The Dr. Alfred S. Martin Collection, Part 1: United States Postal History continued...

VERY FINE. A SPECTACULAR COMBINATION OF 1857 ISSUES FOR THE DOUBLE 15-CENT TREATY RATE TO FRANCE. ONLY TWO COVERS ARE KNOWN WITH THE 1857 5-CENT BRICK RED USED WITH 3-CENT AND 12-CENT STAMPS.

This extraordinary cover presents us with a reason to re-examine the 5c 1857-61 Perforated issues. Many collectors know this issue by type and shade, but fewer are aware of the order of production (or release). This state of confusion is partly due to the Scott Catalogue. The distinctive Brick Red shade of the 5c 1857 Issue comes first in the series of Scott-listed perforated 5c issues, but its true release date comes later in the sequence.

Based on dated covers, the 5c Type I shades were released in the following order: 1) Red Brown, Scott 28, EDU 8/23/1857, 2) Indian Red, Scott 28A, EDU 3/31/1858, 3) Brick Red, Scott 27, EDU 10/6/1858, 4) Brown, Scott 29, EDU 3/21/1859, almost certainly the last printing from the first 5c plate. The second 5c plate was made from a new six-relief transfer roll with the design projections cut away at top and bottom, to varying degrees. The Type II Brown was issued first (Scott 30A, EDU 5/4/1860), and the Orange Brown printing from the same plate followed about one year later (Scott 30, EDU 5/8/1861).

The first 5c sheets to be perforated in mid-1857 undoubtedly came from the unissued supply of 5c imperforate sheets in the "1856" Red Brown shade. These are akin to 1c perforated stamps from Plate 1 Late (Type IV, Scott 23) and Plate 2, and 3c perforated stamps from the Type I plate (Scott 25). Covers dated during the second half of 1857 and first quarter of 1858 have 5c stamps in the "1856" shade of Red Brown, which look like Scott 12 with perforations. By March 31, 1858, the EDU of the Indian Red shade, a second printing must have been made. We suspect that the entire family of Red Brown, Bright Red Brown and Indian Red shades -- all of which differ from the "1856" Red Brown -- were printed at the same time during the first quarter of 1858. No one has established a separate EDU for an "1858" Red Brown (Scott 28) -- separated from the earlier perforated "1856" Red Brown, which has the same Scott number -- thus our hypothesis cannot yet be supported by an EDU. If we are correct, the "1858" Red Brown and Indian Red should have a similar EDU date.

The Brick Red EDU of October 6, 1858, and its predominant use in early 1859 indicate either a separate printing (3rd Quarter 1858) or a later release date for stamps printed earlier. The Brick Red color is so far removed from any of the other 5c shades, we strongly suspect it was made inadvertently while the printers tried to match the earlier 1856 Red Brown. The Brick Red shade is actually closer to some of the 3c 1851 shades than it is to the 5c 1856. Sheets of the irregular 5c shades (Brick Red) would have been added to the stacks along with the subsequent Red Brown, Bright Red Brown and Indian Red sheets. However, when stamps were issued to post offices, the "color corrected" sheets would be released before the "irregular" Brick Red sheets were distributed.

Looking at the EDU's, there is a largely consistent pattern of new 5c printings at the beginning of each year in 1858 (Red Brown), 1859 (Brown), 1860 (Type II Brown) and 1861 (Type II Orange Brown). The only exceptions to this pattern are the "1856" Red Brown perforated sheets released in mid-1857, which make sense in the context of the first perforated issue, and the October 1858 Brick Red. The Brick Red stamps are much too scarce and limited in their distribution (New Orleans and a few other scattered post offices) to constitute a separate printing in 1858. In our opinion, it makes more sense if they were printed as part of the 1st Quarter 1858 printing, but released later in the year when needed.

Relating all of this historical background to the cover offered here, we must emphasize two points: 1) Brick Red stamps are much scarcer than generally appreciated, and 2) covers with anything other than a strip of three paying the 15c treaty rate to France are extremely rare. Compared to most classic issues, the Brick Red is one of the most challenging, with only one unused block, one used block (used on cover, from our 1993 Rarities sale, lot 71) and very few unusual covers.

Ex Gibson and Klein. With 1988 P.F. certificate ("genuinely used on cover with the left 5c having a pre-printing fold") (Image)

VERY FINE. A MARVELOUS AND RARE SINGLE 1857 5-CENT "INDIAN RED" USAGE TO SPAIN. THE SHADE AND IMPRESSION OF THIS STAMP ARE AT THE EXTREME END OF THE "INDIAN RED" SPECTRUM.

Ex Klein. With 1977 P.F. certificate. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING OF ALL KNOWN CIVIL WAR EXPRESS USAGES, WITH A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF STAMPS GRAPHICALLY DEMONSTRATING THE REFUSAL OF FEDERAL POSTAL AUTHORITIES TO RECOGNIZE POSTAGE AFFIXED IN CONFEDERATE STATES.

This cover was posted from Confederate New Orleans on August 7, 1861, with 15c postage for the treaty rate to France (prepaid by the 3c and 12c stamps). It was datestamped on August 12 by Adams Express Company in Louisville, ten days prior to the demonetization of old stamps. The exchange period in Louisville began August 22nd for three days, beginning on August 25th, stamps other than the new 1861 Issue would no longer be accepted by the Louisville post office. However, as shown by this cover and certain other Adams thru-the-lines usages, U.S. stamps affixed to mail originating in the Confederate States were considered contraband and not accepted at the Louisville post office, requiring Adams to affix stamps from its own supply. The 3c credit confirms that this was a single-rate letter, so the additional 15c postage (paid by the strip of 5c) was not applied to make up a short payment. The "40" pencil marking (followed by a letter code used by express offices) includes the 25c fee charged by Adams and 15c for the postage to France. Another cover from this correspondence was offered in our Sevenoaks sale (Sale 831, lot 2300, realized $52,500 hammer). The 30c cover was also dated in New Orleans on August 7, 1861, but it may have been deliberately routed to Louisville on a later trip or held at the Adams office for additional postage from the sender (it was a double-rate letter). It had no stamps affixed in New Orleans and was stamped in Louisville on August 22 with the new 30c 1861 Issue.

The cover offered here was carried to France on the Havre Line's Fulton, departing from New York on August 17, 1861, arriving in Havre on August 29. Later in 1861 both of the Havre Line's ships, the Fulton and Arago, were commissioned as transport ships during the Civil War and not returned to mail service until late in 1865.

From a Jamet sale in France, Dec. 28, 1955. Signed Ashbrook and written up in his Special Service. Illustrated in Brookman (p. 248) and the National Postal Museum's 1957 Perforation Centennial book. With 1991 P.F. certificate and analysis. (Image)

VERY FINE. ONE OF THE FINEST OF THE FEW COVERS KNOWN WITH A STRIP OF FOUR OF THE 1857 10-CENT TYPE I. FROM THE FAMOUS HARGOUS CORRESPONDENCE.

The strip of four pays the four-times 10c rate to Mexico. We know of three Hargous covers with this size multiple.

Ex Caspary, Rust and Klein. With 1989 P.F. certificate. (Image)

VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE MULTIPLE OF THE 10-CENT 1857 ISSUE, CONTAINING TYPE IV AND USED ON A QUADRUPLE-RATE COVER TO MEXICO FROM THE FAMOUS HARGOUS CORRESPONDENCE.

Ex Caspary, Rust and Klein. With 1989 P.F. certificate. (Image)