HAWAII, 1851, 5c Blue (2). Type I--the lefthand position in the setting of two--three large margins, touched along frameline at left but the line is intact, tied by clear strike of red “Honolulu * Hawaiian- Islands * Jul. 12” (1854) circular datestamp on front only from Charles H. Wetmore to William R. Gay in Lebanon, Connecticut, clear strikes of “San Francisco Cal. 16 Aug.” circular datestamp with “SHIP” and “12” handstamps (10c U.S. collect rate plus 2c ship captain’s fee), the stamp has been lifted and backed with protective tissue for preservation purposes, there is a sealed tear at right and a couple of tiny flaws, but no paper addition or repainting, the front itself has the right edge extended slightly and skillful cosmetic restoration, the overall appearance is quite beautiful

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THIS IS THE ONLY 5-CENT HAWAIIAN MISSIONARY STAMP TIED BY THE HONOLULU DATESTAMP AMONG THE TEN RECORDED COVERS OR, IN THIS CASE, COVER FRONT.

Ten 5c Missionary covers (including this front) are recorded in our census and the Gregory census. Included in this total are the Dawson 2c/5c cover and the 5c cover acquired by the Smithsonian National Postal Museum in the Honolulu Advertiser sale, leaving eight 5c covers for collectors. The front offered here is the only one on which the stamp is tied by the Honolulu datestamp. In this case, it is the “Honolulu * Hawaiian Islands *” version, since the United States postage was not prepaid.

This cover was carried on the schooner Restless, which cleared Honolulu on July 13, 1854, and arrived in San Francisco on August 9. The San Francisco datestamp was applied on the same day it was carried by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company’s Oregon, departing on August 16 and arriving at Panama City around August 30. The mail was carried across the isthmus to Aspinwall, and from there it left on the U.S. Mail Steamship Company’s Empire City, departing September 2 and arriving in New York on September 12. The recipient, William R. Gay of Lebanon, Connecticut, paid the 12c United States postage, which included 10c for the unpaid transcontinental rate and 2c for the ship captain’s fee.

Although there is no content or docketing, this was sent by Dr. Charles H. Wetmore. The recipient was a member of the Wetmore family, and the writing precisely matches the writing on the letter offered in lot 7 in our Sale 1126 (in particular, the “U.S.A.” with underscoring).

John K. Bash recorded this Missionary as owned at one time by Frank J. Dutcher (1850-1930). Dutcher, a wealthy member of the Hopedale Community in Massachusetts, was the first president of the Draper Corporation, which later became a division of the Rockwell Corporation. Little has been written about Dutcher’s stamp-collecting activity, but he was a collector of substantial means in the 1890s and a member of the Collectors Club of New York. The Millbury postmaster’s provisional cover we sold in our sale of the Frelinghuysen collection (Sale 1020, lot 15) was also owned by Dutcher.

The item passed from Dutcher to Caspary, possibly through an interim owner. The careful preservation measures were probably done during or possibly before Caspary’s ownership. Its appearance has not changed since the 1957 Caspary sale catalogue was published. In the 1963 Burrus sale catalogue, it was described as “picturesque,” a perfect adjective to describe its colorful character.

Siegel census no. 2-I-COV-68. Illustrated in Gregory book (page 397). Ex Dutcher, Caspary, Burrus, Middendorf, Ishikawa, Pietsch and Gross. Also stated to be ex Krug in past sale catalogues, but Krug’s Hawaii was sold privately and we have no way to confirm that provenance.

With 1963 (copy) and 2016 P.F. certificates. Scott value for cover $90,000.00

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