Sale 107: Gems of Philately

Lot 2377 o   

Frazer & Co., 1845-51, 2¢ black on green, light manuscript and small portion of red town cancels, full margins, few thins, Very Fine appearance, an extremely rare Cincinnati local issue, with only seven on cover usages and only a few off cover examples are known; with 2000 P.F. certificate.
Scott No. 69L3    $2,750.

Realized: $1,500

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Lot 2378 o   

Frazer & Co., 1845-51, 2¢ black on grayish, faint red cancel, large margins, tiny thins and a few tiny edge tears, Very Fine appearance, an extremely rare with only five on cover usages and only a few off cover examples which include the three manuscript erasure of "& Co." varieties; with 2016 P.F. certificate.
Scott No. 69L5    $2,500.

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Lot 2379    

Mearis' City Despatch Post, 1846, 2¢ black on gray, tied on piece by manuscript cancel, margins clear to slightly into frame, some original gum residue of face of stamp, Very Fine, listed but unpriced in the Scott catalog; with 2016 P.F. certificate.
Scott No. 103L3 var.    Estimate $7,500 - 10,000.

THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THIS 2¢ MEARIS' CITY DESPATCH POST ISSUE WITH THIS UNIQUE TYPESET ARRANGEMENT.

This Baltimore local post was established by Malcom W. Mearis in January of 1846 and carried letters within the city and to the Post Office. The post received mail at 100 letter box locations throughout the city. In the first three months of operation, the rates for delivery were 2¢ for letters carried locally, and 1¢ for letters to the mails. They also offered a special 'fast horse" express service to deliver letters directly to U.S. mail agents for 2¢.

This 2¢ issue is distinct with the type style in the first three line similar to that of Scott 103L6 (one of the four 1¢ issues) and the fourth line type different from all other issues. It is believed that all seven types of Mearis stamps were produced from one plate.

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Lot 2380    

Mercantile Library Association, 1870-75, 5¢ blue, top margin horizontal pair, on reverse of 1875, 1¢ Liberty postal card (UX5) locally addressed to the Mercantile Library, blue "Mercantile Library Association, Nov 16, 1875" oval date stamp alongside, Very Fine, one of three known multiple usages of the 5¢ blue Mercantile Library stamp; with 1990 P.F. certificate.
Scott No. 105L3    Estimate $500 - 750.

In 1875, The Mercantile Library Association raised the delivery fee from 5¢ to 10¢.

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Lot 2381 ()   

Pips Daily Mail, 1862, 1¢ black on buff, without gum as issued, large to huge margins, exceptionally bright and fresh, Extremely Fine, certainly one of the finest examples of only a few known, woefully undercataloged in the Scott catalog; with 2021 P.F. certificate.
Scott No. 116L2    $375.

Realized: $425

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Lot 2382    

Pips Daily Mail, 1862, 1¢ black on yellow, traces of applied original gum, full well balanced margins, bright and fresh, Very Fine, an extremely rare Brooklyn local issue, this is the only example we known of to be offered in well over ten years; with 2021 P.F. certificate.
Scott No. 116L3    $600.

Realized: $625

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Lot 2383    

Public Letter Office, 1864, 15¢ blue, handstamp frank on locally addressed 2¢ black entire (U54) with ornate company corner card and "Delivered within one hour after mailing" at left; professionally restored reduction at right including small portion of indicia, Very Fine appearance, ex-Dale-Lichtenstein, Golden & Lyons; with 2015 P.F. certificate.
Scott No. 125LU3    $5,000.

ONE OF THREE RECORDED USAGES OF THE PUBLIC LETTER OFFICE 15¢ HANDSTAMP FRANK.

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Lot 2384    

Public Letter Office, 1864, 15¢ blue, blue scroll frank on 2¢ black entire (U54) locally addressed, with matching scroll border corner card handstamp alongside; cover reduced into corner card at left, Fine, ex-Kuphal.
Scott No. 125LU3; $5,000    Estimate $4,000 - 6,000.

ONE OF THREE RECORDED USAGES OF THE SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LETTER OFFICE 15¢ BLUE FRANK.

Other examples of this frank are known bearing a black printed corner card. This example with a handstamp corner card may be an early example prior to the printing of the black corner card. There is also an additional black corner card cover bearing a provisional manuscript 15¢ frank.

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Lot 2385 ()   

Smith's City Express Post, 2¢ black on green, no gum, into ornate frame, strong fresh green glazed paper, rebacked over small flaws, Fine appearance; with 2018 P.F. certificate.
Scott No. 168L1    Estimate $4,000 - 6,000.

ONE OF TWO KNOWN EXAMPLES OF THE SMITH'S CITY EXPRESS POST ISSUE - A GREAT LOCAL POST RARITY AND THE SUCCESSOR TO THE AMERICAN EXPRESS CO.

The American Express Co. is believed to have been started by Jacob T. Smith and Charles and Frank Dobson. After the Dobson brothers left the company, it became the Smith's City Express. William C. Smith then continued the operation into 1861. The Smith's stamps are similar in design to their American Express predecessor.

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Lot 2386    

Spence & Brown Express Post, 1848 (2¢) black, top margin single, o.g., margins ample to just shaving outer frameline at upper right, vertical crease and light toning, F.-V.F. appearance, an extremely rare sheet margin single, ex-Golden (top left stamp in block of 4).
Scott No. 159L2    $2,500.

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