Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

The Millard H. Mack Collection of 1869 Pictorial Issue Covers continued...

**Mail To and From China**
Lot	Sym.	Lot Description	Est/Cat	Realized
122		24c Green & Violet (120). Rich colors, used with 10c Yellow (116), intense shade, both slightly creased at top, cancelled by square quartered cork of New York City, red "New York Paid All Br. Transit Apr. 7" (1869) backstamp on cover to Shanghai, China, sender's routing "Via Southampton, red "24" credit handstamp, red London transit datestamp, red crayon "1" British colonial rate, Hong Kong Marine Sorter backstamp, small piece of cover missing from under 10c, minor edge wear VERY FINE. A MAGNIFICENT 1869 PICTORIAL COVER, COMBINING THE 10-CENT AND 24-CENT VALUES FOR THE 34-CENT RATE TO CHINA FOR BRITISH MAIL VIA SOUTHAMPTON. THE APRIL 7, 1869, ORIGIN DATE IS THE EARLIEST DOCUMENTED USAGE OF THE 24-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE. Only three 24c 1869 covers to China are recorded in the 1869 Census. This cover is the earliest of all known 24c 1869 covers, followed by an April 23 usage from New York to Mobile. It comes from the John Nixon correspondence, and the Hong Kong Marine Sorter backstamp is also quite rare. Illustrated in the 1869 Census book (Color Plate 10). Signed Bartels with his note "Found II.8.32". Also signed Ashbrook with his notation "Earliest Known Use of The 24c 1869". With 1949 P.F. certificate. (Image)	E. 20,000-30,000	75,000.00
123		2c Brown, 6c Ultramarine (113, 115). Used with 15c Black, 30c Orange, F. Grill (98, 100), 15c re-used with very faint target cancel, all stamps tied by identical quartered cork cancel (lightly struck on 6c), partly clear "Batavia N.Y. Jul. 27" circular datestamp on small cover to Hong Kong, China, sender's routing "Via Marseilles" and prepaid for the obsolete 53c rate for British Mail via Marseilles, large magenta "Paid All" in circle applied at San Francisco, Hong Kong receiving backstamp (Oct. 6, 1869), small edge tear, tiny perf faults VERY FINE. A REMARKABLE FRANKING COMPRISING FOUR DIFFERENT STAMPS OF TWO DIFFERENT ISSUES FOR A TOTAL OF 53 CENTS, ALL BUT 10 CENTS OF WHICH WAS WASTED WHEN THE COVER WAS SENT VIA SAN FRANCISCO AT THE PREVAILING 10-CENT CONTRACT MAIL RATE TO CHINA. The 53c rate to China for British Mail via Marseilles was reduced to 42c in January 1868. The 45c rate via Southampton was reduced to 34c at the same time, and both rates ran concurrently until January 1870, when they were further reduced to 28c via Southampton and 36c via Marseilles, reflecting the reduction in the U.S.-G.B. treaty rate from 12c to 6c. The 10c Pacific Mail Steam Ship contract rate was also in effect, and in this instance the cover was directed to San Francisco, not New York, and sent to Hong Kong via a P.M.S.S. steamer. With 1949 P.F. certificate (Image)	E. 3,000-4,000	8,000.00
124		10c Yellow (116). Remarkably intense color, tied by circle of wedges, clear "P.O.D. U.S. Con. Genl. Shanghai Jun. 11" circular datestamp on small 1870 cover addressed in violet to Chicago, with letter datelined at Peking, San Francisco transit, receiving backstamp, Extremely Fine cover (Image)	E. 400-500	850.00
125		10c Yellow (116). Intense color, tied by circle of wedges, partly clear "P.O.D. U.S. Con. Genl. Shanghai May 13" circular datestamp on ca. 1870-71 cover to Smithfield Pa., sender's routing "Overland", San Francisco transit datestamp, slightly reduced at left and lightly soiled, otherwise Fine, signed Ashbrook (Image)	E. 200-300	450.00

Mail To and From China

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

Est/Cat

Realized

122

24c Green & Violet (120). Rich colors, used with 10c Yellow (116), intense shade, both slightly creased at top, cancelled by square quartered cork of New York City, red "New York Paid All Br. Transit Apr. 7" (1869) backstamp on cover to Shanghai, China, sender's routing "Via Southampton, red "24" credit handstamp, red London transit datestamp, red crayon "1" British colonial rate, Hong Kong Marine Sorter backstamp, small piece of cover missing from under 10c, minor edge wear

VERY FINE. A MAGNIFICENT 1869 PICTORIAL COVER, COMBINING THE 10-CENT AND 24-CENT VALUES FOR THE 34-CENT RATE TO CHINA FOR BRITISH MAIL VIA SOUTHAMPTON. THE APRIL 7, 1869, ORIGIN DATE IS THE EARLIEST DOCUMENTED USAGE OF THE 24-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE.

Only three 24c 1869 covers to China are recorded in the 1869 Census. This cover is the earliest of all known 24c 1869 covers, followed by an April 23 usage from New York to Mobile. It comes from the John Nixon correspondence, and the Hong Kong Marine Sorter backstamp is also quite rare.

Illustrated in the 1869 Census book (Color Plate 10). Signed Bartels with his note "Found II.8.32". Also signed Ashbrook with his notation "Earliest Known Use of The 24c 1869". With 1949 P.F. certificate. (Image)

E. 20,000-30,000

75,000.00

123

2c Brown, 6c Ultramarine (113, 115). Used with 15c Black, 30c Orange, F. Grill (98, 100), 15c re-used with very faint target cancel, all stamps tied by identical quartered cork cancel (lightly struck on 6c), partly clear "Batavia N.Y. Jul. 27" circular datestamp on small cover to Hong Kong, China, sender's routing "Via Marseilles" and prepaid for the obsolete 53c rate for British Mail via Marseilles, large magenta "Paid All" in circle applied at San Francisco, Hong Kong receiving backstamp (Oct. 6, 1869), small edge tear, tiny perf faults

VERY FINE. A REMARKABLE FRANKING COMPRISING FOUR DIFFERENT STAMPS OF TWO DIFFERENT ISSUES FOR A TOTAL OF 53 CENTS, ALL BUT 10 CENTS OF WHICH WAS WASTED WHEN THE COVER WAS SENT VIA SAN FRANCISCO AT THE PREVAILING 10-CENT CONTRACT MAIL RATE TO CHINA.

The 53c rate to China for British Mail via Marseilles was reduced to 42c in January 1868. The 45c rate via Southampton was reduced to 34c at the same time, and both rates ran concurrently until January 1870, when they were further reduced to 28c via Southampton and 36c via Marseilles, reflecting the reduction in the U.S.-G.B. treaty rate from 12c to 6c. The 10c Pacific Mail Steam Ship contract rate was also in effect, and in this instance the cover was directed to San Francisco, not New York, and sent to Hong Kong via a P.M.S.S. steamer.

With 1949 P.F. certificate (Image)

E. 3,000-4,000

8,000.00

124

10c Yellow (116). Remarkably intense color, tied by circle of wedges, clear "P.O.D. U.S. Con. Genl. Shanghai Jun. 11" circular datestamp on small 1870 cover addressed in violet to Chicago, with letter datelined at Peking, San Francisco transit, receiving backstamp, Extremely Fine cover (Image)

E. 400-500

850.00

125

10c Yellow (116). Intense color, tied by circle of wedges, partly clear "P.O.D. U.S. Con. Genl. Shanghai May 13" circular datestamp on ca. 1870-71 cover to Smithfield Pa., sender's routing "Overland", San Francisco transit datestamp, slightly reduced at left and lightly soiled, otherwise Fine, signed Ashbrook (Image)

E. 200-300

450.00