Sale 105: The Peter Iwate Collection

Lot 3055    

1852, 3¢ dull red, type I, margins clear to slightly in, bright color, horizontal crease at top, tied by blue "Andover Mass. Jan 12" cds on cover to Corisco, West Africa, addressed to Mrs. George McQueen, sender's directive "Via No. 28 Centre Street, New York", neat "Boston Br. Pkt. 14 Jan." backstamp indicating this was sent from Andover to the foreign-mail office at Boston, but then redirected to the Centre Street mission address in New York City, Very Fine and extremely rare early use to Africa, ex-Piller, Giamporcaro, Hackmey, Gross; with 1993 P.F. certificate.
Scott No. 11    Estimate $750 - 1,000.

A RARE 1851 IMPERFORATE ISSUE COVER TO AFRICA.

Mrs. George McQueen traveled to Corisco in 1855 and married a missionary. This letter was carried by hand to Corisco in West Africa

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Realized: $2,100

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Lot 3056    

1852, 3¢ dull red, type I, horizontal strip of four, large margins to slightly in at bottom, tied by "Wilkes Barre, Pa. Sep 20" cds on orange registered cover to Philadelphia Pa. with manuscript "No. 32, R" registry marking at left, Very Fine and scarce registered use, a lovely cover showing four-times the 3¢ rate plus registry fee paid in cash; with 2008 P.F. certificate.
Scott No. 11    Estimate $300 - 400.

Realized: $425

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Lot 3057    

1852, 3¢ dull red, type II, full margins to just clear at bottom, rich color, tied by Odd Fellows Three Links, Seeing Eye and Cross Arrows masonic fancy cancel (FR-N Mb I), matching "Canton Ms. Apr 4" cds on buff cover from the Buchannon Carroll & Co. cover to New Orleans La., Very Fine; with 1987 and 2019 P.F. certificates.
Scott No. 11A    Estimate $500 - 750.

Realized: $500

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Lot 3058    

1852, 3¢ dull red, type II, large margins to just touched at bottom left, tied by well-struck Geometric fancy cancel and "PAID" handstamp, red "Salem Ms. '3 cts.' 5 Apr" integral-rate cds on orange buff cover to Greenland N.H.; minor edgewear, Very Fine and attractive cover with an unusual cancel.
Scott No. 11A    Estimate $200 - 300.

Realized: $260

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Lot 3059 o   

1852, 3¢ dull red, type II, huge margins showing portions of five adjacent stamps and right sheet margin, bright color with beautiful contrasting dark blue New Castle Pa. cds cancel, a Superb gem; with 2012 P.S.E. certificate graded (Gem 100, SMQ $1,000).
Scott No. 11A    $22.

A REMARKABLE USED EXAMPLE OF THE 3¢ DULL RED TYPE I 1852 ISSUE WITH GREAT EYE APPEAL, GRADED PERFECT GEM 100 BY THE P.S.E.

Realized: $650

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Lot 3060    

1852, 3¢ dull red, type II, horizontal pair, lifted from its original position over 13¢ stamp, the left 3¢ is repaired with piece added at top, canceled by partial strike of San Francisco cds, used in combination with Hawaii, 1851, 13c Blue, "Hawaiian Postage" (3), type II, the righthand position in setting of two, huge margins except ample at left (between two positions), slight creasing and small tears typical of the fragile pelure paper that have been treated by a paper restorer, both stamps paying United States and Hawaiian composite postage of 5¢ Hawaiian, 2¢ ship captain's fee and 6¢ U.S. transcontinental rate on 1854 buff cover to Thomas Croswell & Son in Farmington Falls, Maine, original letter from George D. Gower datelined "Lahaina March 22d/54" no longer accompanies; minor cover edge staining removed and opening tear sealed at upper left, the Missionary is intact without any paper addition or painting-in of design as so often encountered, Very Fine appearance, ex-Hackmey, Gross, Middendorf; with 1999 P.F. and 2021 P.S.E. certificates.
Scott No. 11A    Estimate $50,000 - 75,000.

THE ONLY RECORDED MIXED FRANKING OF THE HAWAIIAN 13¢ "HAWAIIAN POSTAGE" MISSIONARY AND UNITED STATES STAMPS.

Cover #10 in the Gregory 13¢ "Hawaiian Postage" Issue (Scott 3) Cover Census of 11 covers. This is the only 13¢ "Hawaiian Postage" cover in the census used with United States stamps and one of only eight covers with complete stamps available to collectors. The earliest known use (No. 1) has most of the stamp torn away, and there are two covers (No. 2, No. 9) ensconced in the National Postal Museum.

This cover was carried by the brig "Prince de Joinville" from Honolulu Mar. 23rd 1854 to San Francisco arriving Apr. 10th. It was carried on steamship "John L. Stephens" from San Francisco Apr. 15th to Panama and probably by USMSS "Illinois" from Aspinwall Apr. 17th to New York arriving Apr. 25th.

The sender, George D. Gower, was born Aug. 31, 1826 at Farmington, Maine and later operated a lumber business in New Haven, Conn. While he lived in Lahaina during the 1850s, he regularly read Anglican services at his home on Sunday afternoon, frequented by whaler captains and others. He served as Customs Collector of Lahaina from 1851 to 1854.

The 13¢ "Hawaiian Postage" Missionary pays the correct composite rate (5¢ Hawaiian, 2¢ ship captain's fee and 6¢ U.S. transcontinental rate). During the Treaty Period, the short-lived paste-over practice at the Honolulu Post Office of affixing United States stamps (6¢ postage) over Hawaiian postage was probably done as a precaution against having United States postage charged to the recipients of letters from Hawaii. When United States postage stamps were used, no "Ship" or rate markings were applied at San Francisco to the paste-over covers, but 2¢ was charged to the account of the Honolulu post office for the ship fee paid with the Hawaii stamp. In his book, Fred Gregory records only one paste-over Missionary cover and eight with 1853 Kamehameha III Issue.

Realized: $90,000

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Lot 3061    

1852, 3¢ dull red, type II, Position 37R2, extra large margins to just barely in at top left including part of adjoining stamp at top, pen canceled and tied by bold strike of Canadian 7-ring target cancel on buff cover from Port Rowan, Upper Canada to Danville Pa. red "Port Rowan U.C. JU 8, 1855" cds and matching red "Paid 6d" in circle rating handstamp, red "CANADA, PAID 10Cts" two-line exchange handstamp; stamp lifted and reaffixed, cover split at sides and neatly rejoined, missing small part of bottom flap, Very Fine, ex-Simpson, Ishikawa, Hackmey, Gross; with 1979 and 2021 P.F. certificates.
Scott No. 11A    Estimate $3,000 - 4,000.

A WONDERFUL USE OF THE 3¢ 1851 ISSUE USED FROM CANADA TREATED AS FULLY PREPAID, ONLY A HANDFUL OF 1851 ISSUE COVERS ARE KNOWN USED FROM CANADA.

The sender affixed the U.S. 3¢ stamp in Canada to prepay U.S. postage. The Canadian post office canceled the stamp and Canadian postage of 6 pence was prepaid in cash. Dr. Chase's notes on back including "The 3c 51 is rarer than the 1847 issue used from Canada".

Realized: $2,500

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Lot 3062    

1852, 3¢ dull red, type II, four margins, neat parallel lines pen cancel and tied by black "Calais, Etats Unis. Paq. Br. Serv., 19 Mai 53" entry cds and matching "13" decimes due handstamp on small 1856 cover to Malta, matching manuscript "Shelburne Mass Feb. 27" postmark, "Boston Am. Pkt. Feb. 29" leap year backstamp with additional "Boston Br. Pkt. Mar 2" cds, carried on Cunarder Asia departing Boston Mar. 5 to Liverpool arriving Mar. 18th, London (3.18) transit backstamp and manuscript "1/1" due debit rating, Very Fine and exceptionally rare use to Malta, ex-Grunin, Piller, Craveri; with 1993 P.F. certificate.
Scott No. 11A    Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.

ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED 1851 ISSUE COVERS TO MALTA.

It was treated as completely unpaid for British Open Mail. It may have been carried privately to its final destination, as the addressee was a minister and missionaries often hand-carried letters destined for other missionaries.

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Realized: $2,200

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