Lot 15 o
Brattleboro, Vt., 1846, 5¢ Black on Buff, Position 2, decorative red straight line "Paid" cancel, large margins to just barely touching at upper left corner, fresh paper color and crisp detailed impression, shallow thin spots, otherwise fresh and Extremely Fine.Scott No. 5X1 $9,000.
A HANDSOME EXAMPLE OF THE RARE BRATTLEBORO, VT. 5¢ POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ISSUE.
Realized: $4,500
Lot
16 
New York, N.Y., 1845, 5¢ Black on Bluish, ACM Connected, positions 14-15, horizontal pair, full Post Office fresh original gum, ample to large margins, strong bold color, Very Fine and choice; with 1994 and 2006 P.F. certificates. Scott No. 9X1 $5,750 for no gum.
A ONE OF VERY FEW REMAINING MINT MULTIPLES OF THE NEW YORK 1845 5¢ POSTMASTER PROVISIONAL ISSUE THAT IS SOUND AND RETAINS ITS FULL ORIGINAL GUM.
Lot
17 
New York, N.Y., 1845, 5¢ Black on Bluish, three margins with small nick at top left, uncancelled, on folded letter datelined "Apalachicola 17th Novr 1845" to Greenock, Scotland, sent privately to New York where "Forwarded by Collomb & Iselin. New York" backstamp applied, entered mails with 5¢ prepaying the 5¢ inland postage to Boston for under 300 miles, partial red "New-York '5 Paid' Nov 29" cds, carried as endorsed by Cunard Line Britannia that departed Boston Dec. 2nd to Liverpool arriving Dec 16th, "Liverpool, America, DE 16 1845" transit backstamp and matching "1/-" shilling due rating handstamp for transatlantic packet fee, "Greenock, DE 17, 1841" framed arrival backstamp, Very Fine; with 2013 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 9X1a Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
A REMARKABLE TRANSATLANTIC USE OF THE NEW YORK 5¢ PROVISIONAL FROM FLORIDA TO SCOTLAND VIA A NEW YORK FORWARDER.
There are only two recorded examples of this use from Florida via New York with the New York 5¢ provisional prepaying postage to Boston. They are both from the same correspondence to Alexander R. Johnston Esqr. at Greenock, Scotland. The other is dated New York Apr. 29th 1846. Florida had only recently become a state on March 3, 1845.
Realized: $2,100
Lot
18
St. Louis, Mo., 1845, 10¢ Black on Greenish, large margins all around, sharp detailed impression on bright greenish paper, on 1846 folded letter to Lexington, Ky. tied by manuscript "X" cancel and initialed J. M. W. by Postmaster John M. Wimer, additionally tied by red "St. Louis, Mo., Feb 10" cds with matching straight line "Paid" handstamp and manuscript "10" rate below, Extremely Fine, ex-Texas Collector, Weill. Scott No. 11X2 Estimate $20,000 - 30,000.
THE UNIQUE EXAMPLE OF THE 10¢ ST. LOUIS PROVISIONAL ON GREENISH PAPER TIED ON COVER BY POSTMASTER JOHN M. WIMER INITIALS.
John M. Wimer was the postmaster who issued the 5¢, 10¢ and 20¢ Bear, who also served the city as Alderman and Mayor. The plate of six subjects was engraved by J.M. Kerhsap, proprietor of the Western Card and Seal Company of St. Louis. The design of the stamps - the Missouri coat of arms held by bears at each side - was based on the Great Seal of Missouri. The seal was designed by William G. Pettus, who chose bears as a symbol of Missouri citizens' rugged durability.