Lot
2135 
1851, 12¢ black, diagonal bisect, upper left portion of stamp with wide margins at sides, tied by manuscript "6" on double rate legal size cover to New Orleans, La. from the Buchannon Carroll correspondence, "Canton, Mi., Feb 5" origin cds and manuscript "Paid by Stamps, 12¢ cut in 1/2 = 6" alongside franking; couple restored cover tears at top and backflap, otherwise Very Fine and attractive, accompanied by 1934 Pemberton sales letter, ex-Ackerman; with clear 1980 P.F. and 2014 P.F. certificates. Scott No. 17a Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
AN EXTREMELY RARE BISECT USAGE OF THE 1851 12¢ IMPERFORATE ISSUE - FAR RARER THAN THE TRANSCONTINENTAL MAIL USAGES FROM THE SAME PERIOD.
This cover is one of two known bisect usages from this correspondence from Canton, Mississippi. Another unique usage from the same correspondence which is housed in the famed Hirzel collection in the Swiss Postal Museum, is a quadrisect of the 12¢ on a 1853, 3¢ Nesbitt entire with notations "6¢ by Stamps" and "¼ of 12¢ = 3" alongside the adhesive.