US Stamp Values Scott 11X4: 1846 5c St Louis Postmasters Provisional. Page 1

St. Louis, Missouri, 5c Black on Gray Lilac (Scott 11X4). Type III, Position 5, large margins to clear, crisp impression on nicely grayed paper, cancelled solely by red circular datestamp, small surface scrape at bottom left (really nothing more than some ink flaking off) VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT ST. LOUIS “BEARS” POSTMASTER’S PROVISIONAL ISSUE ON GRAY LILAC PAPER. The layout of the plate was altered just before the paper was changed from Greenish to Gray Lilac paper. The original layout contained three 5c stamps at left and three 10c stamps at right. The plate was altered, and the top two 5c stamps were converted to 20c stamps. Only one position, the bottom left position of the plate, yielded 5c stamps. The new plate layout, combined with limited production from the altered plate before it was converted back again to its original format, accounts for the rarity of the 5c on Gray Lilac paper. With 2006 P.F. certificate

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2013, Sale 1062, Lot 21

St. Louis Mo., 5c Black on Gray Lilac (Scott 11X4). Type III, Position 5, large margins to barely touched at lower left, bright shade, neat penstroke cancel FRESH AND FINE. A RARE SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT ST. LOUIS POSTMASTER’S PROVISIONAL ISSUE ON GRAY LILAC PAPER. ONLY ONE POSITION ON THIS STATE OF THE PLATE IS A 5-CENT STAMP. The St. Louis “Bears” stamps were printed from a single plate of six subjects (two horizontal by three vertical) that was modified twice to change the denominations of two positions. The original plate contained three 5c stamps at left and three 10c stamps at right. All stamps from the first state of the plate were printed on Greenish paper. The plate was then altered by burnishing out the “5” on Positions 1 and 3 and engraving a new “20” denomination. A small printing on Greenish paper was made from this altered plate. 5c stamps (Position 5) and 10c stamps (Positions 2/4/6) on Greenish Paper cannot usually be identified as original or altered plate impressions (the 20c on Greenish paper is a great rarity). The larger portion of stamps from the altered plate are on Gray Lilac paper. However, because only one of six subjects was a 5c value, the 5c on Gray Lilac is an extremely rare stamp — perhaps even rarer than the 20c on Gray Lilac. The plate was modified again by burnishing out each “20” and engraving the old “5” denomination (third state). At the time of this second alteration, a large ball was engraved inside the end curl of the numeral “5” on Position 5. As far as we know, all stamps from the third state of the plate were printed on a very thin pelure paper. These were the last stamps used before the 1847 Issue was placed on sale in St. Louis. Sound examples of this issue are rare, and this stamp has margins almost all around

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2012, Sale 1025, Lot 44

St. Louis Mo., 5c Black on Gray Lilac (Scott 11X4). Type III, Position 5, large margins to clear, intense shade, cancelled by two neat vertical penstrokes, tiny tear at top left mostly in margin, light diagonal crease at lower right FINE APPEARANCE. A SCARCE EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT ST. LOUIS POSTMASTER’S PROVISIONAL ISSUE ON GRAY LILAC PAPER. ONLY ONE POSITION ON THIS STATE OF THE PLATE IS A 5-CENT STAMP. The St. Louis “Bears” stamps were printed from a single plate of six subjects (two horizontal by three vertical) that was modified twice to change the denominations of two positions. The original plate contained three 5c stamps at left and three 10c stamps at right. All stamps from the first state of the plate were printed on Greenish paper. The plate was then altered by burnishing out the “5” on Positions 1 and 3 and engraving a new “20” denomination. A small printing on Greenish paper was made from this altered plate. 5c stamps (Position 5) and 10c stamps (Positions 2/4/6) on Greenish Paper cannot usually be identified as original or altered plate impressions (the 20c on Greenish paper is a great rarity). The larger portion of stamps from the altered plate are on Gray Lilac paper. However, because only one of six subjects was a 5c value, the 5c on Gray Lilac is an extremely rare stamp — perhaps even rarer than the 20c on Gray Lilac. The plate was modified again by burnishing out each “20” and engraving the old “5” denomination (third state). At the time of this second alteration, a large ball was engraved inside the end curl of the numeral “5” on Position 5. As far as we know, all stamps from the third state of the plate were printed on a very thin pelure paper. These were the last stamps used before the 1847 Issue was placed on sale in St. Louis. With 1962 P.F. certificate.

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2012, Sale 1025, Lot 45

St. Louis Mo., 5c Black on Gray Lilac (Scott 11X4). Type III, Position 5, large margins to clear, bright shade, unobtrusive pen cancel VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A RARE AND DESIRABLE SOUND FOUR-MARGIN EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT ST. LOUIS POSTMASTER’S PROVISIONAL ISSUE ON GRAY LILAC PAPER. A WONDERFUL CONDITION RARITY. The St. Louis “Bears” stamps were printed from a single plate of six subjects (two horizontal by three vertical) that was modified twice to change the denominations of two positions. The original plate contained three 5c stamps at left and three 10c stamps at right. All stamps from the first state of the plate were printed on Greenish paper. The plate was then altered by burnishing out the “5” on Positions 1 and 3 and engraving a new “20” denomination. A small printing on Greenish paper was made from this altered plate. 5c stamps (Position 5) and 10c stamps (Positions 2/4/6) on Greenish Paper cannot usually be identified as original or altered plate impressions (the 20c on Greenish paper is a great rarity). The larger portion of stamps from the altered plate are on Gray Lilac paper. However, because only one of six subjects was a 5c value, the 5c on Gray Lilac is an extremely rare stamp — perhaps even rarer than the 20c on Gray Lilac. The plate was modified again by burnishing out each “20” and engraving the old “5” denomination (third state). At the time of this second alteration, a large ball was engraved inside the end curl of the numeral “5” on Position 5. As far as we know, all stamps from the third state of the plate were printed on a very thin pelure paper. These were the last stamps used before the 1847 Issue was placed on sale in St. Louis. A review using Power Search shows that most examples of this issue either have faults or margins into the design. Power Search contains only six sound four-margin copies not in multiples: 1) pen cancel, ex Concord, Vineyard and Wall, 2) pen cancel, ex Twigg-Smith (2001 Siegel sale), 3) red cancel, barely clear, ex Twigg-Smith (2001 Siegel sale), 4) pen cancel, 1980 Rarities sale, 5) heavy pen cancel, 1974 Rarities sale, and 6) the example offered here. We estimate perhaps another half-dozen may exist in this condition. Ex F.W. Hunter and Moody. Small “W.H.C.” (Colson) backstamp. With 1967 P.F. certificate. Offered to the market for the first time since our 1970 Rarities sale.

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2012, Sale 1025, Lot 43

o St. Louis, Mo., 1846, 5¢ black on gray lilac (11X4), type III, position 5, huge balanced margins, lightened manuscript cancel affecting paper color slightly from the center toward the upper right, otherwise a choice, Extremely Fine example of this this rare stamp. Scott price $55,000 AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE OF THE EXCEEDINGLY RARE FIVE-CENT BEAR ON GRAY LILAC PAPER. Expertization: 2004 PF Certificate. The St Louis Bear stamps were printed from a single plate of six subjects that was modified twice to change the denominations of two positions. The rarity of the 5¢ on gray lilac paper derives from the use of gray lilac paper in only a portion of the printing from the second state of the plate. The first state of the plate contained three 5¢ and three 10¢ stamps. In the second state, two of the 5¢ positions were replaced with the new 20¢ value, leaving only one position to produce a 5¢ stamp. Therefore, at least in terms of the number produced, the 5¢ on gray lilac is twice as rare as the 20¢.

Matthew Bennett International, Feb 2012, Sale 340, Lot 15

St. Louis, Mo., 1846, 5¢ black on gray lilac (Scott 11X4), type III, position 5, two neat pen stroke cancels, three nice margins, touching to in at left, especially large margin at right,deeply etched impression on fresh pleasing gray lilac paper, displaying an overall freshness that is inviting, a pleasingly sound example of one of the rarest of all US stamps with only a handful surviving, 1973 PF certificate. Scott $55,000 Estimate $15,000 – 20,000.

Daniel Kelleher Auctions, Jan 2012, Sale 628, Lot 197

St. Louis Mo., 5c Black on Gray Lilac (11X4). Type III, Position 5, three ample even margins, entitrely clear of frameline at left, light pen cancel, red St. Louis circular datestamp, faint vertical crease FINE APPEARANCE. AN ATTRACTIVE EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT ST. LOUIS POSTMASTER’S PROVISIONAL ON GRAY LILAC PAPER. The St. Louis “Bears” stamps were printed from a single plate of six subjects (two horizontal by three vertical) that was modified twice to change the denominations of two positions. The original plate contained three 5c stamps at left and three 10c stamps at right. All stamps from the first state of the plate were printed on Greenish paper. The plate was then altered by burnishing out the “5” on Positions 1 and 3 and engraving a new “20” denomination. A small printing on Greenish paper was made from this altered plate. 5c stamps (Position 5) and 10c stamps (Positions 2/4/6) on Greenish Paper cannot usually be identified as original or altered plate impressions (the 20c on Greenish paper is a great rarity). The larger portion of stamps from the altered plate are on Gray Lilac paper. However, because only one of six subjects was a 5c value, the 5c on Gray Lilac is an extremely rare stamp — perhaps even rarer than the 20c on Gray Lilac. The plate was modified again by burnishing out each “20” and engraving the old “5” denomination (third state). At the time of this second alteration, a large ball was engraved inside the end curl of the numeral “5” on Position 5. As far as we know, all stamps from the third state of the plate were printed on a very thin pelure paper. These were the last stamps used before the 1847 Issue was placed on sale in St. Louis. Ex Weill Brothers sale. With 1984 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail $55,000.00

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Sep 2010, Sale 993, Lot 11