Sale 1385 — United States Stamps
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 21-22 July, 2026
Category — 5c 1847 Issue on Cover
5c Red Brown (1). Intense shade and early impression, red grid cancel with matching "Tampa Flor. Apr. 2" (1850) circular datestamp on folded letter datelined "Fort Meade Florida March 30th, 1850", addressed to Tallahassee Fla., stamp with small defect in top right corner, Very Fine appearance, an extremely rare use of the 1847 Issue from Tampa, the USPCS census lists only four covers from Tampa (two 5c, two 10c—this is census no. 1061), each from the Beard correspondence, illustrated in Florida Postal History Journal (July 2005), with 1992 P.F. certificate, ex Dr. Briggs
5c Brown (1). Large margins including right sheet margin, early impression and gorgeous deep shade (close to Dark Brown and described as "Chocolate Brown" in previous catalogs), tied by sharp strike of red square grid cancel, matching "New-York May 5" (1848) circular datestamp on buff envelope to Cambridge Mass., Extremely Fine, USPCS census no. 7447, with 1991 and 2023 P.F. certificates as Brown shade
5c Red Brown (1). Dark shade we would call Scott 1a, early impression, large margins to full including part of adjoining stamp at top, tied by red square grid cancel, matching "New-York Nov. 30" (1848) circular datestamp on mourning envelope to New Rochelle N.Y., Extremely Fine, a rare use on a mourning cover, the USPCS census of the 1847 Issue contains only 29 mourning covers among the 15,731 entries (this is no. 6279), with 1991 P.F. certificate as Red Brown, Scott 1
(Image Magnifier)5c Dark Brown (1a). Full to large margins, intense shade and early impression, cancelled by blue grid with perfect strike of matching "Buffalo N.Y. Oct. 13" fancy double-oval datestamp on greenish folded letter to Westfield N.Y., stamp has faint pre-affixing vertical crease at lower right, still Extremely Fine, with clear 2024 P.S.A.G. certificate, 2024 P.F. certificate mentioning slight crease in stamp and split in fold at bottom no longer accompanies
5c Orange Brown (1b). Horizontal pair, large margins to just in including small part of bottom sheet margin on right stamp, beautiful Orange Brown shade and early impression, tied by blue grid cancels, matching "Philada. Pa. 10cts. Aug. 9" (1847) integral-rate circular datestamp on folded letter to Parkland Mich., minor edgewear, Very Fine, this First Printing Orange Brown shade is very desirable and extremely rare as a multiple, especially used on an early August 1847 cover, ex "Penguin", with 2001 A.P.S. certificate, SCV $1,800 for pair off cover
5c Red Brown (1). Horizontal pair, ample to large margins, grayish shade, intermediate impression, tied by two strikes of red square grid cancel, matching "New-York Jun. 25" (1849) circular datestamp on blue June 23, 1849 folded letter to Thomas R. Merritt, St. Catherines, Canada West, faint Queenston datestamp, manuscript "41/2" due rate, Very Fine, USPCS census no. 6501 (there is some debate over whether the date is "23" or "25"), ex Boker
5c Red Brown (1). Horizontal pair, intermediate impression, large margins to clear including sheet margin at right, cancelled by neat strikes of small blue "X" handstamp, matching "Lockport N.Y. Apr. 27" (1849) circular datestamp on folded cover to Lansing Mich., vertical file fold does not affect stamps, docketing at upper left erased, slight cover soiling at right, Very Fine, a rare and unusual handstamped marking, listed in old Alexander census as manuscript (we can understand the confusion), ex Boker, Gross and "Penguin"
5c Red Brown (1). Large even margins, dark shade, worn-plate impression, tied by criss-crossing strikes of blue grid cancel, matching "Cambridge Ms. Jun. 26" (1850) circular datestamp on autograph letter signed by Edward Everett to S. H. Taylor (for R. C. Winthrop), Phillips Academy, Andover Mass., vertical fold causes slight bend or crease in right side of stamp (not mentioned on certificate), otherwise Very Fine, Edward Everett was president of Harvard at this time and later became famous as the featured orator at Gettysburg (he spoke for two hours before Lincoln delivered his two-minute address), Dr. Taylor was head of Phillips Academy and Winthrop was a student at Phillips Academy at this time, with 2024 P.F. certificate
5c Red Brown (1). Large margins to touched at upper left, worn-plate impression, tied by two strikes of red "5" in oval cogwheel rate handstamp, matching "Chicago Ill. Jun. 18" (1851) circular datestamp on bluish folded letter to Joliet Ill., stains removed from stamp and cover, stamp also has small faults at upper and lower left corners, Very Fine appearance, rare use of the Chicago rate handstamp to cancel the 1847 Issue, USPCS census no. 1214, ex Newbury, Haas and Haub ("Erivan"), with 2020 P.F. certificate
5c Red Brown (1). Large margins including right sheet margin, bright shade, worn-plate impression, cancelled by magenta grid with matching "Chicago Ill. Dec. 11" (1849) circular datestamp on bluish folded letter to Joliet Ill, Extremely Fine, USPCS census no. 1202, ex Newbury
5c Red Brown (1). Large margins to clear at lower right, dark shade, worn-plate impression, tied by two strikes of vivid red grid cancel, matching "Chicago Ill. Dec. 18" (1850) circular datestamp on blue folded letter to Joliet Ill., Very Fine, USPCS census no. 1224, ex Newbury, with 2002 P.F. certificate
5c Dark Brown (1a). Full to large even margins, dark shade and strong worn-plate impression, tied by perfectly clear strike of blue "Windsor Vt. Mar. 22" (1849) circular datestamp, second clear strike at left on blue folded letter to Claremont Vt., Extremely Fine, USPCS census no. 13945, ex Dr. LeBow, Kramer and "Penguin"
5c Orange Brown (1b). Large even margins, bright shade, worn-plate impression, tied by blue 7-bar non-standard grid cancel and matching "Trenton N.J. Sep. 5" circular datestamp on buff envelope to Lancaster Pa.
EXTREMELY FINE GEM STAMP AND AN EXCEPTIONALLY BEAUTIFUL COVER. THE TRENTON GRID CANCEL IS A RARE HAND-CARVED VERSION OF THE 7-BAR GRID.
USPCS census no. 5156. Ex Sampson. This has previously been offered as Red Brown (1), but we stand by our current classification as Orange Brown (1b).
5c Red Brown (1). Large margins including huge bottom sheet margin, gorgeous shade and strong cleaned-plate impression on bluish paper (we would call this Orange Brown), tied by red square grid cancel, matching "New-York Oct. 22" (ca. 1850) circular datestamp on buff envelope to West Springfield Mass., minor corner crease in sheet margin, still Extremely Fine—to avoid a return due to possibility of P.F. classifying this shade as Red Brown, we are listing it as Scott 1, but based on the cleaned-plate impression and Oct. 1850 use, this brilliant color is Orange Brown (1b) or even Brown Orange (1d)
5c Red Brown (1). Two singles, vivid color we would call Orange Brown, cleaned-plate impression on bluish paper, each has three ample to clear margins and cut in at bottom, tied overlapping by bright red grids with matching "St. Louis Mo. 10 Feb. 13" 10c integral-rate circular datestamp on envelope to Miss E. E. Turner, Boston Mass., very slight edge toning, Fine stamps on a beautiful cover from the Turner correspondence, known for overlapping stamps (see Nov. 2009 Chronicle article by Gordon Eubanks, who records 15 such overlapping pairs), ex Eno, USPCS census no. 4691 (entry gives 1850 years date, but we think it is 1851)
5c Red Brown (1). Huge margins including part of adjoining stamp at bottom, clear at top left, cleaned-plate impression, tied by unusual bright red segmented dots fancy cancel, matching "Leeds N.Y. Dec. 20" ornamental circular datestamp on envelope to Kendall N.Y., turned use, inside with "Kendall N.Y. Mar. 8" manuscript postmark and matching "5" rate to Leeds N.Y., some minor soiling, opened for display, Very Fine, a rare turned use with the 1847 Issue and the only recorded 1847 cover with this unusual Leeds N.Y. cancel and town marking—two other examples of the 5c 1847 are known used from Leeds, but they are cancelled by manuscript, Leeds never officially received a supply of the 1847 Issue—ex Boker, Gross and "Penguin"
5c Red Brown (1). Ample margins to slightly in at left, bright shade, cleaned-plate impression, tied by red grid cancel, blue "Baltimore Md. Nov. 16" (1850) circular datestamp on blue folded letter to Philadelphia, horizontal fold passes thru bottom of stamp and barely causes a slight crease, otherwise Fine
5c Red Brown (1). Horizontal pair, large margins to ample, scissors-cut at bottom between stamps, grayish shade and cleaned-plate impression, tied by red grid cancels, matching "New Bern N.C. Jun. 28" circular datestamp on buff envelope to Greenfield Mass., back with "New Bern Hotel N. Carolina" hotel forwarder's handstamp, with original 1850-dated enclosure, Very Fine, a rare use with the hotel forwarder's handstamp, we offered a similar cover in our 2022 Rarities sale from the same correspondence which was used in 1851, only four 1847 covers from New Bern N.C. are recorded in USPCS census (this is no. 9611), ex "Penguin"
5c Red Brown (1). Three full to large margins, clear at bottom, worn-plate impression, tied by black grid cancel, clear "Kalamazoo Mic. Oct. 2" (1851) circular datestamp and "5" due handstamp on blue cover-front only to Major General Charles Noble in Detroit, manuscript "Old Stamp Good for Nix",
VERY FINE FRONT. A RARE ATTEMPTED USE OF THE DEMONETIZED 1847 ISSUE IN OCTOBER 1851 FROM A MIDWESTERN TOWN.
General Noble was a prominent figure in the development of Michigan in the Northwest Territory. Illustrated in U.S. Classics Society Silver Anniversary Booklet (p. 31). USPCS census no. 4532. Signed Ashbrook. Ex Hart, Boker, Gross and "Penguin".