St. Louis Mo., 5c Black on Bluish (11X7). Type V (Position 3 re-engraved) at left and Type IV (Position 1 re-engraved) at right, each with ample margins almost all around, just barely in in places, tied by single penstroke and tied together by bright red "Paid" handstamp, matching strike with manuscript "10" rate and "St. Louis Mo. Apr. 8" (1847) circular datestamp on front (with one side panel) to J. & J. Stuart & Co. in New York City, vertical file fold through one stamp, but barely affecting it

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF SIX RECORDED COVERS OR FRONTS BEARING THE RARE ST. LOUIS 5-CENT "BEARS" PROVISIONAL ON PELURE PAPER, OF WHICH THREE HAVE MULTIPLE FRANKINGS. A SENSATIONAL UNITED STATES PROVISIONAL RARITY AND CERTAINLY ONE OF THE HIGHEST RANKING ST. LOUIS "BEARS" ITEMS EXTANT.

The second and final alteration to the St. Louis "Bears" plate restored the two "5" (cent) denominations to Positions 1 and 3, where the "20" (cent) numerals had been engraved during the first alteration of the plate. The "20" numerals had been engraved in an entirely different style, but the re-engraved "5" numerals closely match the numerals on the original plate. When this alteration was made, the engraver also strengthened the dot inside the ball at the bottom end of the "5" in Position 5, which gives us an easy way to differentiate between Position 5 stamps printed on Gray Lilac paper (without the large dot) and stamps from the same position printed on Bluish Pelure paper (with the dot). The 5c stamps from the re-engraved Positions 1 and 3 have noticeably different numerals and should really be called Types IV and V, rather than "Types I and II re-engraved" (we hope to cause a change in the Scott Catalogue with this description). The stamps on the cover offered here are Types IV and V.

The St. Louis "Bears" stamps on Pelure paper are the among the rarest stamps in the world. The census data reproduced in the Faiman collection sale catalogue (Matthew Bennett, Oct. 31, 2003) lists six covers (one of which is a front) for the 5c Pelure (Scott 11X7) and two covers and two fronts for the normal 10c (Scott 11X8), plus the unique 11X8a cover offered in lot 12. Two of the 5c covers have two stamps for the 10c rate (including this one), and one has four 5c Pelure stamps and a 10c Greenish, but the stamps are extensively repaired.

Ex Arthur Hind (Phillips-Kennett sale, Nov. 20-24, 1933, lot 82), Alfred H. Caspary (H. R. Harmer sale, Nov. 15, 1955, lot 147), T. Cullen Davis ("Texas Collector", Siegel Sale 278, Nov. 19, 1964, lot 59) and John D. Pope III (John A. Fox sale, Dec. 1, 1984, lot 58). With 1985 P.F. certificate

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