Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

Rare United States Stamps and Covers continued...

**Carriers and Locals continued...**
Lot	Sym.	Lot Description	Est/Cat	Realized
3317		Forwarded By Harnden's Express From Boston. Circular handstamp in black on printed notice of Harnden's relocation to No. 8 Court Street in Boston, with additional and important autograph letter signed by William F. Harnden, announcing commencement of Cunard steam service and Harnden's express from Boston to New York, dated Mar. 23, 1840, and addressed to editor of Courier & Enquirer in New York City, stating "I will receive your English papers from the Steamers and forward them to you at New York by my Express... P.S. The above duty will be free of any charge.", diagonal folds in lettersheet, Very Fine and extremely rare original announcement in Harnden's own hand for the express service tied to Cunard sailings (Image)	E. 1,500-2,000	1,700.00
3319		Hopedale Penny Post, Milford Mass., (1c) Black on Yellow Wove (84L3). Large margins, uncancelled, still adhering to small piece of backflap, pre-use scissors cut into design at upper right VERY FINE DESPITE SCISSORS CUT. ONE OF THE MORE ATTRACTIVE CUT-SQUARE EXAMPLES OF THE HOPEDALE PENNY POST'S SMALL CIRCULAR STAMP ON YELLOW. WE DOUBT MORE THAN TEN EXAMPLES OF THIS STAMP ARE IN COLLECTORS' HANDS. Although we have not kept records on the Hopedale Penny Post stamps, a review of Sloane's notes, the Costales files and significant local-post auction catalogues produced no more than eight different examples of 84L3, about half of which were cut to shape. Ex Middendorf (Image)	2,400.00	1,050.00
3320		Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Pink Glazed (96L1). Horizontal pair, huge margins, minute tear in extreme right margin, tiny barely visible purple ink speck, ms. "X" cancels, used on folded cover to New York City street address, pencil "2" and "W" for local delivery charge, docketing indicates Detroit origin on Oct. 26, 1844, file folds do not affect pair, Extremely Fine, carried by Letter Express from Detroit to Buffalo and by Pomeroy from Buffalo to New York City, ex Hall, with 2001 P.F. certificate (Image)	E. 1,500-2,000	2,100.00
3321		Metropolitan Post Office, New York N.Y., 1c Blue (108L5). Cut to shield shape as always, black cancel (not tied), used with 3c Dull Red (11), mostly full margins slightly in at places, weak strike of "New-York Apr. 20, 1860 Paid" circular datestamp with blue ms. "New York" written over it, on buff cover to Little Falls, Minnesota Territory, P.F. notes light soiling on 3c stamp which is barely visible and does not detract, Very Fine, scarce and unusual usage, ex Mason, Ackerman, and Schwartz, with 2000 P.F. certificate (Image)	E. 750-1,000	525.00
3322		Forwarded by Overton & Co. 23-1/2 State Street, Boston. Red oval handstamp and "5" rate on Apr. 18, 1845 folded letter from Manchester, England, to New York City, delivered by Overton to 29 Nassau Street, red "Overton & Co's, City Mail Office, 3 Broad Street" handstamp, ms. "7" rate (5c plus 2c local delivery charge), sender's routing "p Steamer Hibernia" provides obvious evidence of transatlantic voyage, Extremely Fine, this letter was illicitly carried into the U.S. and evaded all regular postal charges thru the use of Overton's Independent Mail route and local post, such letters are extremely scarce (Image)	E. 500-750	550.00
3323		Overton & Co., (5c) Black on Greenish (113L1). Octagonal margins, still large all around, cancelled by Overton's "Paid" straightline, tied by file fold on Feb. 24, 1845 folded letter from Boston to New York City street address, stamp creased, otherwise Very Fine, a rare cover bearing Overton's 5c stamp (Image)	2,250.00	500.00
3324		Third Avenue Post Office, New York N.Y., 2c Black on Green Glazed (139L1). Cut to oval shape as always, excellent bold impression, margins mostly clear of frameline, used on piece with 3c Dull Red (11), two full margins, other sides slightly in, both stamps tied by "New-York Apr. 15" circular datestamp, piece harshly described by the P.F. as slightly soiled VERY FINE. ONE OF THE RARE EXAMPLES OF A THIRD AVENUE POST STAMP CANCELLED BY THE NEW YORK DATESTAMP. These stamps were normally left uncancelled. It is only when the New York datestamp coincidentally struck the local stamp that a tying cancel occurred, as in this case. Ex Caspary and Hall. With 2001 P.F. certificate (Image)	E. 2,000-3,000	2,400.00
3325		Union Despatch, Chicago Ill., 5c Red, Rouletted (unlisted in Scott). Pin-perf roulette on three sides, scissors-trimmed at left, corner crease at bottom right VERY FINE. THE UNION DESPATCH 5-CENT STAMP IS RECOGNIZED BY SPECIALISTS AS A GENUINE ISSUE OF STILES UNION DESPATCH, CIRCA 1855, IN CHICAGO. Henry E. Abt included the Union Despatch in his American Philatelist series on Chicago local posts (Jan. 1958). Robson Lowe provided additional information in his Feb. 1987 Chronicle overview of Chicago posts. More recently, Gordon Stimmell illustrated most of the recorded examples in The Penny Post (Jul. 1995). Because of the proliferation of counterfeits of the distinctive Union Despatch Horse stamps, the genuine items have been excluded from the Scott Catalogue, and collectors are generally unappreciative of the stamps' status and rarity. As Abt, Sloane, Lowe, Stimmell and other ranking local-post students have shown, the genuine design has faint vertical lines in the vignette background surrounding the horse's head, and the stamps show all or part of the rouletted perforations. None of the counterfeits have these characteristics. Fewer than ten 5c, one 10c and two 20c are recorded. According to Abt and Lowe, the likely candidates for proprietors of the Union Despatch are William Stiles and his son, Edmund, who arrived in Chicago in 1854 and opened a "package delivery service" at 139 Lake Street. Edmund's brother also worked at the Union Despatch. The 1855-56 Hall's Chicago Directory lists Stiles Union Despatch at 139 Lake Street. The same firm appears in the 1856-57 Gager's and 1858 Cooke's directories. The firm moved to 24 Dearborn in 1858 and then to 60 South Dearborn in 1859. Sometime during or soon after 1859, the Union Despatch was sold to new owners, as the name "Stiles" does not appear in the 1859-60 Cooke's directory. No contemporary advertisements or other documentation are known to link the stamps with the Stiles Union Despatch. Ex Schwartz (Image)	E. 750-1,000	800.00
3326		Wells, Fargo & Co., Pony Express, $4.00 Black (143L5). Vertical block of six with huge bottom left corner sheet margin, unused (no gum), large margins top and right, detailed impression on bright white paper EXTREMELY FINE. A GORGEOUS BLOCK OF SIX OF THE $4.00 BLACK PONY EXPRESS ISSUE. Blocks of four are listed but unpriced in Scott. With 1997 P.F. certificate (Image)	E. 5,000-7,500	5,250.00
3327		Wells, Fargo & Co. Pony Express, $1.00 Blue, Garter (143L6). Horizontal strip of three, enormous margins with huge top left corner sheet margins, original gum, lightly hinged, right stamp with small rust mark from paper clip at bottom left and small toned spots in top margin, two creases in left margin not noted on certificate EXTREMELY FINE. THE ONLY RECORDED CORNER SHEET-MARGIN MULTIPLE OF THE PONY EXPRESS GARTER STAMP. AN OUTSTANDING STRIP. The Wells, Fargo & Co. $1.00 Blue stamp, known to collectors as the Garter issue, is known used on westbound transcontinental covers carried by the Pony Express. It was printed in New York City by George Nesbitt. Ex Hall. With 2001 P.F. certificate (Image)	E. 15,000-20,000	16,000.00
3328		Wells, Fargo & Co. Pony Express, 25c Blue (143L8). Full even margins, tied by light blue "Wells, Fargo & Cos. Express Virginia City N.T." oval datestamp on 3c Pink entire (U34) with printed frank to San Francisco, slightly reduced at right and slightly rounded corners, faint toning EXTREMELY FINE STAMP ON VERY FINE ENTIRE WITH WELLS, FARGO AND CO. PRINTED FRANK. A RARE SOUND FOUR-MARGINED STAMP. Four-margin stamps are seldom found on Wells, Fargo & Co. Virginia Pony Express covers. (Image)	E. 4,000-5,000	4,000.00

Carriers and Locals continued...

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

Est/Cat

Realized

3317

Forwarded By Harnden's Express From Boston. Circular handstamp in black on printed notice of Harnden's relocation to No. 8 Court Street in Boston, with additional and important autograph letter signed by William F. Harnden, announcing commencement of Cunard steam service and Harnden's express from Boston to New York, dated Mar. 23, 1840, and addressed to editor of Courier & Enquirer in New York City, stating "I will receive your English papers from the Steamers and forward them to you at New York by my Express... P.S. The above duty will be free of any charge.", diagonal folds in lettersheet, Very Fine and extremely rare original announcement in Harnden's own hand for the express service tied to Cunard sailings (Image)

E. 1,500-2,000

1,700.00

3319

Hopedale Penny Post, Milford Mass., (1c) Black on Yellow Wove (84L3). Large margins, uncancelled, still adhering to small piece of backflap, pre-use scissors cut into design at upper right

VERY FINE DESPITE SCISSORS CUT. ONE OF THE MORE ATTRACTIVE CUT-SQUARE EXAMPLES OF THE HOPEDALE PENNY POST'S SMALL CIRCULAR STAMP ON YELLOW. WE DOUBT MORE THAN TEN EXAMPLES OF THIS STAMP ARE IN COLLECTORS' HANDS.

Although we have not kept records on the Hopedale Penny Post stamps, a review of Sloane's notes, the Costales files and significant local-post auction catalogues produced no more than eight different examples of 84L3, about half of which were cut to shape.

Ex Middendorf (Image)

2,400.00

1,050.00

3320

Letter Express (Wells), 5c Black on Pink Glazed (96L1). Horizontal pair, huge margins, minute tear in extreme right margin, tiny barely visible purple ink speck, ms. "X" cancels, used on folded cover to New York City street address, pencil "2" and "W" for local delivery charge, docketing indicates Detroit origin on Oct. 26, 1844, file folds do not affect pair, Extremely Fine, carried by Letter Express from Detroit to Buffalo and by Pomeroy from Buffalo to New York City, ex Hall, with 2001 P.F. certificate (Image)

E. 1,500-2,000

2,100.00

3321

Metropolitan Post Office, New York N.Y., 1c Blue (108L5). Cut to shield shape as always, black cancel (not tied), used with 3c Dull Red (11), mostly full margins slightly in at places, weak strike of "New-York Apr. 20, 1860 Paid" circular datestamp with blue ms. "New York" written over it, on buff cover to Little Falls, Minnesota Territory, P.F. notes light soiling on 3c stamp which is barely visible and does not detract, Very Fine, scarce and unusual usage, ex Mason, Ackerman, and Schwartz, with 2000 P.F. certificate (Image)

E. 750-1,000

525.00

3322

Forwarded by Overton & Co. 23-1/2 State Street, Boston. Red oval handstamp and "5" rate on Apr. 18, 1845 folded letter from Manchester, England, to New York City, delivered by Overton to 29 Nassau Street, red "Overton & Co's, City Mail Office, 3 Broad Street" handstamp, ms. "7" rate (5c plus 2c local delivery charge), sender's routing "p Steamer Hibernia" provides obvious evidence of transatlantic voyage, Extremely Fine, this letter was illicitly carried into the U.S. and evaded all regular postal charges thru the use of Overton's Independent Mail route and local post, such letters are extremely scarce (Image)

E. 500-750

550.00

3323

Overton & Co., (5c) Black on Greenish (113L1). Octagonal margins, still large all around, cancelled by Overton's "Paid" straightline, tied by file fold on Feb. 24, 1845 folded letter from Boston to New York City street address, stamp creased, otherwise Very Fine, a rare cover bearing Overton's 5c stamp (Image)

2,250.00

500.00

3324

Third Avenue Post Office, New York N.Y., 2c Black on Green Glazed (139L1). Cut to oval shape as always, excellent bold impression, margins mostly clear of frameline, used on piece with 3c Dull Red (11), two full margins, other sides slightly in, both stamps tied by "New-York Apr. 15" circular datestamp, piece harshly described by the P.F. as slightly soiled

VERY FINE. ONE OF THE RARE EXAMPLES OF A THIRD AVENUE POST STAMP CANCELLED BY THE NEW YORK DATESTAMP.

These stamps were normally left uncancelled. It is only when the New York datestamp coincidentally struck the local stamp that a tying cancel occurred, as in this case.

Ex Caspary and Hall. With 2001 P.F. certificate (Image)

E. 2,000-3,000

2,400.00

3325

Union Despatch, Chicago Ill., 5c Red, Rouletted (unlisted in Scott). Pin-perf roulette on three sides, scissors-trimmed at left, corner crease at bottom right

VERY FINE. THE UNION DESPATCH 5-CENT STAMP IS RECOGNIZED BY SPECIALISTS AS A GENUINE ISSUE OF STILES UNION DESPATCH, CIRCA 1855, IN CHICAGO.

Henry E. Abt included the Union Despatch in his American Philatelist series on Chicago local posts (Jan. 1958). Robson Lowe provided additional information in his Feb. 1987 Chronicle overview of Chicago posts. More recently, Gordon Stimmell illustrated most of the recorded examples in The Penny Post (Jul. 1995). Because of the proliferation of counterfeits of the distinctive Union Despatch Horse stamps, the genuine items have been excluded from the Scott Catalogue, and collectors are generally unappreciative of the stamps' status and rarity. As Abt, Sloane, Lowe, Stimmell and other ranking local-post students have shown, the genuine design has faint vertical lines in the vignette background surrounding the horse's head, and the stamps show all or part of the rouletted perforations. None of the counterfeits have these characteristics. Fewer than ten 5c, one 10c and two 20c are recorded.

According to Abt and Lowe, the likely candidates for proprietors of the Union Despatch are William Stiles and his son, Edmund, who arrived in Chicago in 1854 and opened a "package delivery service" at 139 Lake Street. Edmund's brother also worked at the Union Despatch. The 1855-56 Hall's Chicago Directory lists Stiles Union Despatch at 139 Lake Street. The same firm appears in the 1856-57 Gager's and 1858 Cooke's directories. The firm moved to 24 Dearborn in 1858 and then to 60 South Dearborn in 1859. Sometime during or soon after 1859, the Union Despatch was sold to new owners, as the name "Stiles" does not appear in the 1859-60 Cooke's directory. No contemporary advertisements or other documentation are known to link the stamps with the Stiles Union Despatch.

Ex Schwartz (Image)

E. 750-1,000

800.00

3326

Wells, Fargo & Co., Pony Express, $4.00 Black (143L5). Vertical block of six with huge bottom left corner sheet margin, unused (no gum), large margins top and right, detailed impression on bright white paper

EXTREMELY FINE. A GORGEOUS BLOCK OF SIX OF THE $4.00 BLACK PONY EXPRESS ISSUE.

Blocks of four are listed but unpriced in Scott. With 1997 P.F. certificate (Image)

E. 5,000-7,500

5,250.00

3327

Wells, Fargo & Co. Pony Express, $1.00 Blue, Garter (143L6). Horizontal strip of three, enormous margins with huge top left corner sheet margins, original gum, lightly hinged, right stamp with small rust mark from paper clip at bottom left and small toned spots in top margin, two creases in left margin not noted on certificate

EXTREMELY FINE. THE ONLY RECORDED CORNER SHEET-MARGIN MULTIPLE OF THE PONY EXPRESS GARTER STAMP. AN OUTSTANDING STRIP.

The Wells, Fargo & Co. $1.00 Blue stamp, known to collectors as the Garter issue, is known used on westbound transcontinental covers carried by the Pony Express. It was printed in New York City by George Nesbitt.

Ex Hall. With 2001 P.F. certificate (Image)

E. 15,000-20,000

16,000.00

3328

Wells, Fargo & Co. Pony Express, 25c Blue (143L8). Full even margins, tied by light blue "Wells, Fargo & Cos. Express Virginia City N.T." oval datestamp on 3c Pink entire (U34) with printed frank to San Francisco, slightly reduced at right and slightly rounded corners, faint toning

EXTREMELY FINE STAMP ON VERY FINE ENTIRE WITH WELLS, FARGO AND CO. PRINTED FRANK. A RARE SOUND FOUR-MARGINED STAMP.

Four-margin stamps are seldom found on Wells, Fargo & Co. Virginia Pony Express covers. (Image)

E. 4,000-5,000

4,000.00