with its first opportunity to capitalize on the increasingly popular hobby of stamp collecting with the country's first commemorative postage stamps. Postmaster General John Wanamaker, a successful businessman and department store owner, sensed an opportunity to profit from stamp collectors by creating a special Columbian commemorative set. The sixteen Columbian stamps, commemorating the 400th anniversary of Columbus's voyage to America, were issued in denominations ranging from 1¢ to $5.00, for a total face value of $16.34--about $411 in today's dollars. Postmaster General Wanamaker's own words make it clear that the Columbian stamps were issued to find a place in collectors' albums, but contrary to contemporary criticism in the lay and philatelic press, the dollar-value stamps did pay legitimate postage rates on heavy packages.
Stamp collectors were by far the most prolific users of Columbian stamps above the 2¢ denomination. The first commemorative stamps also inspired philatelic-minded correspondents to create covers with complete or part sets, affixed together on one large envelope or on a series of envelopes. These covers are characterized as "philatelic," meaning that the colorful frankings and other unusual features were deliberately prepared for collectors. Philatelic covers survive as artifacts of the Gilded Age, when collectors such as Ayer, Deats, Ferrary, Tapling and others were investing extraordinary sums of money in building the world's first monumental collections of stamps.
The most desirable Columbian philatelic covers are those with dollar values. An outstanding study of the Columbian dollar-value stamps and covers was published by Dr. Richard M. Searing in the Chronicle and updated by Mike Ludeman (available online at www.uspcs.org).
This set of covers was addressed to an individual in care of J. Marsching & Co., located at 27 Park Place in lower Manhattan. This firm was one of the largest importers of oxides and chemicals used by potters and glass manufacturers. The handwriting style indicates the sender was someone of European origin and education.
