US Stamps Value Scott 1: 1847 5c Benjamin Franklin. Page 6

5c Red Brown (Scott 1). Vertical pair, large to huge margins all around, bright shade, cancelled by neat strikes of red New York square grid EXTREMELY FINE VERTICAL PAIR OF THE 5-CENT 1847 ISSUE. Ex Mirsky. With 1999 P.S.E. and 2012 P.F. certificates

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2015, Sale 1106, Lot 3013

5c Red Brown (Scott 1). Full margins all around, bright shade, red grid cancel, matching “N. York & N. Haven R.R. Apr. 30” railroad route agent’s circular datestamp on 1850 light blue folded cover addressed in blue to St. Malo, France, red “COLONIES/&c ART. 13” Anglo-French accountancy handstamp, red Calais transit datestamp ties stamp, French “15” decimes due handstamp, transit and receiving backstamps VERY FINE. A COLORFUL AND RARE TRANSATLANTIC 1847 ISSUE COVER CARRIED TO THE PORT OF DEPARTURE BY NEW YORK & NEW HAVEN RAILROAD. Very few 1847 covers to foreign destinations are known with railroad route agents’ markings. The census at the U.S. Classics Society website lists 22 covers used with this particular route agent’s marking, but this is the only one to a foreign destination. Ex “Sevenoaks”.

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2015, Sale 1105, Lot 2519

5c Dark Brown (Scott 1a). Two singles, one with wide margins and file fold thru stamp, other with ample margins to just touching at right, slightly overlapping, tied by blue “Paid” straightline, matching “New York & Phila. R.R. May 25” railroad route agent’s circular datestamp on blue mostly complete 1848 folded cover to Burlington Vt., forwarded to Montreal, Canada, manuscript “5 forwarded” at top left, red “Paid,” handstamp, Montreal backstamp, Fine and unusual forwarded use across the Canadian border, ex Ring and Kapiloff

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2015, Sale 1105, Lot 2517

5c Red Brown (Scott 1). Horizontal pair, large margins to just clear, deep rich color, tied by unusual criss-crossing manuscript lines on 1848 folded letter originating in Toronto, Canada, and addressed to New York, Kennedy correspondence, light strike of “PAID” handstamp crossed out and manuscript “Paid to the Lines No. 20”, “Toronto U.C. JU 10, 1848” circular datestamp, manuscript “4-1/2” rate for Canadian postage to the border, vertical file fold affects right stamp VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT 1847 ISSUE ON A COVER ORIGINATING IN CANADA. The U.S. stamps were affixed to the cover in Canada and paid the rate from the border to New York. Canadian postage “to the lines” was paid in cash. Ex Rust. With 1987 P.F. certificate

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2015, Sale 1105, Lot 2518

5c Red Brown (Scott 1). Three large margins including part of adjoining stamp at bottom, ample at left, tied by well-struck blue “Troy N.Y. Dec. 5” circular datestamp on 1849 folded letter to Perth, Canada West, sender’s directive “Via Ogdenburgh N.Y.” at lower left, red “Prescott U.C. DE 8, 1849” circular datestamp, Dec. 10 receiving backstamp, manuscript “4-1/2” due for Canadian postage, vertical file fold well away from stamp, Very Fine and attractive use, owner’s backstamp

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2015, Sale 1105, Lot 2515

5c Red Brown (Scott 1). Large margins to clear, stamp defective, tied by light strike of red “Albany N.Y. Apr. 12” circular datestamp on blue folded letter datelined “Ithaca Apl. 9th 1848” to Montreal, Canada, written and signed by Ezra Cornell (founder of Cornell University), manuscript “pd to lines” and “4-1/2” marking for Canadian postage due, receiving backstamp, vertical file fold well away from stamp, some expert restoration along folds, Fine appearance and scarce use

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2015, Sale 1105, Lot 2516

5c Red Brown (Scott 1). Large margins to clear at lower left, tied by faint pencil cancel on Vermont & Boston Telegraph Line illustrated advertising cover to Springfield Mass., “Office at Cheney & Co’s Express” corner card, some light wrinkling and toning, stamp has pre-use diagonal crease at top right A FINE AND EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT 1847 ISSUE USED ON THE DISTINCTIVE VERMONT & BOSTON TELEGRAPH LINE ILLUSTRATED ENVELOPE. This well-known telegraph company design illustrates ships, a train, post rider, postman and turtle, above which is a telegraphic lightning bolt connected to a hand and quill, the obvious implication being that the telegraph beats all other forms of communication. The better-known example of this envelope with the 1847 Issue is the cover sold in our auction of the Leonard Kapiloff collection (Sale 742, lot 90, realized $13,000 hammer). Both covers are addressed to Miss Sophia H. Ring at Springfield, Massachusetts. The ex-Kapiloff cover is postmarked at Middlebury, Vermont (Dec. 18), and the 5c stamp is tied by criss-crossed blue grids. It is not known why this previously unrecorded cover was not also postmarked at Middlebury, but the use of pencil to cancel (and tie) the 5c stamp suggests it may have been carried outside the mails (by express) or by railroad. With 2007 P.F. certificate noting the stamp originated on this cover but declining opinion with respect to the pencil cancel or whether this passed through the mails

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2015, Sale 1105, Lot 2509

5c Red Brown (Scott 1). Large margins to clear including left sheet margin, bright color, tied by red “10” numeral rate handstamp, corresponding blue “Baltimore Md. Mar. 19” circular datestamp and red “WAY/5” handstamp, well-struck “Blood’s Despatch One-Cent Pre-Paid” in serrated double-circle handstamp indicating service to the mails in Philadelphia, manuscript “Due 5” on buff cover from Philadelphia to Buckingham Courthouse Va., routed by railroad via Baltimore, the manuscript “Due 5” was applied for unpaid portion of 10c over-300 miles rate EXTREMELY FINE. A MARVELOUS 1847 ISSUE COVER WITH AN INTERESTING COMBINATION OF MAIL SERVICE MARKINGS. Ex Crowe and Kapiloff. With 1977 P.F. certificate

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2015, Sale 1105, Lot 2513

5c Red Brown (Scott 1). Large to huge margins, rich color, used with Swarts’ City Dispatch Post, New York N.Y., (2c) Black on Light Green Glazed (136L1), Stone 1, large even margins, intense jet-black impression on beautiful rich green paper, cancelled by clear strike of red “Paid” straightline (small version without line beneath), both stamps tied by red square grid cancel, matching “New-York Jun. 12” (1849) circular datestamp, red “Post Office, Swarts, Chatham Square” oval handstamp on fresh folded cover to Burlington N.J., sender’s notation “Paid”, Swarts’ red oval promotional backstamp “Letters for New York City, Direct To Chatham Square Post Office”, immaculate condition EXTREMELY FINE. A COLORFUL AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE COMBINATION OF THE 5-CENT 1847 ISSUE AND SWARTS’ CITY DISPATCH STAMP ON GREEN GLAZED PAPER. ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL 1847 ISSUE AND LOCAL POST COMBINATION COVERS WE HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED. Aaron Swarts was employed by the Post Office Department at Chatham Square in 1845 and 1846. On January 5, 1847, the Chatham Square branch was discontinued, leaving area residents and businesses without a convenient nearby post office. Swarts saw his opportunity and on January 15 announced the opening of his local post at 6 Chatham Square, advertising it as the Branch Post Office, although there was no official connection at all to the government post office. Swarts’ City Dispatch Post was one of the most successful of the many private posts in New York City in the 1840’s and 1850’s. (source: Perry, The Chatham Square Post Office). No later than January 15, 1849, Swarts bought another major local post operated by John Bouton. The exact date of the buyout is unknown, but there is one cover dated January 15, 1849, with Swarts’ “Paid” cancel applied to Bouton’s stamp (ex Hall, Siegel Sale 830, lot 762), followed by another dated January 29, 1849, with the “Swarts” overprint on Bouton’s stamp (Hall sale, lot 763). Therefore, the change in ownership certainly occurred days, if not weeks, prior to January 15, 1849. After using up the Swarts-overprinted Bouton stamps between January and April 1849, Swarts adopted the Zachary Taylor “Rough and Ready” design used by Bouton, which was originally inspired by Taylor’s successful 1848 presidential campaign. The early impressions from Swarts’ first lithographic stone (Stone 1) are very sharp, as this example demonstrates. Later Stone 1 printings are less clear, and Stone 2 printings can be differentiated from Stone 1 by the presence of the “horn” (line of color) to the left of Taylor’s forehead. The first printing was made from Stone 1 in Black on Green surface-coated paper (136L1) and in Black on Bluish Gray paper without surface coating (136L7). Covers with either 136L1 or 136L7 are scarce, and only some of them can be reliably year-dated (in particular, covers from the Pierpont Mallory & Co. correspondence). The early Bluish Gray 136L7 covers are clustered between July 23 and August 30, 1849. One Green 136L1 is known tied on a folded letter dated May 16 (ex Hall, Siegel Sale 830, lot 766), but there is no year date; it is more likely 1849 than 1850, based on the stamp’s sharp early impression and Swarts markings. Three Green 136L1 and 5c 1847 combination covers are dated June 8 (1849 folded letter), June 12 (1849 folded letter) and again on June 12 (the cover offered here, without year-dated content). These are followed by a September 25, 1849, year-dated letter with 136L1 and a few later or undated uses. It is likely that the earliest printing from Stone 1 was made on Green surface-coated paper, represented by the stamps on the May/June 1849 covers. Two of the 136L1 and 1847 combination covers are addressed to Sarah Platt in New London, Connecticut. Ashbrook, in his Special Service, claimed that the June 8 cover to Platt had stamps that did not originate, but he was unaware of the June 12 cover to Platt (ex Baker). All three of the 136L1 and 1847 combination covers were written up by Jerome S. Wagshal (Chronicle 169, February 1996), who corrected the misidentification of the Swarts stamps (accurately identifying them as 136L1, Stone 1) and raised doubt about Ashbrook’s analysis. Ex Emerson (Kelleher sale, Oct. 19, 1937, realized $345), Brigham and Kuphal. With 2007 P.F. certificate

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2015, Sale 1105, Lot 2514

5c Red Brown (Scott 1). Vertical pair, large margins to clear, tied by red grid cancels, matching “Mobile Ala. Jan. 24” circular datestamp on folded letter datelined “New Orleans 23 June 1850” to Kingston Ga., fascinating letter concludes: “The Iron Steamboat Guadelquiver was this morning burnt up at the Julia St. Wharf, said to be done by the Cuban Liberators”, writer also mentions incarcerating someone for an unpaid debt, light file folds do not affect stamps, Very Fine and unusual use

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2015, Sale 1105, Lot 2511

5c Red Brown (Scott 1). Large margins to clear, tied by blue waffle-iron grid cancel, matching “Cambridge Ms. Nov. 9” circular datestamp on cover to Boston, docketing at left indicates this was addressed by Edward Everett (famous orator and unsuccessful vice-presidential candidate) to nephew of the famous patriot spy Nathan Hale, cover with large repaired tear at top not affecting stamp, otherwise Very Fine

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2015, Sale 1105, Lot 2512

5c Red Brown (Scott 1). Horizontal pair, large margins all around, tied by red grid cancels applied at New Orleans, matching “WAY/11/CENTS” rimless oval due handstamp (10c plus 1c way fee) with “11” crossed out, faint red “Steamer Hecla” oval name-of-boat handstamp on buff cover to Stratford Conn., forwarded to New Haven with “Stratford Ct. June 25” manuscript postmark and rate notations indicating that 5c forwarding postage was paid there, some edgewear, still a Very Fine and rare steamboat use, this cover shows the unusual use of New Orleans “Way 11 Cents” due marking instead of “Steam” with rate crossed out, it is also a rare example of 10c over-300 miles and 5c under-300 miles rates combined on one 1847 Issue cover, ex Kapiloff

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2015, Sale 1105, Lot 2510

1, 1847 5c Red brown, circular red grid cancel on piece, four clear margins, close at top, bold impression, Fine (Scott value $400)

H.R. Harmer, Jun 2015, Sale 3007, Lot 3087

1a, 1847 5c Dark brown,unused, four close and complete margins, deep color, small thin spot at right, Fine, 2001 PF certificate and copy of 1976 PF certificate (Scott value $3,250) 

H.R. Harmer, Jun 2015, Sale 3007, Lot 3088

1, 1847 5c Red brown,light red grid cancel, four ample to large margins all around, sealed scissors cut at top right, attractive and Fine, 2015 PSE certificate (Scott $400)

H.R. Harmer, Jun 2015, Sale 3007, Lot 3085