Post Office Annapolis Md.
Full and mostly clear strike of blue Eagle handstamp with matching "2" drop
rate on small locally-addressed cover, receipt docketing dated Feb. 14,
1850, slightly reduced at top and refolded at left, Very Fine strike of the
Annapolis seal, which was used both to create the rare Postmaster's
Provisional and infrequently as a handstamp on covers, listed and priced in
the Scott Catalogue under No. 2XU1 (Image)
New York N.Y., 5c Black, "ACM"
Initials (9X1). Position 25, huge margins all around, cancelled by
magenta pen strokes (somewhat faded), Extremely Fine Gem, magenta is
the scarcest of colored pen cancels, ex Consul Klep and Zoellner (Image)
New York N.Y., 5c Black, "ACM"
Initials (9X1). Horizontal pair, large even margins all around, neat
blue pen cancels, tied by red "Paid" arc on small gray piece, Extremely
Fine pair (Image) 
New York N.Y., 5c Black, "ACM"
Initials (9X1). Huge margins incl. part of adjoining stamp at bottom,
tied by red "New-York 5 Paid Jul. 15" integral-rate circular datestamp on
blue 1846 folded letter to Lyon, France, stamp also tied by French
transit, red boxed "Colonies &c Art. 13" handstamp, transit backstamps, ms.
due markings, sender's routing "Str. Britannia", light horizontal
file fold well clear of stamp and markingsEXTREMELY FINE. A PARTICULARLY CHOICE EXAMPLE OF THE NEW YORK POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL USED TO FRANCE.
Ex Grunin. With 1987 P.F. certificate (Image)
St. Louis Mo., 5c Black on
Greenish (11X1). Type II, Position 3, huge margins all around, crisp
impression on beautiful greenish paper, lightly cancelled by single
penstroke at top right leaving entire design clearly visibleEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB FRESH EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT ST. LOUIS PROVISIONAL ON GREENISH PAPER.
With 1992 P.F. certificate (Image)
St. Louis Mo., 10c Black on
Greenish (11X2). Type II, Position 4, huge margins all around, sharp
proof-like impression on beautiful greenish paper, light strike of red
circular datestamp at left leaves entire design clearly
visibleEXTREMELY FINE GEM. AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT ST. LOUIS POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ON GREENISH PAPER. RARE CANCELLED SOLELY BY THE RED CIRCULAR DATESTAMP.
With 1979 P.F. certificate (Image)
St. Louis Mo., 5c Black on Gray
Lilac (11X4). Type III, Position 5, large margins all around, cancelled
by single vertical penstrokeEXTREMELY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT ON GRAY LILAC PAPER -- ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL ST. LOUIS PROVISIONAL ISSUES.
The St. Louis Bear stamps were printed from a single plate of six subjects (two horizontal by three vertical) that was modified twice to change the denominations of two positions. The original plate (First State) contained three 5c stamps at left and three 10c stamps at right. All stamps from the First State plate were printed on Greenish paper. The plate was then altered by burnishing out the "5" on Positions 1 and 3 and engraving a new "20" denomination (Second State). A small printing on Greenish paper was made from this Second State altered plate. 5c stamps (Position 5) and 10c stamps (Positions 2/4/6) on Greenish Paper cannot usually be identified as First State or Second State impressions (the 20c on Greenish paper is a great rarity). The larger portion of stamps from the Second State plate are on Gray Lilac paper. However, because only one of six subjects was a 5c value, the 5c on Gray Lilac is an extremely rare stamp -- perhaps even rarer than the 20c on Gray Lilac. The plate was modified again by burnishing out the "20" and engraving the old "5" denomination (Third State). At the time of this second alteration, a large ball was engraved inside the end curl of the numeral "5" on Position 5. As far as we know, all stamps from the Third Plate were printed on a very thin pelure paper. These were the last stamps used before the 1847 Issue was placed on sale in St. Louis.
With 1985 P.F. certificate (Image)
St. Louis Mo., 5c Black on Gray
Lilac (11X4). Type III, Position 5, full margins to clear, red circular
datestamp struck at lower right leaving entire design clearly
visibleVERY FINE AND CHOICE EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 5-CENT ST. LOUIS PROVISIONAL ON GRAY LILAC PAPER. SCARCE CANCELLED SOLELY BY THE RED CIRCULAR DATESTAMP.
As noted in lot 7, the 5c stamps from Position 5 come on three types of paper: Greenish, Gray Lilac and Pelure. Of these papers, Gray Lilac was used only with the Second State plate, on which there was just one 5c subject (Position 5). Pelure was used only with the Third State plate, on which there were three 5c subjects: Positions 1 and 3, with the "5" re-engraved, and Position 5. The 5c on Gray Lilac -- always Position 5 -- can be distinguished from its counterpart Position 5 on Pelure paper by the absence of the solid ball inside the end curl of the "5", which was engraved when the two 5c subjects were restored to the plate. Even when there is similarity between the papers, the absence of the ball in the "5" on Position 5 is the surest method of assigning it to the Gray Lilac paper. (Image)
St. Louis Mo., 10c Black on Gray
Lilac (11X5). Full margins to clear, intense shade and impression,
cancelled solely by red Mar. 21 circular datestampVERY FINE AND CHOICE EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT ST. LOUIS PROVISIONAL ON GRAY LILAC PAPER. SCARCE CANCELLED SOLELY BY THE RED CIRCULAR DATESTAMP.
Scott catalogue notes that "Values for used off-cover stamps are for pen-cancelled copies. Handstamp copies sell for much more." (Image)
St. Louis Mo., 20c Black on
Gray Lilac (11X6). Type II, Position 3, huge margins on three sides,
full at left, crisp impression on fresh paper, cancelled by two neat
vertical penstrokesEXTREMELY FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 20-CENT ST. LOUIS PROVISIONAL ON GRAY PAPER. ONE OF THE GREAT RARITIES OF THE POSTMASTERS' PROVISIONALS.
Acquired by the owner in our 1995 Rarities sale for $17,000 hammer. The Scott Catalogue value for this rarity has not been changed since 1995, although many other classic issues have risen appreciably during the same period. This may be due to the extremely infrequent auction offerings of the 20c St. Louis provisional.
With 1987 P.F. certificate. (Image)
St. Louis Mo., 10c Black on
Bluish Pelure (11X8). Type III, Position 6, large even margins all
around, intense shade and impression on crisp paper, light horizontal
penstrokeEXTREMELY FINE GEM. THE 10-CENT ON PELURE PAPER IS ONE OF THE RAREST AND MOST DIFFICULT OF ALL ST. LOUIS BEAR PROVISIONALS TO OBTAIN IN SOUND CONDITION WITH WIDE MARGINS. THIS STAMP IS WITHOUT QUESTION ONE OF THE FINEST IN EXISTENCE.
Signed in pencil and with light blue backstamp. With 1953 and 1991 P.F. certificates (Image)