Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

The Elliott H. Coulter Collection of The United States 1869 Pictorial Issue continued...

**Bisected Usages**
Lot	Sym.	Lot Description
80		2c Brown, Half Used as 1c (113c). In pair with normal, tied across the cut by bold strike of target cancel on small piece, Fine, scarce bisect, signed Sloane, Scott Retail $4,000.00 on cover (Image)	E. 400-500
81		3c Ultramarine, Vertical Two-Thirds Used as 2c (114c). Right two-thirds tied by grid on piece of Luray Va. tax form, Very Fine, a shortage of 1c and 2c stamps required the use of 2c and 3c bisects at the Luray post office (Image)	E. 400-500
82		2c Brown, Half Used as 1c (113c). Upper left diagonal half tied across the cut by ms. "X" cancel on major part of folded United States Internal Revenue March 1870 printed tax notice with names of addressee and Assistant Assessor filled in and dated March 26 at Luray Va., part of contents removed and rejoined along fold, small pieces of scotch tape at sides VERY FINE. ONE OF TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE 2-CENT 1869 BISECT USED ON TAX NOTICES FROM LURAY, VIRGINIA. THE OTHER, BEARING THE MATCHING HALF OF THIS STAMP, IS PERMANENTLY ENSCONCED IN THE MILLER COLLECTION AT THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY. The Luray 1869 bisects were used on tax notices prepared by Frank J. Bramhall, the Assistant Assessor of the U.S. Internal Revenue office at Luray, Virginia. The notices were to be brought before him, completed and signed by the addressee. This notice to Samuel Miller in Luray was mailed on March 26, 1870, and filed with Bramhall on April 4. The Luray notices and small pieces thereof exist with two different rates: 1c for local addressees and 2c for those outside Luray. Only two notices have 2c 1869 bisects -- two halves of the same stamp (the one offered here and the other in the Miller collection) -- each paying the 1c local rate. The others have 3c 1869 stamps cut into one-third (1c), two-thirds (2c) or two one-thirds of different stamps joined along the perfs (2c), depending on the rate. Ex Wunsch (Image)	E. 7,500-10,000
83		2c Brown, Bisect (113c). Left vertical half tied by perfectly struck "Paid" in circle cancel, "East Clarendon Vt. Nov. 3" circular datestamp at left on 2c Brown on Orange entire (U80) to Salem N.Y., entire cancelled by second "Paid" in circle handstamp EXTREMELY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE 2-CENT 1869 VERTICAL BISECT. ONE OF TWO RECORDED COVERS FROM EAST CLARENDON, VERMONT, BEARING MATCHING HALVES OF THE SAME STAMP. THESE ARE THE ONLY AVAILABLE MATCHING 1869 BISECTS AND THE ONLY 1869 BISECTS KNOWN ON POSTAL STATIONERY OF ANY KIND. The mate to this cover, dated March 17, was sold in our Sale 869 (lot 3108). It has the right vertical half of the same stamp (see digital reconstruction). Based on the 33 2c 1869 bisect covers listed in the Rose census (United States Postage Stamps of 1869) and the Luray bisect in the Miller collection at The New York Public Library (omitted in the Rose census), these two covers are a) the only 2c 1869 bisects from East Clarendon, a tiny post office in Vermont, b) the only matching bisects of the 1869 Issue available to the public, and c) the only 1869 bisects known on postal stationery. The Luray bisect in this sale (previous lot 82) and the bisect in the Miller collection are matching halves of the same stamp, but for obvious reasons they cannot be reunited. Ex Seybold (realized $52.00 in 1910 sale!). With 1981 P.F. certificate	E. 4,000-5,000
84		6c Ultramarine, Vertical Half Used as 3c (115b). Left vertical half with wide balanced margins, well-tied across the cut by clearly struck target cancel, "Mechanicsville N.Y. Jul. 6" circular datestamp on ca. 1870 cover to Watervliet Center N.Y., slightly reduced at left EXTREMELY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED BISECTED USE OF THE 6-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE, THE ONLY UNIQUE BISECT IN CLASSIC UNITED STATES PHILATELY AND ONE OF THE GREAT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE COVERS. Illustrated in color in 1869 PRA Census (p. 128) where described as "the only known genuine example" of a 6c 1869 bisect. With 1954 and 1978 P.F. certificates. Listed in Scott on the basis of this cover, but unpriced. (Image)	E. 20,000-30,000

Bisected Usages

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

2c Brown, Half Used as 1c (113c). In pair with normal, tied across the cut by bold strike of target cancel on small piece, Fine, scarce bisect, signed Sloane, Scott Retail $4,000.00 on cover (Image)

E. 400-500

3c Ultramarine, Vertical Two-Thirds Used as 2c (114c). Right two-thirds tied by grid on piece of Luray Va. tax form, Very Fine, a shortage of 1c and 2c stamps required the use of 2c and 3c bisects at the Luray post office (Image)

E. 400-500

2c Brown, Half Used as 1c (113c). Upper left diagonal half tied across the cut by ms. "X" cancel on major part of folded United States Internal Revenue March 1870 printed tax notice with names of addressee and Assistant Assessor filled in and dated March 26 at Luray Va., part of contents removed and rejoined along fold, small pieces of scotch tape at sides

VERY FINE. ONE OF TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE 2-CENT 1869 BISECT USED ON TAX NOTICES FROM LURAY, VIRGINIA. THE OTHER, BEARING THE MATCHING HALF OF THIS STAMP, IS PERMANENTLY ENSCONCED IN THE MILLER COLLECTION AT THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY.

The Luray 1869 bisects were used on tax notices prepared by Frank J. Bramhall, the Assistant Assessor of the U.S. Internal Revenue office at Luray, Virginia. The notices were to be brought before him, completed and signed by the addressee. This notice to Samuel Miller in Luray was mailed on March 26, 1870, and filed with Bramhall on April 4. The Luray notices and small pieces thereof exist with two different rates: 1c for local addressees and 2c for those outside Luray. Only two notices have 2c 1869 bisects -- two halves of the same stamp (the one offered here and the other in the Miller collection) -- each paying the 1c local rate. The others have 3c 1869 stamps cut into one-third (1c), two-thirds (2c) or two one-thirds of different stamps joined along the perfs (2c), depending on the rate.

Ex Wunsch (Image)

E. 7,500-10,000

2c Brown, Bisect (113c). Left vertical half tied by perfectly struck "Paid" in circle cancel, "East Clarendon Vt. Nov. 3" circular datestamp at left on 2c Brown on Orange entire (U80) to Salem N.Y., entire cancelled by second "Paid" in circle handstamp

EXTREMELY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE 2-CENT 1869 VERTICAL BISECT. ONE OF TWO RECORDED COVERS FROM EAST CLARENDON, VERMONT, BEARING MATCHING HALVES OF THE SAME STAMP. THESE ARE THE ONLY AVAILABLE MATCHING 1869 BISECTS AND THE ONLY 1869 BISECTS KNOWN ON POSTAL STATIONERY OF ANY KIND.

The mate to this cover, dated March 17, was sold in our Sale 869 (lot 3108). It has the right vertical half of the same stamp (see digital reconstruction). Based on the 33 2c 1869 bisect covers listed in the Rose census (United States Postage Stamps of 1869) and the Luray bisect in the Miller collection at The New York Public Library (omitted in the Rose census), these two covers are a) the only 2c 1869 bisects from East Clarendon, a tiny post office in Vermont, b) the only matching bisects of the 1869 Issue available to the public, and c) the only 1869 bisects known on postal stationery. The Luray bisect in this sale (previous lot 82) and the bisect in the Miller collection are matching halves of the same stamp, but for obvious reasons they cannot be reunited.

Ex Seybold (realized $52.00 in 1910 sale!). With 1981 P.F. certificate

E. 4,000-5,000

6c Ultramarine, Vertical Half Used as 3c (115b). Left vertical half with wide balanced margins, well-tied across the cut by clearly struck target cancel, "Mechanicsville N.Y. Jul. 6" circular datestamp on ca. 1870 cover to Watervliet Center N.Y., slightly reduced at left

EXTREMELY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED BISECTED USE OF THE 6-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE, THE ONLY UNIQUE BISECT IN CLASSIC UNITED STATES PHILATELY AND ONE OF THE GREAT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE COVERS.

Illustrated in color in 1869 PRA Census (p. 128) where described as "the only known genuine example" of a 6c 1869 bisect. With 1954 and 1978 P.F. certificates. Listed in Scott on the basis of this cover, but unpriced. (Image)

E. 20,000-30,000