Terms of SaleBid IncrementsGradingLinksContact

Sale 20: The Westpex Sale

Previous ChapterTable of ContentsNext Chapter

U.S. Postal History: Gun Covers: Powder Manufacturers

Lots 664-673 Lots 674-683 Lots 684-693 Lots 694-703 Lots 704-713 Lots 714-723 Lots 724-733 Lots 734-743 Lots 744-749

Lot 664    

Aetna Dynamite. Wonderful multicolor design on 1908 cover showing Farmer with Box of Dynamite, franked on reverse with 1903 2¢ tied by Louisville, Ky. machine cancel, slightly reduced at right, Very Fine, a rare & attractive design, not included in the Biddle or Beals collections.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Realized: $600

email this lot to a friend

Lot 665    

Aetna Dynamite, postcards. Lot of 4 unused postcards showing Diff Factory Views in Mount Union, Pa., Very Fine.
Estimate    $50 - 75.

Realized: $40

email this lot to a friend

Lot 666    

American Powder Co. Design on 1880 cover showing Hunter Shooting Deer & Distributer's Building, franked with 3¢ Bank Note cancelled by cork with St. Louis, Mo. cds alongside, original matching illustrated letterhead included, Very Fine, ex-Beals.
Estimate    $50 - 75.

Realized: $75

email this lot to a friend

Lot 667    

American Powder Mills. Two covers (1905 & '06) with multicolor design on showing Marsh Scene with Hunters in Boat & Mallard, "Dead Shot", franked with 1903 2¢ tied by Louisville, Ky. machine cancels, designs with minor differences, both reduced at right just affecting stamp, 1906 cover with light aging, Fine.
Estimate    $150 - 200.

Realized: $75

email this lot to a friend

Lot 668    

American Powder Mills. Multicolor design on 1915 cover showing Mallard, "Dead Shot", franked with 2¢ Washington-Franklin tied by Evansville, Ind. machine cancel, flap missing, cover wrinkle & small tear at top, Fine.
Estimate    $50 - 75.

Realized: $42

email this lot to a friend

Lot 669    

The American Wood Powder. Gray design on 1883 cover showing Powder Cannisters, franked with 3¢ Bank Note tied by New York duplex cancel, Very Fine.
Estimate    $75 - 100.

Realized: $145

email this lot to a friend

Lot 670    

The Atlantic Dynamite Co. of N.J. Spectacular multicolor design on 1901 cover showing Cyclops with Lighting Bolts, franked with pair of 1901 1¢ Pan-Americans tied by Indianapolis, Ind. machine cancel, reverse with all over multicolor text ad, small edge tear at right & one 1¢ defective, Very Fine, a very rare design, ex-Beals, which sold for $660 in 1987, the highest price for any post 1869 cover with the exception of one Laflin & Rand cover which also sold for $660.
Estimate    $400 - 600.

After Alfred Nobel invented dynamite in 1866, DuPont's conservative head, Henry DuPont, had resisted entering the new business. However, Henry's progressive nephew Lammot expressed a keen interest and in 1880, with the assistance of Laflin & Rand, Lammot formed the Repauno Chemical Company to produce and sell dynamite.

This joint venture proved extremely successful, and two years later Lammot expanded operations to Cleveland to supply the booming western dynamite market. Four years after Lammot's death in an accidental explosion in 1884, a young coal-mining executive, J. Amory Haskell, was elected president of Repauno. Determined to enlarge and consolidate Repauno's extensive holdings, Haskell acquired the Atlantic Dynamite Company, which held Nobel's American patents. In 1895 he established the Eastern Dynamite Company, which incorporated Atlantic Dynamite as a wholly owned subsidiary.

In 1902 DuPont purchased Laflin & Rand's interest in Eastern, thereby assuming control over 72 percent of the nationwide dynamite industry. In 1911 a Federal court ruled DuPont in violation of antitrust laws, and as a result DuPont's explosives businesses were split off into two newly created, separate firms, the Atlas Powder Company and the Hercules Powder Company.

Realized: $700

email this lot to a friend

Lot 671    

The Atlantic Dynamite Co. of N.J. Spectacular multicolor design on 1901 cover showing Cyclops with Lighting Bolts, franked with pair of 1901 1¢ Pan-Americans tied by Indianapolis, Ind. machine cancel, reverse with all over multicolor text ad, slightly reduced at right with corner nick at top right, Very Fine, a very rare design, ex-Biddle, which sold for $550 in 1982, the highest price for any Gun cover in the Biddle sale.
Estimate    $400 - 600.

Realized: $850

email this lot to a friend

Lot 672    

The Atlantic Dynamite Co. of N.J. Multicolor design on 1905 cover showing Roman Wrestling Lion, franked with 1903 2¢ tied by Birmingham, Ala. machine cancel, reverse with all over multicolor text ad, couple tiny cover abrasions, probably from cancelling machine, Extremely Fine, a very rare design, not included in the Biddle or Beals collections.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Realized: $1,200

email this lot to a friend

Lot 673    

Atlas Powder. Wonderful multicolor design on 1900 cover showing Trademark of Atlas & Globe, franked with 2¢ Bureau tied by Bangor, Me. machine cancel, reverse with all over multicolor text advertising, unnoticeable cover tear affecting reverse only, still Extremely Fine.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Realized: $300

email this lot to a friend

Lots 664-673 Lots 674-683 Lots 684-693 Lots 694-703 Lots 704-713 Lots 714-723 Lots 724-733 Lots 734-743 Lots 744-749

Previous ChapterTable of ContentsNext Chapter