382nd Auction

"PER ST COLUMBUS", very fair strike in red with adjacent large red cds. "SAN FRANCISCO. 17 JUNE 40" on envelope to East Grandy Ct., fresh and very fine; an attractive and scarce cover transported on the first sailing of the steamer Columbus

1844, folded lettersheet from Columbus, New Jersey to Washington, addressed to a Navy Captain and endorsed in manuscript "Paid 18 c", part red wax seal on reverse, fresh and fine entire with a scarce rate annotation

HUDSON RIVER MAIL, 1849 : superb strike in red of the agent´s cds., with adjacent red postage due "5" (despite the distance being within the 300 miles limit), on a folded entire from New York to Utica, fully dated inside; some very light toning mentioned for accuracy, still very fine and scarce

1867/68, 2c black, Z. Grill., very nice well-defined grill, used with segmented cork cancel, fresh and fine, certificate P.F. (Scott 85B)

15c. deep blue, intense colour, Large Die Proof on India paper, Type III, with imprint at the bottom, very fine and rare, certificate PSE (1990)

Reissue 15c. brown/blue, Large Die Proof in adopted colours on sunked card, Type III, very fine

Reissue 15 c. brown/blue, good to large margins all around, two Die Proofs in adopted colours respectively on India paper and card, Type III, one with insignificant trace of bend, mentioned for accuracy, otherwise very fine and scarce

15 c. Brown/Blue, Large Die Proof on India paper, Type II, very fine and scarce

1881, Pictorial Reissue 15 c., six Trial Colour Proofs on card, fresh colours and all well margined except one close at the bottom, special printing for the Atlanta Cotton Exposition, very fine

1869, 15 c. brown/blue, Type II, lightly tied by target cancel to an envelope to Norway, alongside departure cds. "CLERMONT IOWA NOV 17", red transit New York and arrival cds. "CHRISTIANIA 12 12 1870", envelope teared on front and rebacked, otherwise fine. A very rare 15 c. solo usage at the July 1870 tariff, sent via the North German Union in closed mail, one of three recorded to Norway

1870, Presidents 2 c. brown and 12 c. violet, tied by corn cancel to an envelope to Norway, transit cds. "CHRISTIANA 19 7 1871", the 15 cents rate (July 1870, closed mail via the North German Union) was underpaid by one cent, hence taxed with red "2" struck on front; fine and rare transatlantic mail as prepayment was then optional

1870, 3 c. green, tied by blue fancy cancel 'Flying insect' to small cover with matching "MOUNT VERNON JUL 2.."; stamp with few short perfs, otherwise very fine

1893, Columbus 1 c. blue, fresh colour and from the lower left corner of the sheet, spectacular paper fold variety with misplaced perforations, very fine and scarce

1893, Columbus 1 c.-15c., 50 c.-5 $, cpl. set of Plate Proofs in adopted colours on India paper, the 2 $. in horizontal pair, fresh and all around good to large margins, a few values with minor paper flaws, otherwise fine and very scarce

1893, Columbus 1 c.-8 c. and 5 $, Plate Proofs in adopted colours on thick card, fresh colours, 8 c. surface soiled, otherwise fine to very fine

2 c. brown-violet, tied by machine cancel "WORLDS FAIR STATION CHICAGO OCT 10" to a local 3 c. postal stationery envelope from the Pierce correspondence, printed bust of Columbus at left, also 2 c. tied by the same machine cancel to a privately printed "PUCK" illustrated envelope; some aging or toning due to storage, otherwise fine, a scarce pair

BROKEN HAT: 2 c. braun-violet, block of four unmounted mint, fresh colour, showing the `Broken Hat´ variety, also ten cancelled singles exhibiting the progressive worsening of the crack on the transfer roll; mostly very fine, an interesting study group 

4 c. sepia, sunken Die Colour Proof on card, very fine

4 c. blue, sunken Die Proof in adopted colour on India paper, mounted on larger presentation card with American Bank Note imprint beneath, unobstrusive corner paper weakness otherwise very fine

4 c. blue green, Die Colour Proof on card, tiny surface ink spots, otherwise fine

4 c. rose-red, sunken Die Colour Proof on card, very fine

5 c. sepia, Large Die Proof in adopted colour mounted on card, with imprint "C-265 AMERICAN BANK NOTE CO N.Y." beneath, very fine

10 c. grey-black, Large Die Proof in adopted colour on presentation card (158 x 108 mm) with Amercian Bank Note imprint beneath, fine and scarce

1893 COLUMBIAN ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAVURE: used for the design of the 15 cents value and depicting the scene "Columbus Announcing His Discovery" from the now lost painting by Ricardo Baloca Cancico, 240 x 187 mm and stuck on a large card with handwritten "15c Columbian" alongside, probably from the estate of Chief engraver Thomas F. Morris, very fine and extremely rare 

15 c. sepia and violet, Vignettes of the centre in unadopted design (2), each one with a punchole, fine