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The 7¢ Vermillion Stanton Envelopes (part 5)

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Late Uses

To date, not a single example of the Plimpton 7 cent envelope has been recorded during the proper period of use. While the 3,000 printing was small, several should have appeared if they were distributed in time. The earliest example is several years out-of-period.

The only two examples of used Plimpton covers are the ones illustrated as lot 486 in the Siegel White II sale of March 3-4, 1971. It is a knife 41 type postmarked New York, November 14, 1878 at 12:30 P.M. As the full cover is not illustrated and I have not seen it, the destination is unrecorded. There is also a used quartered cork cancel; ex-Lurch on a Plimpton cut square. An unreadable portion of a c.d.s. is alongside. Item L, the 1904 used to China is a U186 entire. These are the only used Plimpton items I have been able to record.

The listing of other out-of-period uses of the Reay and/or Plimpton envelope is as follows:

A. Cut square NYFM W5 (known used August 9, 1875 to September 28, 1875 according to Waud and Van Vlissingin) with "England" manuscript. This is ex-Lurch.

B. L.W. Durbin registered cover Philadelphia February 9, 1876 to H.A. Russell in Birmingham, England (registry no. 45117) with February 21, 1876 receipt date and bearing a 3 cent green (Scott no. 184) and a 5 cent Taylor (no. 179). It was part of a private treaty offering by dealer Labrun Harris in 1990.

C. Registered purple cancel New York January 3, 1879 on quarter envelope and addressed to Berlin. This has PF certificate no. 225066 and is ex-William Fox auction.

D. Registered G.B. Calman cover with a 3 cent green (no. 147) and a 5 cent Taylor (no. 179) New York March 22, 1879 to collector J.D. Russell in Birmingham, England, bearing a registered English receipt marking on the face and an April 2, 1879 receipt marking on back. Ex-Toaspern.

E. Calman registered no. 10977 cover New York July 26, 1879 to Robert Duhle & Co., Berne, Switzerland, with a 3 cent green (no. 184) and 5 cent Taylor (no. 185) per "S.S. Britannic" of the White Star Line. This has a boxed CHARGE and is backstamped Basel 6 VIR 79 to give a receipt date. It was in the Albert private treaty Frajola sale as lot 630.

F. 1879 cover Galveston, Texas Se t. 14 7 P.M. c.d.s. to Liverpool, p England, with addressee inked out. It bears a PAID / LIVERPOOL / U.S. PACKET / 30 SP 79 circle for dating. Sold as lot 162 in the Rich sale of March 19, 1964 and lot 26 of that firm's sale of May 10, 1966. It was lot 652 in the Koerber sale of March 22, 19??.

G. Favor imprint cover San Francisco Nov. 14 2 P.M. 1887 to Dr. Merck, Room 42, Palace Hotel, City. Ex-Lurch (compare cancel with H).

H. New York April 7, 1888 7 P.M. c.d.s. on knife 28 cover used to Germany. This was illustrated as lot 359 in the Siegel White H sale of March 3-4, 1971.

I. Unimprinted Baltimore April 11, 1893 cover with A. Lohmeyre handstamped corner card. This has a straightline REGISTERED / APR 11 1893 / 13 ALTIMORE, MD. and bears a 6 cent Columbian on the back flap, as well as N.Y. Exchange registry label 36302. Ex-Gobie. One of two covers in lot 658 of the Siegel sale of December 16-18,1986.

J. 1894 cover to John Seybold, Syracuse, N.Y. with 1 through 6 cent Columbians (nos. 230-236); sold as lot 2165 in the Wolffers sale no. 76.

K. Imprinted Baltimore, Md. May 16, 1898, double circle registry no. 88448, c.d.s. on cover with return receipt, combination with 6 cent Sc. no. 271, sent to F. Salzmann, Berne, Switzerland, sent by Lohmayer, Baltimore, Md. dealer, with handstamp on back, Ex-Gobie. One of two covers in Lot no. 658, Robert A. Siegel Auction Gallery, Inc., September 16-18, 1986.

L. PLIMPTON, Sc. U186, entire, dated June 19, 1904, with pair of 3 cent Louisiana Purchase, (Sc. 325) Reg. no. 19748, from Boston, via San Francisco (dated June 14, 1904) to Tsingtau Kiautschon, China, received July 22, 1904, also canceled in Shanghai (July 19, 1904). Philatelic Foundation Certificate no. 0138769.

M. Printed matter New York 1908 cover to Mons, Belgium, bearing the 1 cent 1902 (Scott no. 300) and a 2 cent shield (no. 319) on the back with registry cancels and a Mons receipt. This is ex-Gobie described as Thorp-Bartels no. 308a very light amber in one auction but not in the other. Lot 492 in the Manning sale of November 15, 1984 and lot 657 in the Robert A. Siegel sale of December 16-18, 1986.

N. Cut square with unidentified cancel sold as lot 1536 in the Weiss auction of May 19, 1990. 1 have not listed mint entires or cut squares except when they are unusual, for a quantity of them are on the market and for the most part are not rare. There were supposedly 500 specimen envelopes done, presumably 250 of each of the types described.

O. Undated Scott nos. 185-186, New York registered label 8805, to Russia, lot 449, Robert A. Siegel Auctions, sale 148, February 14, 1951.

P. September 10, 1909, with Scott no. 302, registered to Don Heer Joh Sandow Duitach Consolm Aesland. Private treaty offering 591, WESTPEX, Trevor Davis stock, London, England.

Q. Undated Scott nos. 184-185, 15 cent registered rate to England, lot 1828, Robert A. Siegel Auctions, sale 363, December 9-12, 1969.

R. April 8, (1879?) New York Post Office registered no. 3291 from B. Calman, 1245 Pearl Street, New York to Odessa, Russia, via German Line. Private treaty, October 1991.

Philatelic Literature

The philatelic literature regarding the 7 cent Stanton envelopes is sparse. The bulk of the published information is contained in catalogs such as the Thorp-Bartels or the Scott Specialized and in the articles cited herein such as that of Lurch. Auction catalog listings for the major stationery sales have been a major resource as have the occasional listings in other auction and private sales.

I should like to thank Messrs. Gobie, Lurch, Maisel, and Smith for making their records available and Richard C. Frajola for his generosity in sharing the Frank S. Levi records he owns. Particular thanks go to Calvet M. Hahn, whose patience barely exceeded his ability to yell as he made extensive critical analysis of the material in draft form, and to my wife Ruth, for putting up with the harassment that working up this research required. The errors remain mine, however, I believe this is the first time material on the subject has been pulled together and that it will provide new insights and direction for the collectors of postal stationery and postal history in general.

 
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