HAWAII, 1859, 2c Dark Blue, Comma after “Cents” (13b). Plate 1-A, Type X (Westerberg Position 2), top sheet margin, other sides large to huge except where a bit irregular at left, dark shade and strong impression typical of First Printing, tied by manuscript “Kau” cancellation and brownish-black “Collector’s Office/Hilo. Hawaii” in oval handstamp on folded cover addressed with blue ink in Hawaiian to Levi Haalelea at Honolulu, pencil note inside indicates that the letter originated at Ninoles, slight toning

VERY FINE. ONE OF TWO RECORDED FULL COVERS BEARING A NUMERAL ISSUE FROM PLATE 1-A, AS WELL AS THE UNIQUE EXAMPLE OF THE COMMA AFTER “CENTS” VARIETY ON COVER.

Before August 1859, Hawaiian inter-island mail was carried free of charge by schooners, and there was no charge for letters delivered locally. With the rise in inter-island correspondence came a greater need for collecting postage. In 1859 the postal laws were amended to include a 2c per half-ounce postage rate for inter-island letters (and 1c for printed matter), effective August 1. Drop letters left at and picked up at the same post office were not subject to postage, nor were consignee letters handled by ship captains, as long as they did not go through the post office.

The stamps available in 1859 were 5c and 13c denominations that were unsuitable for inter-island mail. In July 1859 the 1c and 2c Numeral stamps were put on sale through post offices. The stamps were printed from newspaper type on a small hand-operated Ruggles card press. The early printings were made at the offices of Henry M. Whitney’s newspaper, the Pacific Commercial Advertiser. Later printings were made by another private printer and at the Government Printing Office. The different settings of type are called “Plates” by collectors, but the correct printer’s terminology would be typeset “forms.”

The 1859 Numerals were printed in blue ink on bluish white paper. The 2c Blue was printed from Plate 1-A (and possibly two variations, 1-B and 1-C), Plate 3-A and 3-B. Each plate (or setting) comprised ten subjects, forming a complete pane. It is known that some, and possibly all, of the different Numeral stamps were issued in sheets of 50 (five impressions of the setting of ten).

The 1859 Blue Numeral Issue is quite rare on cover. No example of the 1c Blue has been found on cover, and it has been reported that approximately 15 covers exist with the 2c Blue (excluding fronts from the Catholic Mission correspondence).

This remarkable cover is an extremely early use of the Numeral issue. It is one of two complete covers known to us with a stamp from Plate 1-A and the only recorded example of the Comma after “Cents” variety on cover. The other full cover and a front with 2c stamps from Plate 1-A were in the Pietsch collection (Shreves Philatelic Galleries, September 27-28, 1996, lots 1066 and 1069). This stamp and the one on the front show the characteristics we attribute to the First Printing: the Dark Blue shade and strong impression, and, in this Type X position, the Comma after “Cents” variety. The other full cover is offered in this sale as lot 43, and the stamp on that cover shows a distinctly different shade and impression.

The five 2c Blue Numeral stamps with the Comma after “Cents” variety known to us are: 1) Plate 1-A, Ty. X (Pos. 2), tear at right, two holes repaired, ex Honolulu Advertiser; 2) Plate 1-A, Type X (Pos. 2), on cover from Hilo to Honolulu, ex Honolulu Advertiser and Gross, the cover offered here; 3) Plate 1-A, Type X (Pos. 2), off cover, pen cancel, ex Crocker, Pietsch and Steiner; 4) Plate 3-A, Type I (Pos. 3), ex Ishikawa and Golden; and 5) Plate 1-A, Type X (Pos. 2), 2017 Rarities sale.

The cover is also interesting from a postal history perspective. With the introduction of inter-island postage rates and adhesive stamps, postmasters were instructed to “cross the Hawaiian stamps...in ink” pending the distribution of cancelling devices. This is one of the few “Kau” post office markings and the only one on cover. The Kau postmaster, Rev. W. C. Shipman, routed his mail through Hilo from January 1856 to September 1860, after which time the post office sent mails directly between Honolulu and Kau. On this cover, the Hilo office cancelled the stamp a second time with its oval “Collector’s Office” handstamp.

The addressee, Liwai (Levi) Haalelea, was an important figure in Hawaiian history. His wife was Princess Kekauonohi, the granddaughter of Kamehameha I. She was one of the five wives of Kamehameha II and was present on the occasion of the famous meal at which the eating kapu was overturned and with it the entire kapu system in 1819. In 1828 she married Aaron Keliiahonui, son of Kaumualii, the last King of Kauai. One year after his death in 1849, she married Levi Haalelea. She died in Honolulu in June 1851.

Ex Honolulu Advertiser and Gross. With 1976 P.F. certificate. Scott value $12,500.00 on cover is the same as Scott 13, which is more common.

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