Message Board

Perforations

Barry J,

The POD doesn't use gauge. That's a philatelic standard, not a postal or printing standard. It provides a universal method for collectors to describe the differences that exist on perforated stamps of any country at any time, regardless of how they were described or measured by their manufacturers.

Perforations

Ken, I'm an amateur: should I have been asking "when did the PO start using gauge as a measure" -- or whatever, was metric ingrained in the first 1847, and is there any historical reference to the issue?

Perforations

The U.S. POD and the bank note printers did not go metric. Metric standards are a product of the great French revolution of 1789, and the conventions of stamp collecting were invented in France and Francophone Europe, therefore metric. Gauge is defined as the number of holes, teeth, or slits in a two-centimeter length.

1869 perforations

There was a discussion last year about 1869 perforation size and number;  I was willing to measure size  of 114's ( see attached), but found counting perfs too binary.   I see that many collectors have used millimeters--rather than some ridiculous fraction of inches--to describe these stamps: when did  the PO, or its suppliers,  first go metric?

French Mail

Steve W.
In your previous comment I would add that both stamps were in fact 40 centimes.

French Mail

Steve W.
Internal docketing (upper right) shows the letter was answered. From the Carl Schimmer collection of Mexican mails. Three covers following also show no due markings and not uncommon for portside mail. These also have docketing but in their case show date received. Appreciate your detailed comments.

Jeffrey:  My thought would be Newburgh (just outside of Cleveland, closed 1875 and became a station of Cleveland).

1876 Wrapper

Hi Matt,

Thank you for commenting.  Does the CDS look like it fits anything from Ohio in that period that you've seen?  The first thing that comes to my mind is Pittsburgh, but not sure that makes sense that they would be sending something to the Auditor of Ohio in C-town.

By the way, hope everyone enjoys TPR this year.  Wish I was on my way to NM today!

Stephen -- I will send you the $30 in new bank notes but I didn't know you were in Glasgow.

Bill

Jeffrey:  I think it would be fair to call it a wrapper.  I assume it would have contained tax or real estate documents, but I do not recall seeing a comparable Ohio example.

Earliest advance fee scam?

Pre-internet version of the advance fee email scam: 

Enclosed in an unpaid letter from Glasgow to Canfield, OH Nov 21, 1872: basically "you have been left more than $1 million ($150 million+ in today's money) by a relative - all you need to do is send $30 in new US banknotes to Glasgow for information"

Has anyone seen an earlier version?  Wonder if the recipient fell for it?

1876 Wrapper?

Thoughts please-

Posted this a few days back- realizing that my questions may be unanswerable, but has anyone had any experience with a similar cover to this?

Would this be considered a wrapper?  It appears to be open on both ends athough I suppose it could have been slit open at left but the cut appears extremely straight.  The sides are accordion like to accomodate I'm assuming printed matter of some kind, newspaper or other bulky papers.  Can anyone tell what it is likely to have held going to the auditor of the state of ohio c1876 in Columbus?  48c in stamps plus due 3c for 17 times regular postal rate or some multiple of printed matter rate?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/jeffsstamps/1876Auditorfront.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/jeffsstamps/1876Auditorrev.jpg

PSE

From yesterday's CLCT conference call with investors: "In addition, the volume of stamp submissions continued to decline by 26% both for the fourth quarter and for the year compared to the prior year periods."

Is the FY 2010 figure of 19,000 submissions greater than the current annual number of PF submissions, as PSE advertises? Or has PSE fallen to second place? Has Bill Weiss significantly cut into PSE's market share?

French Mail

Stephen, 
Looks like a cover prepaid the single 80c rate (looks like two 40 centimes stamps) by French packet to Mexico, which was considered double-weight (Affr Insuff Etr - insufficiently paid foreign mail). It was then diverted to the Dead Letter office (blue Rebuts & Reclamations). At the DLO, they decided to send it through as a ship letter (ms notation "voie du commerce"), for which it was sufficiently prepaid. It was then routed via Le Havre to a non-contract ship. Curiously, there is no Mexican due marking. 
Nice cover. The blue Rebuts marking is rare.

Signature

No question a standard

Stanley Ashbrook

Leonard

French Mail

Could someone explain the markings, route and why the changes?

Sig

He musta been a part time doctor with a prescription sig like that!  It looks more like Asweroog!!!  I thought it was but did not want to assume it.  :-)

THANKS!

Sig

Stanley Ashbrook

Who's Signature Is This?

Anyone recognize this signature?

BC&VI

Rick, 
No problem. We call that a senior moment...

Collectors Universe

CLCT filed its Form 10-K today. The firm has returned to profitability by a combination of increases in the coin grading business and cost-cutting in other sectors. Stamp authentication and grading continued to decline. Number of units processed and aggregate declared values were reported as follows, for fiscal years ending June 30:
2008     53,000     $25,000,000
2009     25,700     $22,000,000
2010     19,000     $13,000,000

BC&VI

I need a Do-Over.

While you guys were TALKING about BC, I was apparently DREAMING about it.  My May 1864 cover is from SF to Whitby Canada West and not BC.  I apologize.  For some reason I thought it was definitely to BC.  The 15c cover is FROM BC, thru SF, to Port Sarnia, Canada West.  It is well known and is ID 16170 here.

So forget everything I said.  I will go back to the corner now!  Sorry about that.

Rick

BC&VI

Rick, 
You'd need to tell us what the origin and destination were on your 10c and 15c covers. 
I was off by a month on the BC&VI rate - it started in July 1864, and was an outgrowth of the 7/1/64 US blanket steamship rate.

Summer of Forwarding

The only thing I was able to add to my 12c collection this Summer was also a forwarded cover. Thanks to the board for helping me figure out the ratings and markings.  We'll see what I can add to this collection this Fall.  I'm thinking that I may be in deep financial trouble come Winter with the Vogel sale coming up.
Chip
PS: Larry - nice cover.
PPS: Today's mail brought some interesting things, but Summer ends on Labor Day, right?

HI to Nova Scotia

Larry - is the cover 1866 or 1868? 

Summer Acquisition

5c brown used with 12c 1861 issue,   Hawaii to Nova Scotia, with Red "football" handstamp of General Post Office Honolulu Hawaii. 

Hawaii to British Columbia

David D'Alessanddris & Steve Walske

Thank you for your help.

If you are interested, then you can view the cover in the frames at TPR.  Unfortunately it will not be properly described since I am now off to work and Judie & I are leaving tonight and I will not have time to redo the page.

Summer Acquisition

I just acquired this on eBay, from the lady who has been selling items from Hubert's collection. It's a pathetic looking thing, but I think it's an important item for both of my current projects. The seller had (mis)described it as Scott U10 (mercifully, thus minimizing competition from someone who might have wanted an uncanceled U1 cut square). It has a Nesbitt seal on the flap; therefore was manufactured before July 7, 1853.

It appears to be a philatelic souvenir, annotated by an English traveler. The missing "Postage Stamp" was probably a 3¢ 1851 Scott 11 or 11A. "The New American Postage Envelope!" was issued in July 1853. The presence of the die cut Scott 20L8 1852 "Boyds express, a kind of opposition Post office — delivery oftener than the mail." stamp enhances the probability that this was assembled by a person who attended the world's fair at the Crystal Palace, where both the post office and Boyd's were present, but other New York local posts were not. 

I suppose I should find a cheap uncanceled no-gum 3¢ 1851 to restore the original collector's intent. 

Stamp Agency 1877

I added cover 16921 to the archive. It's the fairly common first Hazen issue, postmarked in NY on July 16, 1877. It listed as Scott OXF5, and Kotanchik SA2.

Hazen was appointed 3rd Asst PMG on July 1, 1877. Considering the time lag possible between appointment, seal printing and distribution to NYC, this is certainly an early usage. I'm very interested in seeing any earlier, before I start to consider this the EKU, without any evidence other than my surmises.

Anyone own or know of an earlier use?

Harry

Hawaii to BC/VI

I'm not sure this is all that relevant to this particular discussion, but Steve W you said June 1864 for the 10c rate.  I thought the rate book I had said it started in March, and I have a 15c rate cover during March even though it was supposed to be the new 10c rate (they were slow to catch up).  But I also have a May 1864 cover with the 10c rate on it.  I know we are only talking a month or two, but was not sure if you meant ALL mail by June showed the 10c rate, or when it first started being used???  And I am mostly out of my league on this discussion!!!
Rick

Hawaii to BC/VI

There was no postal convention between the US and BC, but there was an understanding with the SF post office. Starting in June 1864, the US began applying the 10c per half ounce blanket steamship rate on mail to/from BC. 5 cents colonial postage was due in Victoria, but was not marked on the cover. 
Thus, 5c Hawaiian, 10c steamship rate from Honolulu to SF (no ship fee), 10c blanket non-contract steamship rate to Victoria, and 5c BC Colonial postage due (and not marked on the cover).

Richard Malmgren

Correct - there was no postal convention between the US and BC/VI at that time.  If I remember correctly, the Chronicle article has some information about the steamboat line.  Remember if you don't have that copy of the Chronicle you can easily pull it up using the Web Chronicle on the USPCS webpage.

Oliver sale of Green material

Ken L & Matt L - Jonathan Orenstein (Purser Ass.) will be attending the stamp related sessions.

Green Sale

URL of sale is http://www.rwolivers.com/green/

David

I do not immediately have access to The Chronicle.  I will look there tomorrow.

The 10c steamship rate to which you refer between San Francisco and Victoria - I assume this is not a postal convention (in so far as known)  between the U.S. and British Columbia.  Do you know more about the steamship line and the agreement between whomever or will I find that answer in The Chronicle?

Hawaii to Victoria

Richard,
The rates between the US and BC/VI during that period are not well documented.  Your cover was probably paid 10 cents to cover the steamship rate between San Francisco and Victoria.  The best source of information that I am aware of is Steve Walske's article in Chronicle 212 (2006). 

A. H. Green sale

A.H. Green Sale

Hi Ken,
The entire sale is available online. I d/l it from the auction site, R. L. Oliver in N.H. Sale to be held in Worcester, MA this Thursday through Saturday.
The Saturday sessions, both day and evening are of interest. There is much maritime, both stampless and stamped, including a large group from Ceylon to Worcester. There is also a ton of Worcester items, and a lot of Providence RI 1700's straightlines. Evening session has #1's, lots of 1869 material, large lots, etc.
This is a major sale, to me, from a dealer standpoint. I just don't know how many pure collector's will attend, and possibly drive prices up. There are multiple lots of much of it, making it more accessible to a well financed buyer.
Unfortunately, I'm out of the area over the long weekend on family business.
Anyway, a quick Google search will show up the sale.

Harry

Hawaii cover to Victoria

Bill Longley (or other?)

It was with interest that I read your posting of Bob Forster winning a Grand with his British Columbia and Vancouver Island exhibit.  It occurs to me that this is where I may find an answer to a question.

I have a cover from Hawaii to Victoria, British Columbia transiting through the United States.  It has a Honolulu cds of December 26, 1868.  It is franked with a Hawaii 5c blue and two U.S. 1861 10c yellow green stamps.

The Hawaii 5c stamp paid the Hawaiian foreign rate.  One of the 10c stamps paid the contract steamer rate to the U.S.  I assume that the other 10c stamp paid the rate to Victoria on Vancouver Island.

Is this true with the second 10c stamp?  I am aware of an 1870 U.S.-Candadian Postal Convention that I believe provided for a 6c rate from the United States; however, I am unaware of an earlier postal convention.

I have read that prior to 1870 Vancouver kept a stock of United States stamps to apply to mail to the U.S. in order to effect delivery.  What about the opposite direction?  My cover only has a Hawaiian and two United States stamps?

Thank you, Matt.

Ken:  the sale has been on stampauctionnetwork for a while.  It's a bit unwieldy but there's some neat stuff lurking in there.  I'm not sure if any of the agents will attend given the location.

A.H. Green Sale

Does anyone here know the philatelic contents of this sale? Will an agent cover it?
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/09/05/worcester_auction_has_historians_and_collectors_abuzz/?page=full

Stained glass

Richard - I never understood why the Dove wasn’t popular with the public. Tim - The artisan is a family friend who has made an advocation of stained glass restoration. She agreed with my wife that Berri’s stamp looked like a stained glass window and then spent a few months working it out, all unbeknownst to me. I’d be happy to forward requests.

Richard C

I think there's a market for your wife's gift. Is there info about the glazier ?

Basel Dove

Richard C - Very cool. A favorite stamp of mine as well.

David D'

Please check your e-mail.
Thanks

Cartel cover -a retraction

Steve, I was able to access some reference material, and now do not think the cover came into Boston. At that time, all the Boston rate markings With a '2' seem to have a loop at the top of the 2. And the ship HS I was thnking of didn't come into use until later. The ship HS I referenced were not the same as the one on your cover.

Acquisitions

My wife recently indulged my love affair with the Basel Dove (Basel, 1845) by having this stain glass window made for me. It's made the morning light quite wonderful this summer.

Hofmann

Richard, I came across this in my files searching for Colorado “stuff” and thought it might be of interest. Converting to searchable PDF files is a wondrous improvement from hard copies. 

  “none of the known Mark Hofmann forgeries are maps, and he did not begin producing document forgeries until 1978.”

Cartel? Cover

Steve, I am not at home now, but the SHIP and '42' both look to me like Boston markings. Look forward to meeting you in Taos.