Postmasters’ Provisionals 1–4

View of Baltimore

1 6 3X1, Baltimore, MD, 1845 5c Black on white, single, full le and partial top framelines, pen squiggle and tied by blue “Baltimore Md. Jun 7” datestamp, matching “Paid” and “5” in oval, on 1847 folded letter to Annapolis, Maryland, very ne and choice, particularly scarce with a sound stamp tied by a Baltimore datestamp, illustrated in Muriel Hayes’s “ e 1845 Provisional Postage Stamps of James H. Buchanan” (Collectors Club Philatelist Vol. 49, No. 1), Hayes census #30, USPCS census #20127, 2022 Philatelic Foundation certi cate (Scott $12,500, stamps tied by a handstamp command a premium) $ 5,000

Arthur Hind Alfred H. Caspary Josiah K. Lilly Jr. John R. Boker, Jr.

2 6 3X4, Baltimore, MD, 1845 10c Black on Blue, three full framelines, tied by two strikes of blue “Paid” and “10” in oval to January 5, 1846 folded letter to Annapolis, Maryland, red “Barnum’s City Hotel” oval and light blue Baltimore postmark at le , stamp with a trivial vertical le crease at far right (mentioned for strict accuracy only), unique on cover with only one other known o cover, Hays census #1, USPCS census #20166 2022 Philatelic Foundation certi cate (Scott listed but not priced on cover) Based on known dates of use, it appears that the Baltimore provisionals on bluish paper predated the printings on white paper by at least several months (stamps on white paper do not appear until January, 1846). Postmaster James M. Buchanan was one of the earliest adapters to the use of adhesive stamps, with Baltimore’s stamps being issued mere weeks a er the postal reforms of 1845 took e ect. Any 10c adhesive on cover is exceptionally rare, with just ve examples of the 10c on White recorded on cover (three of which are faulty). is cover, with an immaculate 10c on Bluish tied by three handstamps, is one of the most important United States Provisional items in existence, and has not been o ered publicly since a 1975 Robson-Lowe Geneva sale (where it sold for 250,000 Swiss francs). e red hotel handstamp perfectly contrasts the blue postal markings and enhances the appearance of an already spectacular item. When the item’s stellar provenance (Hind to Caspary to Lilly to Boker to Haub) is taken into consideration, we feel no hesitation in calling this one of the greatest American philatelic gems. Provenance: Arthur Hind (Charles J. Phillips Sale 1, 1933) Alfred H. Caspary (H.R. Harmer Sale 967, 1955) Josiah K. Lilly (R.A. Siegel Sale 312, 1967) John R. Boker, Jr. (Private transaction) $ 50,000

View of Brattleboro

3 6 5X1, Brattleboro, VT, 1846 5c Black on Bu , position 10, nearly full margins, canceled by red “Paid” on 1847 folded cover to New York, matching second strike and “Brattleboro Vt 27 Mar” datestamp, address panel enhanced (not mentioned on certi cate) and horizontal lefold well away from stamp, extremely ne and attractive, only 19 covers are known bearing the Brattleboro stamp, as these stamps were printed on very so paper many surviving examples have minor faults making this sound example even more desirable, USPCS census #21639, 2022 Philatelic Foundation certi cate (Scott $17,500) Provenance: Katherine Matthies (R.A. Siegel Sale 353, 1969) $ 5,000

View of St. Louis

4 6 11X2, St. Louis, MO, 1845 10c Black on Greenish, vertical pair (positions 2, 4), margins all around, tied by red “St. Louis Mo. Jan 28” datestamp to 1846 folded letter to Philadelphia (Charnley & Whelan correspondence), manuscript “20” and red “Paid” handstamp at right, top stamp diagonal crease at top le and stamps li ed and re-a xed (not mentioned on certi cate), extremely ne appearance, one of the most attractive St. Louis Bears multiples on cover in our opinion, USPCS Census #21147, 2022 Philatelic Foundation certi cate (Scott $22,500) Provenance: Alfred H. Caspary (H.R. Harmer Sale 967, 1955) Rarities of the World (R.A. Siegel Sale 596, 1982) $ 5,000