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Sale 44: The Westpex Sale - Important Worldwide Stamps and Covers

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10 Select Items

Lot 1949    

1909, 8¢ olive green, bluish paper. O.g., very lightly hinged, intense color on deeply blued paper, well centered with wide margins for this difficult issue, Very Fine and choice; with 2000 & 2009 P.F. certificates, signed in pencil, E.Stern, Blue Paper.
Scott No. 363    $30,000.

A Beautifully-Centered and Fresh Original-Gum Example of the Rare 8-Cent Bluish Paper.

According to Johl (Vol. 1, page 175), the only source of the 4¢ and 8¢ Bluish paper stamps was the archives of the Post Office Department. Approximately 80 of each were traded for rare stamps missing from the archives.

Realized: $18,000

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Lot 2238    

Samoa, 1879, 6d Lilac, State III. Position 1 (R1/1), deep rich color, tied by "Apia, Samoa, Apr 20, 1881" cds with second strike at lower left on cover to San Francisco, Cal., in combination with U.S. 1879, 2¢ vermilion, horizontal pair tied by "San Francisco, Cal., Jun 16, 81" duplex postmark with second strike at right additionally tying 6d Express stamp, bold "Ship" in circle handstamp; cover slightly reduced at left and left 2¢ stamp with crease from overlapping cover at top, otherwise Very Fine, one of the Most Enigmatic Samoan Covers in Existence, this being one of two known Samoa Express issue covers bearing U.S. stamps and an unique usage to the United States (Odenweller EO9), ex-Wainwright. Scott No. 4.
SG No. 12+U.S. 183    Estimate $15,000 - 20,000.

This cover left on May 14, 1881 from Apia on schooner "Tongatuba" for Fiji. It was treated as a ship letter for local delivery, with a charge of 4¢, the equivalent of the 2d charge seen on the Samoa Express cover combination cover to Sydney. It even had the honor of being featured on the Samoa 1997 13s Stamp Centenary Issue (S.G. 489).

Realized: $55,000

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Lot 1558 ()   

Official Seal - Registry, 1875 Special Printing, bluish green. Complete sheet of 30, without gum as issued, strong bright color, attractive overall centering, light horizontal crease in third row of seals, missing portions of selvage at lower left and top right and reinforced perf separations in mostly in bottom margin, otherwise F.-V.F., a truly remarkable Post Office Seal Rarity - The Unique Complete Sheet of the Continental Bank Note Co. 1875 Official Seal Special Printing and one of the most important post office seal items in existence, pictured in Kotanchik Post Office Seals of the United States and Possessions (page 36), ex E.H.R. Green, Grinnell, Wampler.
Scott No. OXF2    $30,000.

In addition to this pane, only seven single seals have been certified by the Philatelic Foundation.

Realized: $10,500

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Lot 2394    

Samoa, Bezahlt, Kaiserl. Deutsche Postagentur, Apia 1 - 2 - 1889. Two strikes of the German Postal Agency Provisional Frank Handstamp in purple (Collins S7); one on cover to San Francisco, Cal., with manuscript "20pf" notation within frank and red "San Francisco, Cal., Paid All, Feb 16" cds; second strike on Samoa Ship Letter Bill datelined "Imp. German Post Office, Apia February 1st, 1889", addressed to the Postmaster General in San Francisco for one bag containing 18 letters (the cover being one of these letters), with notation above the frank handstamp "As this Office was burned down together with the Imp. German Consulate and every thing including the stamps were lost, I had to stamp this mail with the following stamp," and below "All due postage is paid.", signed by the Imperial German Postmaster Schlüter, with "bold San Francisco, Cal., Feb 16" receiving cds and foreign mail agent "W.A. Cooper" handstamp at bottom; cover with filing pinholes not affecting the frank handstamp and a couple minor fold splits in bill, Very Fine, a truly remarkable letter bill and cover Used on the First Day This Rare Provisional Frank Handstamp Was Placed Into Use.
Estimate    $10,000 - 15,000.

During the night of January 8, 1889 the building with the German Consulate and the Post Office was completely burnt down with all cancellation devices, postage stamps and postal stationery lost in the blaze. Postal service was thereupon suspended until January 31st. In the interim, Postmaster Schlüter locally ordered two new date stamps. One with an inscription in German indicating that postage was paid. This handstamp was to be used on mail destined for Europe while a second similar frank handstamp in English reading "Postage Paid, Imperial German Postoffice" (Collins S8) was to be used for mail destined for Australia and the United States. This cover is one of four examples of the German Inscription Provisional Frank handstamp used to the United States. The Provisional Frank handstamps where used only for a short time until the new cancellation device arrived and was put into use on April 1st.

Realized: $10,500

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Lot 1112    

Encased Postage, Aerated Bread Co., 1¢. Stamp slightly soiled with clear mica showing two small "hits" at center and top rim, reverse clean and unmarked with only very minimal wear, Very Fine and exceedingly rare, with No More Than 15 Are Believed To Exist, ex-Arnold Peale. Hodders & Bowers No. 1.
Scott No. EP1    $7,000.

Realized: $3,000

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Lot 1132    

Via Nicaragua/Ahead of the Mails. Two line handstamp crisply struck in blue on "San Francisco, May 31st, 1853" folded printed circular listing prices current from importers "Geo. N. Shaw & Co." who are also known as forwarders of letters, to Boston with "Via Nicaragua" endorsement, franked with 1851 1¢ blue type IV (large margins to just shaving at the bottom) cancelled by grid, Extremely Fine and choice, A Phenomenal 1851 Issue and Ocean Mail Exhibition Item That Is Ex-Knapp, Polland, Haas, and Grunin; with 1987 P.F. certificate.
Estimate    $5,000 - 7,500.

Realized: $21,000

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Lot 3238    

France, Colombes/Village-Olympique/25.7.24. Cds's tying 1924 Olympic Set Complete on registered cover to Bordeaux with rare handstamped "Colombes Olympique" registry label, straight line "Colombes-Village Olympique" and boxed "Jeux Olympiques/Mai à Juillet/1924" handstamps, reverse with second strike of two line "Colombes Olympique" handstamp (as on registry label) and Bordeaux arrival cds, Very Fine and choice, a stunning showpiece for the connoisseur.
Scott No. 198-201    Estimate $5,000 - 7,500.

Realized: $8,000

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Lot 1151    

Dietz & Nelson's British Columbia & Victoria Express (Haller FD-5) frank in combination with Wells, Fargo & Co. frank on 1864 3¢ Pink entire with United States 1861-66 24¢ lilac and British Columbia & Vancouver Is. 1865 3p Blue (7), 24¢ tied by blue "Dietz & Nelson's B.C. & V. Express" double-circle handstamp & 3p tied by blue "Paid" in oval, black "New Westminster Post Office British Columbia" double oval alongside, each marking perfectly struck, unused and unsealed, tiny scrape below Wells Fargo frank, Extremely Fine and choice, ex-Dale-Lichtenstein; with 2004 P.F. certificate.
Estimate    $5,000 - 7,500.

A SPECTACULAR FRANKED ENTIRE PREPARED FOR USE BY DIETZ & NELSON'S EXPRESS FOR MAIL TO ENGLAND VIA THE UNITED STATES. ONLY TWO EXAMPLES OF THIS EXPRESS FRANKING ARE KNOWN.

This entire is accompanied by a contemporary note on a separate slip of paper, which reads "British Columbia. 'to secure despatch a letter from B. Columbia for England should be enclosed in an envelope stamped in this manner'". An identical unused entire was featured on the cover of the 1955 Barkhausen sale (ex-Gibson, Barkhausen and Haas). It appears that these were samples sent to express company agents. No used examples are known.

According to Nathan, this express company was started in 1862 by George Dietz and Hugh Nelson when they acquired the express routes and business of William T. Ballou. Dietz & Nelson served the Cariboo mining region and connected with Barnard's Express at Yale and Lillooet and with Wells, Fargo & Co. at Victoria. The company sold out to Francis J. Barnard in the late spring of 1867.

Realized: $7,000

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Lot 1844    

1869 (1875 Re-issue), 90¢ carmine & black. Original gum, incredibly rich colors and proof-like impressions on fresh paper, perfectly centered with wide and well-balanced margins all around, an Extremely Fine gem; with 1968 & 1998 P.F. certificates.
Scott No. 132    $4,500.

A SUPERB ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 90-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL RE-ISSUE IN THE FINEST CONDITION ATTAINABLE.

Realized: $6,250

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Lot 2561    

Liberia, 1866-69, 6¢ Light Red. In combination with 1866-69, 12¢ light blue + 1880, 12¢ yellow on 1887, 10¢ registration entire to Freetown, Sierra Leone, all tied by "Monrovia, Liberia, Jul 1, 1889" cds's with matching boxed registry date stamp additionally tying 12¢, light Freetown receiving postmark at left, Very Fine, an extremely rare usage of the 1866-69 6¢ & 12¢ Fourth Transfer issues on cover, one of only two known covers bearing these issues, ex Cockrill; signed Holcombe.
Scott No. 13+14+19    Estimate $4,000 - 6,000.

Realized: $8,500

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