US Stamps Price Scott 11X8: 1846 10c St Louis Postmasters Provisional. Page 1

St. Louis, Missouri, 10c Black on Bluish Pelure (Scott 11X8). Type II, Position 4, large margins to just clear, cancelled by two neat penstrokes, small ink erosion spot in top penstroke, small fault at lower left FINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT ST. LOUIS “BEARS” PROVISIONAL ON PELURE PAPER. A survey of our Levi records and auction catalogues produced a tally of approximately 35 examples of the 10c Pelure off and on cover. The vast majority have faults or margins cutting into the design. Ex T. Cullen Davis (“Texas Collector”, Siegel Sale 278). From our 1975 Rarities sale where offered with the five surrounding lots as part of a complete plate reconstruction.

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Dec 2013, Sale 1062, Lot 25

St. Louis Mo., 10c Black on Bluish (Scott 11X8). Type I, Position 2, large margins to clear, cancelled by neat penstrokes, vertical crease causing some slight splitting and tear at top, small nick at right, light diagonal creases FINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT ST. LOUIS PROVISIONAL ON PELURE PAPER. A survey of our Levi records and auction catalogues produced a tally of approximately 35 examples of the 10c Pelure off and on cover. The vast majority of these stamps has faults or margins cutting into the design. Ex T. Cullen Davis (“Texas Collector”, Siegel Sale 278). From our 1975 Rarities sale where offered with the five surrounding lots as part of a complete plate reconstruction.

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2012, Sale 1025, Lot 57

St. Louis Mo., 10c Black on Bluish (Scott 11X8). Type III, Position 6, ample margins to just touched, slipped print impression, tied on small piece by penstrokes, some slight soiling, vertical crease at left ending in tear at top, small tear at top right FINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT ST. LOUIS PROVISIONAL ON PELURE PAPER. A survey of our Levi records and auction catalogues produced a tally of approximately 35 examples of the 10c Pelure off and on cover. The vast majority of these stamps has faults or margins cutting into the design. Ex T. Cullen Davis (“Texas Collector”, Siegel Sale 278). From our 1975 Rarities sale where offered with the five previous lots as part of a complete plate reconstruction.

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2012, Sale 1025, Lot 58

St. Louis Mo., 10c Black on Bluish (Scott 11X8). Type II, Position 4, large margins to just clear, cancelled by two neat penstrokes, small ink erosion spot in top penstroke, small fault at lower left FINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT ST. LOUIS PROVISIONAL ON PELURE PAPER. A survey of our Levi records and auction catalogues produced a tally of approximately 35 examples of the 10c Pelure off and on cover. The vast majority of these stamps has faults or margins cutting into the design. Ex T. Cullen Davis (“Texas Collector”, Siegel Sale 278). From our 1975 Rarities sale where offered with the five surrounding lots as part of a complete plate reconstruction.

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2012, Sale 1025, Lot 56

o St. Louis, Mo., 1846, 10¢ black on bluish pelure (11X8), type I, position 2, remarkably fresh with clear to large margins (except just touching at upper right) and a neat manuscript cancel; ironed out horizontal crease, otherwise F.-V.F. and exceptionally attractive. Scott $13,000 A MOST HANDSOME EXAMPLE OF THIS RARE PROVISIONAL IN FAR BETTER CONDITION THAN MANY OF THE OTHER EXAMPLES ON THIS EXCEEDINGLY FRAGILE PAPER. Expertization: 1980 PF Certificate. Scott states that the values listed for pelure paper issues reflects the usual poor condition of these stamps— attractive examples with minor defects (such as the present example) sell for considerably more.

Matthew Bennett International, Feb 2012, Sale 340, Lot 19

St. Louis Mo., 10c Black on Bluish Pelure (11X8). Type III, Position 6, unused (no gum), ample margins on three sides and just shaved along outer frameline at top, deep impression on fresh paper, tiny vertical crease at bottom VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED UNUSED EXAMPLE OF THE ST. LOUIS “BEARS” 10-CENT PROVISIONAL ON PELURE PAPER. AN IMPORTANT RARITY AMONG POSTMASTERS’ PROVISIONALS. A survey of our Levi records and auction catalogues produced a tally of approximately 35 examples of the 10c Pelure off and on cover. The vast majority of these stamps has faults or margins cutting into the design. The stamp offered here is essentially sound and one of the most beautiful examples extant. It is also the only certified unused example extant. Ex Pope and Wagshal. With 2010 P.F. certificate as unused. Unlisted in Scott as unused. Scott Retail $13,000.00 as used, but footnote states: “Values of Nos. 11X7-11X8a, on and off cover, reflect the usual poor condition of these stamps, which were printed on fragile pelure paper. Attractive examples with minor defects sell for considerably more.”

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Jun 2011, Sale 1010, Lot 8

o St. Louis, Mo., 1846, 10¢ black on bluish (11X8), type II, position 4, ample margins all around and canceled solely with a red St. Louis town cancel, tiny tear a slight thin at bottom; fresh, Very Fine appearance. Scott $13,000 A MOST ATTRACTIVE EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 10¢ ON PELURE PAPER, THE 1847 PRINTING ON PELURE PAPER BEING THE RAREST OF THE ST. LOUIS BEAR PRINTINGS. Expertization: 1984 PF Certificate.

Matthew Bennett International, Mar 2011, Sale 336, Lot 1097

St. Louis Mo., 10c Black on Bluish Pelure (11X8). Type II, Position 4 with large right sheet margin and full even margins on other sides, neat manuscript cancel and part of red St. Louis circular datestamp at bottom, light impression on bright fresh paper, essentially sound with only some slight wrinkles and a corner crease in the sheet margin at upper right (really unworthy of mention and not noted on certificate) EXTREMELY FINE. QUITE POSSIBLY THE FINEST EXAMPLE EXTANT OF THE RARE ST. LOUIS “BEARS” 10-CENT PROVISIONAL ON PELURE PAPER. A survey of our Levi records and auction catalogues produced a tally of approximately 35 examples of the 10c Pelure off and on cover. The vast majority of these stamps has faults or margins cutting into the design. The stamp offered here is extraordinary, both for the intact wide sheet margin and its sound condition. Ex Pope. With 1962 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail $13,000.00, but footnote states: “Values of Nos. 11X7-11X8a, on and off cover, reflect the usual poor condition of these stamps, which were printed on fragile pelure paper. Attractive examples with minor defects sell fo considerably more.”

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Sep 2010, Sale 993, Lot 17

St. Louis Mo., 10c Black on Bluish Pelure (11X8). Type III, Position 6, ample margins on three sides and just shaved along outer frameline at top, deep impression on fresh paper, accompanying certificate states “faintly cancelled” but we cannot detect any evidence of a cancellation (faint or removed) in fluid, under magnification or with a UV lamp — uncancelled examples of St. Louis “Bears” are known, and this might be one of them — essentially sound with a trace of a tiny wrinkle/crease at the bottom center, which only “flashes” when drying VERY FINE. ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES KNOWN OF THE RARE ST. LOUIS “BEARS” 10-CENT PROVISIONAL ON PELURE PAPER. A survey of our Levi records and auction catalogues produced a tally of approximately 35 examples of the 10c Pelure off and on cover. The vast majority of these stamps has faults or margins cutting into the design. The stamp offered here is essentially sound and one of the most beautiful examples extant. Ex Pope. With 1985 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail $13,000.00, but footnote states: “Values of Nos. 11X7-11X8a, on and off cover, reflect the usual poor condition of these stamps, which were printed on fragile pelure paper. Attractive examples with minor defects sell fo considerably more.”

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Sep 2010, Sale 993, Lot 18

St. Louis Mo., 10c Black on Bluish Pelure (11X8). Type I, Position 2 with enormous top right corner sheet margins showing edge of plate, large left margin and originally a large margin at bottom except a sizeable piece has been torn from the stamp, cancelled by manuscript numeral “10” rate and part of red handstamp at the top left, sharp impression A REMARKABLE CORNER SHEET-MARGIN EXAMPLE OF THE RARE ST. LOUIS “BEARS” 10-CENT PROVISIONAL ON PELURE PAPER. A survey of our Levi records and auction catalogues produced a tally of approximately 35 examples of the 10c Pelure off and on cover. The vast majority of these stamps has faults or margins cutting into the design. The stamp offered here is extraordinary as a full corner sheet-margin example, and its appearance could be vastly improved with some skillful restoration of the defect at bottom. Ex Pope. With 1962 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail $13,000.00, but footnote states: “Values of Nos. 11X7-11X8a, on and off cover, reflect the usual poor condition of these stamps, which were printed on fragile pelure paper. Attractive examples with minor defects sell fo considerably more.”

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Sep 2010, Sale 993, Lot 19

St. Louis Mo., 10c Black on Bluish Pelure, Printed on Both Sides (11X8a). Type I, Position 2, ample margins to clear at top left and slightly in at bottom left corner, impression of 5c Black, Re-engraved Position 1, on back, a part impression but the numeral “5” is clearly visible not only on the back but also through the semi-translucent paper, tied by neat manuscript “X” cancel and “10” rate, red “St. Louis Mo. Nov. 25” (1846) circular datestamp and matching “Paid” handstamp on light blue folded letter datelined “St. Louis Nov. 24, 1846” from Wayman Crow to John W. Farrell, in care of C. W. Churchman in Philadelphia Pa., stamp lifted from the cover, it has two tiny insignificant tears at left VERY FINE. THIS MARVELOUS STAMP AND COVER REPRESENT THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF ANY UNITED STATES POSTMASTER PROVISIONAL STAMP PRINTED ON BOTH SIDES AND THE EARLIEST RECORDED USE OF A ST. LOUIS “BEARS” STAMP FROM THE THIRD STATE OF THE PLATE ON PELURE PAPER. The second and final alteration to the St. Louis “Bears” plate restored the two “5” (cent) denominations to Positions 1 and 3, where the “20” (cent) numerals had been engraved during the first alteration of the plate. The “20” numerals had been engraved in an entirely different style, but the re-engraved “5” numerals closely match the numerals on the original plate. When this alteration was made, the engraver also strengthened the dot inside the ball at the bottom end of the “5” in Position 5, which gives us an easy way to differentiate between Position 5 stamps printed on Gray Lilac paper (without the large dot) and stamps from the same position printed on Bluish Pelure paper (with the dot). The 5c stamps from the re-engraved Positions 1 and 3 have noticeably different numerals and should really be called Types IV and V, rather than “Types I and II re-engraved.” The stamp on the cover offered here has a part impression of the re-engraved 5c Position 1 (Type IV). To the best of our knowledge, this stamp is not only a singular example of a Postmaster’s Provisional printed on both sides, but it is the earliest United States postage stamp printed on both sides and one of three stamps in American philately with two different denominations on the same stamp (the other two are revenue stamps). The St. Louis “Bears” stamps on Pelure paper are the among the rarest stamps in the world. The census data reproduced in the Faiman collection sale catalogue (Matthew Bennett, Oct. 31, 2003) lists six covers (one of which is a front) for the 5c Pelure (Scott 11X7) and two covers and two fronts for the normal 10c (Scott 11X8), plus the unique 11X8a cover offered here. The earliest date for any Pelure stamp is November 25, 1846 (the cover offered here), and the next two sequential dates for any of the “Bears” are December 4, 1846 (10c Gray Lilac), followed by December 17 (5c Gray Lilac, Position 5 without the retouch). The next sequential date for a Pelure stamp is January 11, 1847 (bearing two 5c Pelure, addressed to Benton). The use of St. Louis “Bears” seems to have dropped significantly by mid-1847, and, starting in July the new 1847 Issue rendered the provisional stamps obsolete. Information about the addressee, Wayman Crow (1808-85), is available on Wikipedia. He was a businessman and politician, and one of the founders of Washington University. He moved to St. Louis in 1835 and was elected in 1840 to the Missouri state senate. In 1846 he secured the charter for the St. Louis Mercantile Library Association, the oldest library west of the Mississippi River. In 1853 he secured the charter for Eliot Seminary, the precursor to Washington University. He continued as a member of the board of trustees until his death in 1885, when he was assassinated on the campus of Washington University. Illustrated and described in the 1951 Congress Book, “St. Louis, Missouri, Postmaster’s Provisional”, C. Turner Nearing (pages 129-149) and Opinions IV, “An Important Change in Philatelic Foundation Policy: Certification of Earliest Known Date of Use”, Jerome S. Wagshal (pages 42-60). Ex John D. Pope III (John A. Fox sale, Dec. 1, 1984, lot 59). With 1985 P.F. certificate stating “It is a genuine usage with a small tear at top left in the stamp, the earliest usage of a pelure paper ‘St. Louis Bear’ stamp known as of this date”

Robert Siegel Auction Galleries, Sep 2010, Sale 993, Lot 12