Lot
782 
United States Despatch Agent, B.F. Stevens, London, 7 Apr 88, purple oval type III date stamp on cover addressed to the U.S. Stmr Quinnebaug in care of Stevens in London, franked with 1882, 5¢ yellow brown (205, s.e. at left) tied by "Washington, D.C., Mar 26, 88" duplex postmark, forwarded with purple "Care of The United States Consul, Malta." three line directive handstamp, Very Fine.Estimate $150 - 200.
Lot
783
Despatch Agency of the United States., London., corner card on cover addressed to the Historical Society in Richmond, Va., franked with 1887, 2¢ green (213) tied by "Washington, D.C., Jan 10, 89" duplex postmark; stamp with margin nick at top, otherwise Very Fine, a personal correspondence sent by B.F. Stevens using the official mail bag and avoiding the 5¢ UPU rate from England.Estimate $150 - 200.
Lot
784
United States Despatch Agent, B.F. Stevens, London, 28 Aug 1899, purple oval type V date stamp on "Headquarters U.S. Marine Corps, Assistant Quartermaster's Office, Washington" corner card cover, addressed to the U.S.S. "Olympia" in care of Stevens in London, franked with 1898, 5¢ Trans-Miss (288) tied by "Washington, D.C., Aug 18, 1899" machine postmark, forwarded with purple "Villefranche, Sur Mer, France" two-line handstamp, London and French transit backstamps, Very Fine.Estimate $150 - 200.
Realized: $100
Lot
785
U.S. Despatch Agency, Post Office Building, New York, Penalty $300, violet oval handstamp on American Embassy, London corner card cover addressed to Prof. Edward C. Pickering at the Harvard College Observatory in Cambridge, Mass., "New York, N.Y., Feb 3, 1901" machine postmark and receiving backstamp, enclosure (not accompanied) regarding Prof. Pickering receiving the Royal Astronomical Society's Gold medal in 1901, Very Fine, accompanied by photocopy of enclosure.Estimate $100 - 150.
Realized: $60
Lot
786
United States Despatch Agent Cover Collection, extensive study of approximately 250 covers and cards on stock an exhibit pages in five binders, from the first U.S. Despatch Agent in London, to Benjamin Franklin Stevens' long run of the same (1866-1902) and later usages under J.B. Gilder and than the U.S. Government Despatch Agency; starting with 1854 folded letter from Paris, France to H.G. Sanford "Late American Charge in Paris" in care of "John Miller, U.S. Despatch Agent, London" who was the first U.S. Despatch Agent in London (appointed in 1832), followed by an extensive run of B.F. Stevens Despatch Agent covers from 1867 to 1902 and each of the six date stamp types he used, includes two usages the type I date stamp (used between 1866-1868) from correspondence from U.S. to the U.S.S. Swatara with 12¢ & 24¢ frankings, strong showing of the type II date stamp (used between 1867-1881) of well over 60 usages including a very early August 1867 usage to Cincinnati, O. (no franking or postmarks, likely sent by diplomatic pouch to U.S. then in another cover to destination) as well as other stampless Consulate usages (sent by diplomatic pouch) including 1870 "American Legation to the Netherlands", with most usages franked from U.S. and many addressed to naval ships apart of the European Squadron, includes four 1861 12¢ franking usages, 1869 Pictorial usages with multiple 3¢ and 6¢ solo usages, Banknote issues mostly 3¢-10¢ denomination usages, some forwarded to U.S. Consul including Messina, Italy and Piracus, Greece, four other usages frank with Great Britain issues and late 1881 usage of type II date stamp on 6¢ Mauritius postal card sent from the U.S. Consulate in Seychelles, a myriad of later type III-VI date stamp (1880-1902) many with Legation/Consul straight line directive handstamp to destinations including "Constantinople, Turkey", "Port Mahon, Minorca" (Spain), "Genoa, Italy", "Piraeus, Greece", "Gibraltar", "Rio Janeiro, Brazil", "Funchal, Madeira", "Colombo, Ceylon", "Beirut, Syria", "Alexandria, Egypt", "Algiers, Algeria", "Malta" and many other destinations within Europe, mostly U.S. origins with other frankings from France, Switzerland, N.S.W., Austrian Offices in Turkish Empire, and Great Britain, latter despatch agent usages including the J.B. Gilder date stamp (1902-1904, similar to Stevens date stamp) including earliest known use (June 13, 1902) Washington D.C. to Funchal Madeira, one from Victoria and four others with U.S. or G.B. frankings, and the "United States Government Despatch Agency, London" date stamp (1904-1931) including incoming from Mauritius, other origins including Canada and India, latest known usage, etc., other handstamp with the "I.P. Roosa, U.S. Despatch Agent" on Embassy mail from London and Vera Cruz, Mexico, New York bureau straight line handstamp on a few cover including one to Chauncey Depew in N.Y., collection including other consul mail usages from various countries including China and Siberia, 1909 Capetown, 1921 Algeria registered mourning cover, etc.; a fascinating assembly and study of these despatch agent covers and one which would be near impossible to replicate, inspection a must to truly appreciate.Estimate $5,000 - 7,500.
Complete images:
View gallery or Download PDF (439MB).
Realized: $4,000