St. Louis, Missouri, 5c Black on Bluish Pelure (11X7). Type I re-engraved, Position 1, margins to just in, cancelled solely by red "PAID" handstamp, light crease at lower right

FINE APPEARANCE AND ESSENTIALLY SOUND. AN EXCEPTIONALLY ATTRACTIVE EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT ST. LOUIS PROVISIONAL ON PELURE PAPER, CANCELLED SOLELY BY THE RED "PAID" HANDSTAMP.

Pelure paper was used for the last printing after the 20c denomination on Positions 1 and 3 was burnished out and the 5c values were re-engraved. At the time of this modification to the plate, Position 5 was slightly altered by adding a dot within the bottom ball of the figure "5", as visible on this example. Stamps on pelure paper are almost always seriously defective, just like Hawaiian "Missionaries" printed on similar paper. This stamp, with only a minor crease, is in essentially sound condition.

A survey of our Levi records and auction catalogues produced a tally of approximately 35 examples of the 5c Pelure off and on cover. The vast majority have faults or margins cutting into the design. Most are pen-cancelled. We regard this as one of the finest, by virtue of its condition, the red handstamped "Paid" cancel and absence of manuscript cancel.

Ex T. Cullen Davis ("Texas Collector", Sale 278). From our 1975 Rarities sale where offered with the five surrounding stamps as part of a complete plate reconstruction (also from our 2012 Rarities sale). With 2012 P.F. certificate

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