The 7¢ Vermillion Stanton Envelopes (part 4)

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In-Period Listings

1. Imprinted cover, New Orleans June 16 and New York June 21 British transit to John Pelton, Stuttgart, Germany, with backstamp D.4 of July 7. Undated, this is assigned to 1872 in light of the imprint. It would have traveled on the NGL Rhein departing New York June 22, 1872, and reached Southampton July 2. An 1873 alternative seems late; such would go on NGL steamer Mosel sailing June 21, 1873, and arriving at Southampton August 1, 1873, The item is ex-T.D. Perry and was lot 1086 in the Harmer sale of December 10, 1958.
2. Unimprinted cover posted New Braunfels, Texas July 21, 1872 with sender's handstamp of July 20, 1872, with N.Y. Paid All 7131 British transit as well, addressed to Wiesbaden, Germany, and backstamped AUSC./Aug.14. This traveled on the Hapag steamer Holsatia leaving New York August 1, 1872, and arriving at Plymouth on August 11, 1872. It was a private treaty purchase of Lurch from Herman Herst, Jr. (see no. 21).
3. Unimprinted cover from Bangor, Maine July 15? bearing a New York Jul 17 "via Eng. & Oste." Paid All transit and addressed to Frederick Allen in Lucerne, Switzerland. This is one of a series of three covers from Bangor to Allen in Lucerne (nos. 3, 4, 8). It bears a 1 and 2 cent adhesive to make up a 10 cent rate. I have assigned it to 1872 where it would travel to Hapag's Vandalia, departing July 18, 1872, and arriving at Plymouth on July 31, rather than the identical transit in 1871 or the sailing of the Silesia on July 17, 1873. It is backstamped both at Basel and Lausanne on July 31, 1872.
4. Unimprinted cover from Bangor, Maine, September 4 with New York 917 "via Eng. & Oste." transit and bearing 1 and 2 cent adhesives to make up- the 10 cent Swiss treaty rate. Addressed to Frederick Allen in Lucerne, this is knife 29, and appears to be the earliest use of that knife. This could have gone on Frankfurt leaving September 7 and arriving at Southampton on September 21, 1871, However, it makes better sense to fit closer to the 1873 use and go on NGL's Weser II, leaving New York September 7, 1872, and reaching Southampton September 18, 1872. An 1873 use doesn't fit. This is illustrated in the Siegel Marcus White 11 sale of March 34, 1871 as lot 360 and either it or the preceding cover was lot 685 in the Laurence & Stryker sale of April 16-18, 1957. The two covers are twins (see nos. 3, 8).
5. Imprinted cover New York October 30, 1872 with three 1 cent stamps missing to A. Blokzeyl, Rotterdam, Holland. It is backstamped Rotterdam 10/Nov/1872. This traveled on the Hapag liner Frisia, departing October 31, 1872, and arriving Plymouth November 10, 1872, and is under the Dutch treaty 10 cent rate applicable between February 1870 and June 30, 1875. It is ex-Lurch and is illustrated in his Linn's article.
6. Imprinted, knife 28 stamp dealer cover New York December 7 to Carl Hyllested, Copenhagen, Denmark, bearing an untied 10 cent brown (described as no. 161). This was received December 22 and bears a "3" as well as registry no. 5207 and went "via Bremen." The stamp would indicate a use in 1873 or later, but the only one that fits is the NGL Donau departing New York December 7, 1872, and reaching Southampton on December 18. There is a Danish transit of December 22 and Bremen receipt of December 22. 1 conclude thus that this is an 1872 item, particularly in light of the imprint, and that the stamp is a National misidentified as a Continental. This is ex-Howard Lehman and ex-Albert/Kaplan by private treaty. Probably from Durbin as Hyllested was a collector (see nos. 16, 20).
7. Unimprinted New York December 12, 1872, Paid All British transit to Student Theodore Haas at Strassburg, Alsace, and redirected to Karlsruhe with both December 24, 1872, and December 25, 1872, German backstamps. This cover went on Hapag's Frisia that left New York on December 12, 1872, and arrived at Plymouth on December 22, 1872. It is ex-Lurch.
8. Unimprinted Bangor, Me. January 15, 1873 with New York transit of January 16 to Switzerland and bearing four 3 cent (no. 147) and one 1 cent (no. 145) adhesives to cover the double closed mail rate of 14 cents. This third of the Bangor covers is backstamped January 31, 1873 (see nos. 3,4). It traveled on Hapag's Cimbria leaving New York on January 16, 1873, and reaching Plymouth January 26, 1873. It is ex-Albert and was listed in the Gil Fitton summer 1974 listing as lot 743.
9. Unimprinted New York February 19 and NYFM G25 cancel sent to Brimingham, England, where it was backstamped in red on March 3, 1873. This stamp dealer cover overpays the 6 cent treaty rate. It left New York on February 20, 1873 on the Hapag's Harmonia 1I and reached Plymouth on March 3, 1873, for transmission to Birmingham that day. It sold as lot 410 in the Laurence & Stryker sale of November 26-29, 1948, and again as the Albert private treaty through Gil Fitton's summer list as lot 742 (see nos. 19, 25).
10. Unimprinted knife 28 cover San Antonio, Texas March 4 with New York British Transit of March 11 to L. Konig, Berlin, Germany. For awhile this was considered a possible earliest known usage. It probably went on the NGL Hansa leaving New York March 12, 1873, and reaching Bremen March 26, 1876. This could be an 1874 cover sailing on NGL's Graf Bismarck departing New York March 11, 1874 and arriving on March 22, 1874, at Southampton. I assign it to the earlier date because of the knife. Probably marked for making a cut square but fortunately spared. It was lot 1686 in the Siegel sale of October 23-26, 1984.
11. Unimprinted Princeton, N.J. June 3 with red New York June Paid All Br. Transit to Vienna on front only. There are a number of alternate choices for this: one in 1872, two in 1873, and one in 1874. 1 have chosen 1873 as the most likely. It could have traveled on the NGL's Hannover leaving June 4 and arriving June 16, 1872 in Southampton or Hapag's Silesia departing June 4, 1874, arriving at Plymouth on June 14, 1874, but I prefer to think it went either on NGL's Kronprinz Friedrich Wilhelm on June 4, 1873, arriving at Southampton on June 17, 1873, or the Adler (Eagle) line's Ernst Moritz Arndt, sailing June 4, 1873, and arriving at Stettin on June 22, 1873. It sold as lot 636 in the m. Sol Salkind sale of April 29, 1972.
12. Unimprinted blue Chicago July 21 maltese cross 1873 to George Smith, Brighton, England, where a receipt of August 5, 1873 was struck on the back. There is also a red Chicago backstamp CHICAGO / PAID ALL. This represents a one cent overpayment of the English 6 cent treaty rate. It went on the NGL's Kronprinz Fredrich Wilhelm July 23, 1873 from New York and arriving at Southampton on August 4, 1873. It is ex-Lurch.

13. Cut square postmarked Lynchburg, Va posted August 6 to Vienna, Austria. As similar Lynchburg fronts to Prof. Morgan Hart at Leipzig are from 1873 (see nos. 14, 15), this is probably the first of the series. If so, it would have left on the Hapag Thuringia leaving August 7 from New York and arriving at Plymouth on August 17, or on the NGL's New York, leaving August 6 and arriving at Southampton on August 18, 18 73; it could have caught NGL's New York, leaving on August 8, 1873.
14. Unimprinted front only postmarked August 11 at Lynchburg, Va to Prof. Hart at Leipzig, Germany. This bears an 1873 pencil date. It went either on the Hapag's Thuringia departing August 14 and arriving at Plymouth on August 25, or on the NGL's New York, leaving New York on August 15, 1873 and arriving at Southampton on August 26. From the Stanley Piller stock.
15. Unimprinted front only postmarked Lynchburg August 31 with 1873 pencil date to Prof. Hart at Leipzig. This has British transit markings of September 3 and 4. It would have caught the Hapag's Silesia leaving September 4, 1873, arriving at Plymouth on September 14, 1873. From Piller stock.
16. Unimprinted knife 28 cover postmarked October 1; N.Y. PAID ALL Via Hamburg with corner card label of stamp dealer Durbin, addressed to Carl Hyllested at Copenhagen, Denmark. This pays the 7 cent treaty rate via Hamburg from 1872-75. It could have transited in 1872, 1873, or 1874. 1 have put it at the latest date where it could have gone via the NGL steamer Rhein, leaving October 17, 1874 and reaching Southampton on October 27, 1874. It should have left on Hapag's Cimbria departing New York on October 17, 1872 and arriving at Plymouth on October 27, or on the Silesia, departing October 16, 1873 with arrival at Plymouth on October W, 1873. The cover sold as lot 2286 in the Siegel sale of December 10, 1984. Richard Winter does not record the Hamburg marking on this cover, but the comparable Bremen marking is only known in 1874: (see nos. 6, 20).
17. Imprinted, registry no. 13, domestic cover from Jacksonville, Oregon January 3, with a pair of 2 cent Nationals (no. 146) addressed to Wm. Garratson, 645 Market St., San Francisco, from D.L. Hopkins and received January 19, 1874 by docketing on the back. This cover shows the 3 cent domestic rate and 8 cent registry fee that went into effect on January 1, 1874, so that this may well be the earliest known usage of the 8 cent fee.
18. Unimprinted cover from Serbin, Texas March 12, 1874 in blue to Andres Kapplen in Tauttew by Laberno, Germany, with a New York March 14 transit marking. It is knife 28 and traveled on the NGL Main leaving New York March 14, 18 74, and arriving Southampton March 24, 1874. Sold to order for $450 as lot 1687 in the Siegel sale of October 23-26, 1984.
19. Imprinted, Durbin cover, with registry no. 3412, from Philadelphia May 13, 1874, paying the 6 cent treaty rate to Mr. Russell at Birmingham, England, where it was receipted on May 25, 1874. This bears 1 and 6 cent stamps to pay the 6 cent treaty rate and 8 cent registry fee. It traveled on the Hapag steamer Westphalia, leaving New York on May 14, 1874 and arriving at Plymouth on May 25. It is noted as entered May 31, 1874 by Mr. Russell. Ex-Albert by private treaty (see nos. 9, 25).
20. L.W. Durbin label and a Philadelphia June 12 c.d.s. with New York PAID ALL Via Bremen June 13 to Carl Hyllested at Copenhagen. This marking is only recorded by Winter from June 6 to August 19, 1874, thus dating this cover. It traveled on the NGL Oder, leaving June 13, 1874 and arriving at Southampton on June 25, 1874. Ex-Gobie, this was lot 509 on the Siegel Albert sale of June 25-26, 1983, where it was purchased by Dan Weiner who resold it almost immediately as lot 1171 in the Steve Ivy sale of July 8-9, 1983 (see nos. 6, 16).
21. Unimprinted cover from New Braufels, Texas August 1, 1874 to Germany by New York German, closed mail with a red New York Aug. 8 transit marking. It was received on August 20, 1874. It would have traveled on the NGL Mosel departing August 8, 1874, and arriving at Southampton on August 18. This was a Herst private treaty sale item to Lurch and sold as lot 3964 in the Gold Medal sale of October 11, 1990 (see no. 2).
22. Unimprinted NYFMA8 cover of August 1 with knife 29 to A. Buddig, Wolffenbuttel, Germany, arriving September 4. As discussed earlier, the only possible year for an August use of this NYFM is 1874. This traveled on the NGL Neckar, leaving New York on August 1, 1874 and arriving at Southampton on August 12. It is ex-D.D. Bercheimmer and sold as lot 395 in the Siegel sale of January 25, 1972. It is also ex-Albert and is a private treaty item.
23. Unimprinted cover from Defiance, Ohio December 28 with New York British transit of December 30 addressed to Mr. Banson, Hanover, Kingdom of Prussia "via North German Union Line." It was received 1.11 Ausg. I (Ausberg). This has been claimed as an earliest known usage of 1871 probably due to the wording of the address; however, it only fits the Hapag Westphalia sailing from New York on December 31, 1874 with arrival at Plymouth on January 11, 1875.
24. Unimprinted cover with NYFM G3 cancel and March 8, 1875 company backstamp and a New York British transit of March 9 to Berlin where it was received on March 22, 1875. This is the only example that can be proven to have traveled on the Adler (Eagle) line where it went on that firm's Lessing, departing March 9, 1875 and arriving at Hamburg March 22, 1875. It represents a scarce sailing. This is ex-Thomas Doane Perry and Lurch and sold as lot 830 in the Siegel sale of December 17, 1953.
25. Unimprinted Durbin registered cover with 3 and 10 cent stamps on the very light amber paper (Thorp-Bartels no. 308a), postmarked Philadelphia April 2, 1875 and addressed to Russell at Brighton England. It bears a British crown registered marking on the face and was received on April 14, 1875. It traveled on the NGL Oder departing New York and reaching Southampton April 14, 1875. This is the only known used example of TB308a and confirms the light amber as a late Reay printing. It is ex-Lurch (see nos. 9, 19).
26. Unimprinted combination cover with the 7 cent (Scott no. 149) and New York June 29 boxed red DIRECT SERVICE / PAID ALL to Mr. Hirschfield, Posen, Germany. The only known combination cover, this pays the 6 cent rate to England and an 8 cent registry fee. The boxed handstamp is unrecorded by Winter, but he records a "direct service" 26mm circle in late February 1875. A different direct marking is known through June 1873. This might be an 1874 use traveling on the NGL's Graf Bismarck, leaving New York July 1, 1874 and arriving at Southampton on July 14. However, it is most likely the latest recorded 8 cent registry cover traveling on Hapag's Herder, departing July 1, 1875 and arriving at Plymouth on July 11 on the first trip of this vessel since it left the Adler (Eagle) line to join Hapag.
27. Undated 7 cent Reay on white! with 3 cent (no. 136) to make up the 10 cent rate to Denmark. Posted Wellington, Mass., and bearing NEW YORK PAID ALL / VIA BREMEN (marking known June 6 to August 18, 1874 according to Winter). Unphotoed. Lot 3522 Herst sale of May 7, 1965 and sold for $12 (see no. 23).
28. 1874 undated Reay envelope with top torn and 1 cent (no. 145) added to Switzerland. Supposedly 1872 but bears NEW YORK PAID ALL / VIA BREMEN, which is only known for two months of 1874. Lot 1363 Laurence & Stryker sale of March 28-31, 1952. Ex-Maisel.
29. Undated unphotographed registered cover to Germany with knife 29. This was lot 361 in the Siegel White II sale of March 3-4. 1971. It may be duplicated above.
30. Cut square undated with NYFM G25 (This marking is known from October 2, 1873 to November 14, 1875 so it can be in-period). William Weiss, Jr. exhibit.
31. Without imprint. Sept. 8, ... Very Light Envelope. Identified by auctioneer as Thorp 308a. Philadelphia to Lenburg, Schwein, Ausg. No. 3 on reverse, red New York British Transit. (never seen) Louis K. Robbins Auctions, Sale 9 December 6-7, 1985, Lot 1037.
32. Imprint. Possible 1872 or 1874 use, February 3, 187.... Defiance, Ohio, penmanship fancy "North German Union Lines." No proof of year date. Embossed Stamp is torn, red New York British Transit, to G.H. Bansen, Hannover, Germany. Private List, from Germany; Ivy, Shreve & Mader, Inc., October 23, 1992 Auction, Lot. M.
33. Imprint Status Unknown, Knife 28, New York, April .... 187..., unreadable cancellation, Thorp 307, Photo in Marcus W. White Sale No. 2, Robert A. Siegel Auctions, Inc., March 3-4, 1971, to Germany. No other report on this cover.

At least one other cover is known. It is in the collection of a willing but far too busy executive so that data has not been forthcoming so far. T.D. Perry and Lurch wrote that they knew of two covers in Germany (not recorded here to my knowledge, as well as one in a Vermont collection now dispersed with a cover being reported).

Somewhere in print there is a statement that the entire remaining Reay supply was bought by one philatelic house, probably Durbin & Bogert, but the listing does not support this. What does seem correct is that the Durbin firm bought about a box (500) of the 7 cent value that was used for stock as well as their own mail by the Fall of 1872 as indicated by a survival rate of about one percent of such covers.