Lot 740
Guadalajara, Provisionals International Gold Medal Collection, 1867-68, award winning exhibition collection with 2 International Gold medals; The most important collection of this issue ever assembled mounted on double pages totaling 80 single pages. The focus is on postal history selected for quality and rarity. It includes 116 covers, 5 important fronts and 72 off-cover stamps in singles or multiples. Exhibits from this collection have won 2 international Gold Medals and 8 National Gold Medals. It contains 142 certificates, 95% of them from MEPSI. Additionally, this lot includes a binder with a 16 pages exhibit containing the known types of forgeries profusely explained.In November 1866 the Maximilian Empire lost control of the Guadalajara region to the Juarez's Republicans. In January 1867 Guadalajara District issued its own provisional stamps made from a circular cancel. Due to the scarcity of paper 5 different paper types and 8 different colors were used to manually print 5 different denominations. The medio real and the 1 peso stamps were seldom used. This resulted in at least 60 different stamps, each in very small quantities. Only 400-500 covers are estimated to exist, most with a single 2r stamp. The issue is divided into four PERIODS, each with changes in the original canceling device. Serrating stamps was experimented with in May-June 1867 and briefly in 1868. Maybe 30 covers with such serrate stamps exist. Bisects were used very occasionally. For 4 weeks in 1867 the town of Ciudad Guzman applied an overprint to its stamps. All survivors are rare. Two major errors are 'nu' for 'un' and '1863' for '1868'. Most usages originated in Guadalajara City and much less in Ciudad Guzman. Any use from the other 21 recorded towns is rare as only 1-5 copies of each are known.
Highlights of this collection includes;
- 36 magnificent covers from the very scarce First Period. Including the earliest known of the issue (2r Green January 11, 1867) as well as the earliest known from the following First Period stamps: 1r White (Sc# 4 $250 as single), 1r Gray Blue (Sc#2 $350 as single), 2r White (Sc#6 $125 as single) and 4r White (Sc#8 $500 as single)
- 34 of the 35 recorded cancellations most of them on cover (in the last section of the exhibit)
- The largest recorded combination of the issue (Five 1r Green), as well as 7 other covers with 3 or more stamps. All of them very rare as most covers in this issue bear only 1 stamp.
- A cover front to Ecuador, a single stamp cancelled in Manchester and a maritime forwarded cover from Germany with a 4r stamp added in Guadalajara by the forwarder. These are the majority of the non-domestic known mail of the issue.
- A cover with 2 medio real + 1r white (Sc#1, 4). Additionally, five medio real singles (Sc#1 $250 each as a single). This stamp was rarely used and covers are seldom seen.
- Two covers (out of 4 recorded) bearing 1r dark blue First Period (Sc #3 $450 as a single)
- Eleven covers with serrate stamps. These are about 40% of all the known covers with serrates. The most important bears a 4r rose serrate with another stamp (Sc#12 $350 as a single). Only two covers with such serrate are recorded. Five of these serrate covers have two stamps.
- Two covers with Ciudad Guzman overprint (Sc #2a $1,000 and #4a $750 as singles). An off-cover vertical pair of 1r white overprinted Cd Guzman (Sc 4a $1,500).
- Seven covers with one or two 1r Gray Blue First Period (Sc #2 $350 as a single).
- 2 covers and 1 cover front each with a different combination of 2 bisects. Each probably unique. The best bears a bisect of 4r white (Sc #8a $2,500 with one bisect, this cover has two different splits!)
- The largest rate recorded on cover (9 reales) bearing two 4r rose +1r blue gray First Period. (Sc#2,7 $950 as singles)
- Seven covers with 4r White or Rose First Period. (Sc#7, 8. $300-$500 as singles). The rest of the exhibit has 8 covers with a 4r from the 3rd Period. It is estimated than maybe 30-40 covers with one or more 4r stamps exist from all Periods.
- A single on piece of the rare 3rd Period 1r White Oblong Quadrille (Sc# 35A $1,500) and 2 singles of 4r Blue 3rd Period Oblong Quadrille (Sc#36 $600 each)
- Two of the 3 known covers with 4r Blue 3rd Period Wove (Sc#18A $1,000 as a single).
- The ONLY recorded genuine 1 peso on cover. Cancelled in Zacoalco.
- 2 covers with pairs of "nu" for "un" error (Sc# 47b $1,500 each pair as singles)
- A pair of 1r with a watermark. (Sc#47a $750). Only a handful of these are known.
- A unique 1 peso stamp with an additional impression of the 4r value., Very Fine and choice overall.
Estimate $75,000 - 100,000.
THE FINEST COLLECTION OF THE 1867-68 GUADALAJARA PROVISIONAL ISSUES EVER ASSEMBLED.
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