5c Brown Orange (1d). Horizontal pair, large margins to just in at left, rich shade, slight gum staining and small inclusion in left stamp, cancelled by two clear strikes of red Sunburst fancy cancel with matching "Little Miami R.R. Jun. 10" route agent's circular datestamp on cover to Newtown Pa., couple light gum residue spots on cover

VERY FINE. A NEW DISCOVERY. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE LITTLE MIAMI RAILROAD "SUNBURST" FANCY CANCELLATION ON THE 1847 ISSUE.

According to the Alexander census, two Little Miami R.R. route agents received 1,000 5c and 200 10c 1847 stamps. The Brown Orange shade of the pair on this cover indicates 1851 usage. There are four other Little Miami R.R. cover with 1847 stamps in the Alexander census, including two 5c covers (8/7/1850 and 5/3/18??), a strip of five and single 10c on legal-size cover (6/1/1851, ex Wyer) and a single 10c (3/16/18??). None of these has the Sunburst fancy cancel. According to Remele, the Little Miami R.R. was chartered in 1836 and completed between Cincinnati and Xenia in 1845. It was eventually incorporated into the Philadelphia railroad system.

Fancy "killer" cancels are extremely rare in the 1847-51 period. The term "killer" to describe the cancel was actually used by New York Postmaster Robert H. Morris. Although fancy rate markings from the pre-stamp era were used to cancel 1847 stamps, fancy cancels created for the specific purpose of "killing" stamps did not become popular until the 1850's. Fancy "killer" cancels on 1847's, such as the St. Johnsbury Vt. Scarab, Trenton N.J. Star and Binghampton N.Y. Herringbone, have been known to collectors and highly prized for years. This Little Miami R.R. Sunburst, to the best of our knowledge, has not been recorded before the recent emergence of this cover in an estate.

With 2006 P.F. certificate

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