The Harmer Hundred

The Harmer Hundred is a tradition close to my heart. It was the first project I worked on at H.R. Harmer over a year ago when I joined the team as Marketing Manager. When I put together the brochure last year I knew very little about philately and the items I laid out were utterly foreign to me. This year is very different. Each of the items chosen for this iteration of the brochure passed through my hands. I know the stories of the consignors who collected these pieces of history, I was there when they were sold at auction and I might have been the one who carried the shipments down to the post office to be sent to their new owners. In other words, this year the brochure feels highly personal to me.

The 100 items we chose to feature here are not the 100 most expensive that were sold in 2022, nor are they necessarily the rarest. Instead, we chose the pieces that we talked about over our lunch breaks, obsessed over on car rides to stamp shows, and cheered quietly for when they sold. This list is by no means comprehensive or exhaustive, but it shows a wide variety of the material we have sold and the pieces that have been most captivating for ourselves and our clients.

Harmer Hundred is a celebration of our past year and a reflection on the growth we have experienced. One of the things I am most proud of from 2022 is our efforts to challenge what a philatelic auction house in the 21st century is capable of. We have done this by showcasing the aesthetic beauty of philatelic material, highlighting the stories behind each stamp and cover, and challenging the marketplace through the use of technology. All of these techniques are highlighted in The Harmer Hundred. You will notice that we have included QR codes next to certain items. If you scan the codes you will be able to watch videos that expound on philatelic history and concepts.

I would like to thank our fearless leader, Charles Epting for being a bold, disruptive force in the philatelic community, but more importantly for being a generous teacher and unwavering champion of his employees. I would be bereft if I did not thank my best friend and colleague, Alison Sullivan for running the office seamlessly, while simultaneously taking on a new role as a Philatelist. Finally, I would like to thank each and every one of our consignors and clients who have made the past year a truly extraordinary one.

We hope you enjoy the 2022 edition of The Harmer Hundred.

Alyssa Baumgardner

New York, New York

January 2023

Sale 3056: Lot 759

One of five covers carried as part of the Vermont Republic postal system prior to statehood in 1791

Hammer Price: $1,300

Sale 3056: Lot 800

One of five covers endorsed to be carried by the “Swift-Sure” Stage Line in New Jersey.

Hammer Price: $400

Sale 3056: Lot 709

1787 free frank from Ebenezer Hazard while Postmaster of the Confederation Congress

Hammer Price: $110

Sale 3056: Lot 766

1790 folded letter written by Declaration of Independence signer George Wythe

Hammer Price: $1,400

Sale 3055: Lot 3

One of six examples of the New Haven Postmaster’s Provisional envelope and the only one with this combination of handstamp, signature, and paper

Hammer Price: $85,000

Sale 3060: Lot 4

A beautiful pair of the 10c St. Louis Postmaster’s Provisional “Bears” on greenish paper

Hammer Price: $13,000

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Sale 3055: Lot 5

The finest recorded on-cover example of the New York City Postmaster’s Provisional with the initials “RHM” (Postmaster Robert H. Morris)

Hammer Price: $27,500

Sale

3061: Lot 1001

A pair of the first United States postage stamp on a cover that was missent to New York and forwarded to Philadelphia

Hammer Price: $3,250

Sale

3055: Lot 1

The discovery copy of the Alexandria, Virginia Postmaster’s Provisional and one of just six examples recorded (four of which are on cover)

Hammer Price: $120,000

Sale

3060: Lot 2

The unique on-cover example of the 10c Baltimore Postmaster’s Provisional on bluish paper, one of the greatest rarities of American philately

Hammer Price: $155,000

Sale 3060: Lot 9

1858 hand-illustrated cover from the wellknown correspondence of John A. Pattee

Hammer Price: $17,000

Sale 3060: Lot 10

1859 anti-slavery illustrated cover which which bears the Bible verse “God hath made of one blood all nations of men”

Hammer Price: $5,000

Sale 3060: Lot 6

A bottom right sheet margin example of the 1856 5c Jefferson stamp on cover to France

Hammer Price: $20,000

Sale 3061: Lot 979

1858 supplementary mail cover from New York City to France

Hammer Price: $2,300

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Sale 3061: Lot 952

1872 mixed-franking cover with stamps from both the United States and Germany

Hammer Price: $400

Sale 3055: Lot 19

The unique combination of the 1869 24c Pictorial with a pair of 10c Bank Notes on cover to Peru

Hammer Price: $23,000

Sale 3058: Lot 2971

Nearly-complete sheet of 19th Century multicolored wafer seals

Hammer Price: $275

Sale 3058: Lot 3041

1876 cover carried by “Jarrett & Palmer’s Special Fast Trans-Continental Train” from New York City to San Francisco

Hammer Price: $425

Sale 3058: Lot 3020

Rare example of a Barr-Fyke machine cancel from Kansas City, Missouri

Hammer Price: $65

Sale 3058: Lot 2441

Bisected 4c stamp used as a 2c stamp when the town of Wadhams Mills, New York faced a shortage of small denominations

Hammer Price: $1,100

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Sale 3058: Lot 2295

2c Carmine coil pair with private perforations applied by the Schermack Co.

Hammer Price: $1,400

Sale 3061: Lot 2601

Mint example of the scarce $10 Department of State official stamp

Hammer Price: $1,600

Sale 3058: Lot 3156

First day cover from Springfield, Illinois for the 1923 $1 Lincoln Memorial stamp

Hammer Price: $2,000

Sale 3058: Lot 2337

Press-board “proof” of the 1930 $1.30 Graf Zeppelin stamp, created either as a test of the die or a souvenir by a Bureau of Engraving and Printing employee

Hammer Price: $1,300

Sale 3060: Lot 45

The unique on-cover example of the St. Louis City Dispatch local stamp, issued for Valentine’s Day in 1851

Hammer Price: $20,000

Sale 3060: Lot 32

The finest on-cover example of the Philadelphia Despatch Post stamp in red, which was one of the first stamps issued in the Western Hemisphere

Hammer Price: $35,000

Sale 3055: Lot 26

The unique on-cover example of the New Orleans City Dispatch Post Office stamp on green paper (just two off-cover examples are known)

Hammer Price: $27,500

Sale 3061: Lot 414

1844 folded letter carried by both Pomeroy’s Letter Express and Boyd’s City Express Post

Hammer Price: $1,500

Sale 3061: Lot 437

Boyd’s City Express Post 1844 2c Local Stamp

The first Boyd’s City Express Post stamp used on a cover from New York City to Peekskill

Hammer Price: $3,000

Sale 3061: Lot 498

1857 Boyd’s City Express Post stamp with perforations that have been applied by a sewing machine

Hammer Price: $1,400

Sale 3061: Lot 535

One of three known covers with the 1874 Boyd’s City Express light blue stamp

Hammer Price: $400

Sale 3060: Lot 29

An extremely rare use of the 1851 Franklin Carrier stamp with a United States 3c stamp, unknown to philatelists for decades

Hammer Price: $47,000

Sale 3060: Lot 117

One of three covers bearing the first issue of Hussey’s Post of New York City

Hammer Price: $30,000

Sale 3055: Lot 35

This cover was carried via Pony Express to Abraham Lincoln from an unknown sender in between the contentious convention of May 1860 and the general election in November. During this time Lincoln was quite reclusive, making few speeches and writing almost no letters. It is nearly impossible to imagine the future president’s mindset at this time, with both the Republican Party and the United States on the brink of war. The fact that the only Pony Express cover addressed to Abraham Lincoln also bears one of the service’s rarest markings (the carmine Running Pony) only enhances the appeal of this spectacular item. While we tend to err on the side of caution when using superlatives, the last time this cover was sold by Christie’s in 1991 it was said to be “considered by many to be the most important Pony Express cover in existence”. The prominence with which this cover has been featured in promotional material for the ParkeBernet Knapp sale in 1941, the Nathan and Boggs book in 1962, and the Christie’s sale of the “Edwards” Collection in 1991 (where it received both the front and back covers) certainly speak to the veracity of such a statement.

Hammer Price: $280,000

Sale 3055: Lot 37

The earliest recorded cover with the “Pony Express Sacramento” handstamp and the only recorded example in black

Hammer Price: $30,000

Sale 3058: Lot 1402

1885 cover carried by Wells, Fargo & Co. from Mexico to the United States and onward to New York

Hammer Price: $500

Sale 3055: Lot 40

Virginia City Pony Express cover with no fewer than 19 strikes of the “Paid” in oval handstamp

Hammer Price: $4,250

Sale 3060: Lot 67

Virginia City Pony Express cover addressed to Carson City, Nevada Territory

Hammer Price: $2,100

Sale 3056: Lot 1

1859 cover carried by the Leavenworth City & Pike’s Peak Express Co. to Auraria, Nebraska Territory

Hammer Price: $8,000

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Sale 3056: Lot 4

1859 cover carried by Jones & Russell’s Pike’s Peak Express Co. from their Denver City office

Hammer Price: $1,800

Sale 3056: Lot 6

One of three examples of the Denver Central Overland California & Pike’s Peak Express Co. handstamp on cover

Hammer Price: $8,500

Sale 3056: Lot 21

1860 cover with the attractive printed scroll frank of Hinckley & Co’s Express

Hammer Price: $1,500

Sale 3056: Lot 12

1860 cover carried by both Hinckley & Co.’s Express and the Central Overland California & Pike’s Peak Express

Hammer Price: $5,000

Sale 3061: Lot 1104

1860 cover to Denver City endorsed “Via Pike’s Peak Express”

Hammer Price: $275

Sale 3056: Lot 552

Illustrated Advertising Cover for the Overland Mail & Express Co.

Hammer Price: $4,500

Sale 3056: Lot 40

Rare “Auraria K.T.” (later part of Denver) handstamp used for just one month in July 1859

Hammer Price: $2,300

Sale 3058: Lot 2927

One of two recorded manuscript postmarks from Fort Wise, Colorado Territory (later Fort Lyon)

Hammer Price: $900

Sale 3056: Lot 25

One of three examples of the “Coraville K.T.” handstamp used for a brief period in June of 1859

Hammer Price: $9,500

Sale 3056: Lot 47

One of four manuscript postmarks from Boulder while a part of Nebraska Territory

Hammer Price: $3,250

Sale 3056: Lot 459

The only known territorial postmark from San Juan, Colorado, a year before statehood

Hammer Price: $3,500

Sale 3056: Lot 445

One of two recorded covers from Rose’s Cabin, Colorado

Hammer Price: $2,000

Sale 3056: Lot 565

Manuscript Postmark from the Durango & Silverton railway post office

Hammer Price: $1,000

Sale 3058: Lot 2911

The only confirmed territorial postmark from Castle Rock, Colorado

Hammer Price: $300

Sale 3061: Lot 162

The only recorded cover from City of the Four Lakes, Wisconsin, a short-lived community near Madison

Hammer Price: $1,500

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Sale 3061: Lot 102

The unique example of the Fort Winnebago, Michigan Territory straightline postmark

Hammer Price: $1,300

Sale 3061: Lot 127

1833 straightline postmark from Green Bay, Michigan Territory

Hammer Price: $1,400

Sale 3061: Lot 105

A perfect example of the circular datestamp employed at Fort Winnebago, Michigan Territory in the early 1830s

Hammer Price: $4,000

Sale 3061: Lot 108

This 1834 cover from Niagara, New York was sent to Fort Winnebago, Wisconsin, where it was forwarded to Fort Howard in Green Bay. John W. Quinney, the recipient, left New York for Wisconsin in the early 1820s as a sachem and diplomat for the Stockbridge Tribe. The letter was written by John W. Newcom, a half-Indian petitioning the Stockbridge Tribe for money he claims was taken from him when the tribe was relocated from New York in 1825 and lamenting the fact that he was not given a land grant owing to his mixed heritage.

Hammer Price: $3,250

Sale 3061: Lot 255

A rare example of the first United States postage stamp used from Kenosha, Wisconsin

Hammer Price: $3,250

Sale 3061: Lot 1136

A rare 1850 datestamp from Peapack, New Jersey

Hammer Price: $325

Sale 3060: Lot 69

One of seven examples of the dog fancy cancel of Waterbury, Connecticut

Hammer Price: $45,000

Sale 3060: Lot 70

The “Running Chicken” of Waterbury, Connecticut is not just the most celebrated creation of Postmaster John W. Hill—it is America’s most famous cancellation. Originally inspired by an advertising cornercard, its design has captured the imagination of generations of collectors. Since its appearance on the market in the early 20th Century, this particular cover—with three perfect strikes of the chicken on three 1869 1c stamps—has come to be regarded as one of the greatest gems of American philately—the perfect intersection of American history and aesthetic appeal.

John W. Hill was born in 1834 in Straitsville, Connecticut, and his family moved to Waterbury when he was a young man. Shortly after the Civil War he became a postal clerk, during which time he honed his whittling skills during his free time. From the mid-1860s on he carved various designs—from simple geometrics to intricate faces—for use on the mail. He even continued this practice after his promotion to postmaster in 1870. Due to the brittle nature of his cancels many were in use for very short periods and are highly collectible today.

Interestingly, the famed Running Chicken may not be a chicken at all—in 1869, President Ulysses S. Grant moved Thanksgiving from the first Thursday in November to the third (November 18). Therefore, given its proximity to the holiday many scholars have postulated that the Running Chicken could be a Thanksgiving turkey trying to escape a butcher. With that being said, contemporaneous cornercards that inspired Hill definitely depict chickens, and the connection to Thanksgiving may be mere coincidence.

Hammer Price: $310,000

Sale 3059: Lot 547

The “Chittenden Eagle” is named for its discoverer, Dr. J. Brace Chittenden. Chittenden served as President of the Collectors Club from 1911 to 1912 and again in 1920. Although best-known for its foreign mail fancy cancellations, the New York City post office also employed a number of intricate and attractive designs for domestic mail. Amongst the most notable designs are the “Peace Dove”, a waving American flag, and a Union Soldier»s Head—the last of which was primarily used on foreign mail but is known on at least one domestic cover. Additionally a large number of geometric designs were in use, all of which establish a precedent for interesting and ornate cancellations. However, no other recorded cancellation from New York City comes close to matching the size, intricacy, or overall aesthetic of the Chittenden Eagle.

Hammer Price: $27,500

Sale 3059: Lot 535

The “peace dove” fancy cancel of New York City, created following the end of the Civil War

Hammer Price: $1,200