The APS Sale

Agriculture Dept., 1873, 3¢ yellow, tied by bold quartered cork duplexed with "Washington D.C. Feb 25" cds on Department of Agriculture imprint cover to Columbus Neb.; cover irregularly reduced at right trimming some perfs, 3¢ smalled toned spots, Fine and scarce; with 2006 P.F. certificate.

Scott No. O3   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  $900.

Interior Dept., 1873, 2¢ vermilion, tied by widely-spaced quartered cork duplexed with "Washington D.C., Jul 21" 25.5mm cds on 1873 Department of Interior Pension Office imprint cover addressed locally to the Commission of Indian Reserved Lands; reduced slightly at top, otherwise Very Fine, the earliest recorded use of the 2¢ Interior .

Scott No. O16   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  Estimate $300 - 400.

See Matthew Kewriga Chronicle article (Chronicle 204, Nov. 2004 p. 290-93) detailing the 1873 year dating of this Washington D.C. 25.5mm diameter datestamp duplexed with widely quartered cork.

Justice Dept., 1873, 3¢ purple, canceled by cork duplexed with "Saint Paul, Minn. Feb 18" cds on Office of United States Attorney, St. Paul, Minn. imprint cover to Minneapolis Minn., pencil "Rec'd 2/20/74" on reverse; reduced at right, otherwise Very Fine.

Scott No. O27   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  Estimate $400 - 600.

Justice Dept., 1873, 15¢ purple, used with 3¢ Justice (O28) , each tied by matching cork cancel duplexed with "Washington D.C. Aug 14" 23mm 1873 cds on legal-size Department of Justice crimson seal cover to New York City; small edge flaws and wear, 6¢ light crease, F.-V.F. and scarce use at seven-times the 3¢ letter rate, ex-Waud, Markovits .

Scott No. O31   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  Estimate $3,000 - 4,000.

THE FINEST OF ONLY THREE RECORDED 6¢, 15¢ JUSTICE COMBINATION COVERS, THIS BEING THE EARLIEST RECORDED USE OF BOTH STAMPS.

The Washington, D.C. 23mm small circular datestamp was used in 1873 only.

Navy Dept., 1873, 24¢ ultramarine, tied by violet quartered cork cancel duplexed with "Washington D.C. Apr 12, 1878" cds as forwarding postage on 3¢ Green (U164) amber entire with Geo. Tiemann & Co. surgical instrument advertising corner card canceled by "New-York, Apr 2" duplex to George Cooper, an Apothecary aboard the U.S.S. Essex at Norfolk Va., then readdressed to the Navy Dept., Washington D.C. where the 24¢ stamp was affixed over the Norfolk cds and forwarded to Montevideo, Uruguay at the 27¢ British mail rate via England with the 3¢ indicia apparently accepted as part of the postage, red "New York, Apr 13" duplex with " 110 " centimes (22¢) credit to G.B., red London Paid (4.2x.78) transit cds, then by British packet to Uruguay, Montevideo (5.22) arrival backstamp and large encircled " 20 " centimos due handstamp for inland postage, reverse with pencil note indicating Cooper was discharged July 1877 in Norfolk and should be written to at Wakefield, cover returned to Wakefield Mass. and eventually sent to the Dead Letter Office, blue "Dead Letter Office, July 19, 1878" triangular backstamp and "Return to Writer, D.L.O., Jul 23" pointing hand handstamp; surprising light cover wear with tiny left edge tear, Very Fine and choice use; with 1979 P.F. and 1997 P.S.E. certificates.

Scott No. O43   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  $30,000.

ONE OF ONLY THREE RECORDED 24¢ NAVY USAGES, A REMARKABLE HIGH-VALUE OFFICIAL STAMP USE ON A SMALL COVER FORWARDED TO URUGUAY.

*The Navy Department forwarded mail to meet sailors around the world using Navy Department stamps. The majority of Official Departmental mail with high-value stamps were posted with large imprint envelopes. The use here is remarkable.

The three recorded 24¢ Navy covers:

1. 24¢ Navy on legal size Navy Department cover to Uruguay, ex-Starnes, Curtis, Middendorf
   
2. 24¢ Navy on 3¢ U164 3¢ stamped envelope forwarded to Uruguay at 27¢ treaty rate (cover offered here).
   
3. 24¢, 6&cent (3), 2¢ Navy on Nautical Almanac Office package label at 44¢ printed matter rate, ex-Waud, Markovits, Lanphear.*

State Dept., 1873, 3¢ dark green, tied by fishtail "1" barred oval duplexed with "Washington D.c., Apr 23, 1883" cds on gray United States Consulate at "Funchal" imprint cover with purple "Department of States" straightline and signed by U.S. Consul Louis Du Pont Lyle to Bloomington Ill., arrival backstamp; cover tear, Fine and scarce incoming consular cover from Funchal, only three recorded incoming consular covers from Madeira .

Scott No. O59   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  Estimate $300 - 400.