24c Dark Violet, First Color
(60). Full original gum, lightly hinged, remarkably well-centered,
distinctive dark First Color shade and proof-like impressionEXTREMELY FINE. A CHOICE EXAMPLE OF THE 24-CENT DARK VIOLET TRIAL PRINTING. ONE OF THE RAREST OF THE 24-CENT 1861-63 ISSUE SHADES.
With 1995 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail for 70TCe (Image)
24c Dark Violet, First Color
(60). Unused (no gum), deep shade distinctive to the First Color
printing, prooflike impression, couple slightly nibbed perfs, small
filled-in thin spot at rightVERY FINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE 24-CENT 1861 ISSUE FIRST COLOR. ONE OF THE RAREST OF THE 24-CENT 1861-63 ISSUE SHADES.
With 1944 letter and photograph from Philatelic Research Laboratories (cataloguers of the Knapp collection) (Image)
3c Pink (64). Beautiful
bright color typical of the true Pink shade, neat grid cancel, perfectly
centered with nicely proportioned marginsEXTREMELY FINE GEM. THE EARLY PRINTING OF THE 1861 3-CENT IN PINK STANDS ALONGSIDE ITS 5-CENT BUFF COUNTERPART IN TERMS OF ELUSIVENESS IN THIS SUPERB CONDITION.
With 1999 P.F. certificate (Image)
View of San Francisco and
Family in Camp Scene. Bronze cover with Magnus imprint,
depicting Indians in a canoe and view of San Francisco, blue "Alexandria
Va. Nov. 9, 1862" double-circle datestamp and addressed to Freetown N.Y.,
back of cover bears 3c Rose (65) tied by similar blue datestamp, with
original multicolor Magnus enclosure depicting soldiers in a camp
scene, barely reduced at left, Extremely Fine and choice, a rare Magnus
design (Image)
10c Yellow Green (68). Used
with Hawaii, 1866, 5c Blue (32), the Hawaiian stamp tied by large
grid, 10c stamp tied by obliterator, both stamps tied by red "Honolulu U.S.
Postage Paid Jul. 22" datestamp on cover to Richmond Ind., Hughes
correspondence, neat strike of red oval "Hawaiian Steam Service"
handstamp, "San Francisco Cal. Aug. 6" circular datestampVERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE USAGE WITH BOTH STAMPS TIED BY THE HONOLULU POSTMARK AND WITH THE HAWAIIAN STEAM SERVICE MARKING.
With 1978 Hawaiian Philatelic Society certificate (Image)
10c Dark Green (68a).
Intense shade, centered to left, couple unnoticeable short perfs, tied by
full clear strike of "N. York Steamship Apr. 24" circular datestamp
on folded letter to Philadelphia, "S.TOMAS" in black octagonal frame
handstamp with matching "FRANCO" oval and "Puerto Rico" backstamp (part
strike), blue oval "Forwarded by James T. Abbott & Co., St. Thomas,
W.I." handstampVERY FINE. UNUSUAL USE OF THE VERY RARE "S.TOMAS" MARK ON A SPANISH MAIL PACKET COVER TO THE UNITED STATES VIA PUERTO RICO AND ST. THOMAS. ONLY FIVE EXAMPLES OF THIS TRANSIT MARK ARE RECORDED IN STONE CENSUS.
This cover is listed in the Stone book on page 140 under the entry "Cons/SMP 'S.TOMAS' EL ca. 1869...", in which Stone suggests that the letter probably originated from Cuba or the Dominican Republic and was sent to San Juan by a Spanish Mail Packet consignee. The "S.TOMAS" transit was applied at San Juan (along with the circular datestamp on back), and the letter was sent to St. Thomas, where the forwarder applied the 10c stamp and his blue oval marking. Only five "S.TOMAS" covers are recorded by Stone, two strikes in blue and three in black.
Ex Gibson (Image)
10c Green, E. Grill (89).
Perfectly centered, rich color, tied by "New-York Sep. 21" circular
datestamp, "St. Thomas 14/9 1868" circular datestamp on blue folded
cover to New York, file fold, Extremely Fine, choice used of 10c E. Grill
from St. Thomas (Image)
30c Orange (71). Full
original gum, very lightly hinged, perfectly centered with wide margins on
all sides and full top sheet margin still intact, deep shade and very
freshEXTREMELY FINE GEM. WIDELY REGARDED AS THE FINEST ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 30-CENT 1861 ISSUE IN EXISTENCE.
The narrowly-spaced 30c 1861 plate left very little room for the 12-gauge perforations between stamps. Consequently, examples with wide margins at sides are extremely rare -- this fact is acknowledged in the Scott Catalogue footnote to No. 71. In our experience, this stamp, formerly in the Dr. Vernon R. Morris Jr. collection, is the finest original-gum example of the 30c 1861.
With 1990 P.F. certificate. Ex Morris (Image)
90c Blue (72). Unused (no
gum), beautifully centered with wide margins, deep shade close to Dark
Blue, Extremely Fine and choice, with 1999 P.F. certificate (Image)
90c Blue, Imperforate (72
var). Large margins all around, trace of manuscript obliteration at
lower left, Extremely Fine and choice, usually found with prominent
obliteration, a particularly choice example of the 90c 1861 imperforate, of
which only a few are known, ex Brazer (realized $1,000), with 1999 P.F.
certificate (Image)
90c Blue (72). Block of
nine, large circle of wedges cancellations, bright color, small corner
creasing in two corners, few expertly rejoined perf separations, otherwise
Fine-Very Fine, a rare and very exhibitable used multiple, one stamp with
"W.H.C." backstamp, with 1986 P.F. certificate, Scott Retail as block of
four and five singles (Image)
90c Blue (72).
Well-centered with wide margins, deep rich color, used with slightly
overlapping 24c Red Lilac (70), well-centered with natural s.e. at
right, both stamps tied by grid cancels, red "N. York Br. Pkt. Paid Mar.
24" circular datestamp on 1863 folded letter to Augustine Heard & Co. in
Shanghai, China, magenta ms. "98" credit, red crayon "2" pence due
for British transit, red London Paid datestamp and Hong Kong receiving
backstamp (May 20), sender's ship routing "p Australasian", this
Cunarder left New York City on March 25, arriving in London on April 6,
light horizontal file fold, very freshVERY FINE. A PREVIOUSLY UNRECORDED 90-CENT 1861 COVER FROM THE AUGUSTINE HEARD CORRESPONDENCE. ONE OF THE FINEST OF THE EIGHT KNOWN EXAMPLES OF THIS FRANKING FOR THE DOUBLE 57-CENT BRITISH MAIL RATE TO HONG KONG.
The content of the three-page letter concerns shipping and commerce. The tea and coal trades dominate, along with a discussion of the price fluctuations of gold and other means of exchange. Two of the ships mentioned are the record-setting clipper ships Game Cock and Red Gauntlet. As an historical side note, this was the last time the Red Gauntlet was seen at port. On the next voyage, the Confederate privateer ship Florida captured her, off-loaded the cargo of coal and set Red Gauntlet ablaze.
Offered to the market for the first time (Image)