Postmasters' Provisionals
| Lot |
Sym. |
Lot Description |
Est/Cat |
Realized |
| 279° |
|
Alexandria, D.C., 5c Black on Buff, Type I (1X1). Cut to shape as always, parts of surrounding ornaments showing all around, uncanceled and neatly affixed by star in octagon wax wafer on Aug. 25, 1846, Quaker-dated folded letter to Winchester
Va., vivid red "Alexandria D.C. Aug. 25" cds and matching "Paid" and "5" in rectangular frame Alexandria, a major port city, was ceded to the District of Columbia in 1791. On July 6, 1846, the United States Congress voted to cede Alexandria back to
Virginia. In September 1846 the issue was put up for a vote by the white male citizens of Alexandria County (insane persons and paupers excluded), and they voted 763 to 222 in favor of recession. However, it was not until March 1847 that the Virginia
General Assembly enacted the recession. A noteworthy aspect of this Alexandria cover is the letter, which refers to the September vote on the question of Alexandria's status. It reads, "What do the folks in Frederick County say about retrocession?
There is a good deal of talk about it here. The commissioners have appointed the first and second days of next month to take the vote ... a stranger to whom she had been introduced told her he hoped she would persuade the Alexandrians to go back to
Virginia. I think the country people will mostly vote against it and the town people mostly for it." The Alexandria post office was most definitely part of the District of Columbia when the provisional stamps were used before March 1847. In the case
of this August 1846 cover, we have used the proper designation, despite the Scott Catalogue listing. According to Philip T. Wall (Chronicle, Feb. 1983), there are six recorded examples of the Alexandria 5c on buff paper. Of each type there are
two covers and one off-cover stamp. This cover was discovered in 1926 by Edward S. Leadbeater of Alexandria while he was visiting relatives in Parkins' Mills. The letters were addressed to his father of the same name. The cover was sold to Perry
Fuller, a Baltimore dealer, for approximately $7,000. It was then sold to Henry G. Lapham and became part of the great Lapham collection of postmasters' provisionals. The cover was later acquired by Consul Klep Van Velthoven of Belgium and realized
$5,250 when the Klep collection was sold at auction in 1956. The Leadbeater cover next appeared at auction when these Galleries sold the "Texas" collection of U.S. postmasters' provisionals in 1964, in which sale it realized $9,000. It was sold
again through these Galleries in 1986 at the auction sale of the "Isleham" collection, where it realized $77,000 against a catalogue value of $30,000. A Fresh and Attractive Example of This Provisional Rarity on a Very Fine Complete Letter. One of
Six Recorded Examples, and One of Two Type I Stamps Known on Cover. An Outstanding Example of One of The Greatest United States Rarities. With 1954 and 1986 P.F. Certificates Search for comparables |
125,000.00 |
0.00 |
| 280° |
|
 Baltimore, Md., 5c Black on Bluish (3X3). Large Margins at right and bottom, pen canceled, on July 1846 folded letter to New York, blue cds with inverted month, matching "Paid" and "5" in oval, Stamp with
two tiny tears at bottom, gum stains expertly removed from top of adhesive, Very Fine appearance, Very Attractive, with 1964 P.F. Certificate (Image Magnifier)Search for comparables |
7,500.00 |
3,250.00 |
| 281 |
|
 New York, N.Y., 5c Black on Bluish (9X1). Unused, Mostly Large Margins,
Pos.19, Very Fine and Choice, with 1989 P.F. Certificate (Image Magnifier)Search for comparables |
750.00 |
400.00 |
| 282° |
|
 New York, N.Y., 5c Black on Bluish (9X1). Horizontal Pair, positions 29-30, left stamp with Double Transfer and slight natural paper wrinkle, Intense Shade and Impression, Without Usual Manuscript Cancel,
tied by double-struck Vivid Red "Paid" in arc, matching "New-York 19 Dec. 10 cts" cds on 1846 folded letter to Detroit, over 300 miles rate, Extremely Fine Pair and Cover, Very Rare Usage and Most Desirable Canceled in This Manner, ex Eno (Image Magnifier)Search for comparables |
1,300.00 |
750.00 |
| 283° |
|
 New York, N.Y., 5c Black on Bluish, Small "A.C.M." with Periods (9X1b). Large Margins to just touched at lower left, canceled by red "paid" in arc, tied by orange-red Boulogne transit cds on 1845 folded
letter to Marseille, France, red "New-York Aug. 15 5 Paid" cds, red "Colonies &c. Art. 12" in frame, appropriate rates, slight wear along folds, addressee's last name subtly changed in ink, Fine and Attractive Foreign Mail Usage of The Scarcest" ACM"
Initials, with 1991 P.S.E. Certificate (Image Magnifier)Search for comparables |
2,750.00 |
0.00 |
| 284° |
|
 New York, N.Y., 5c Black on Blue Paper (9X2). Large Margins, beautiful color, lightly tied by red Square grid, matching "New-York 4 Mar. 5 cts" and red "Paid" on Mar. 1847 folded letter to Hartford, Extremely Fine, Very
Rare, ex Eno (Image Magnifier)Search for comparables |
4,000.00 |
0.00 |
| 285° |
|
 Providence, R.I., 5c, 10c Gray Black (10X1, 10X2).
Complete Se-Tenant Sheet of 12, Mint, Perfect In Every Respect, Extremely Fine, with P.F. Certificate (Image
Magnifier)Search for comparables |
3,850.00 |
0.00 |
| 286° |
|
 Providence, R.I., 5c, 10c Gray Black
(10X1, 10X2). Complete Se-Tenant Sheet of 12, minor wrinkle in bottom margin only, Very Fine, with P.F. Certificate, not illustrated. (Image Magnifier)Search for comparables |
3,850.00 |
2,300.00 |
| 287° |
|
 Providence, R.I., 5c, 10c Gray Black (10X1, 10X2). Se-tenant Pair with Sheet Margin,
original gum, Extremely Fine (Image Magnifier)Search for comparables |
1,300.00 |
750.00 |
| 288° |
|
 Providence, R.I., 5c Gray Black (10X1). Partial Sheet of Nine with selvage on three
sides, Very Fine, not illustrated (Image Magnifier)Search for comparables |
1,900.00 |
0.00 |
| 289° |
|
 Providence, R.I., 5c Gray Black (10X1). Ample to Large Margins, manuscript check mark, red cds with matching "Paid" and "5" rate on Sept. 1846 folded letter to East Cambridge Mass., Fresh and Very Fine,
unusually Choice example, with 1992 P.F. Certificate (Image Magnifier)Search for comparables |
4,000.00 |
0.00 |
