The 3c 1851-57 Issue

1851, 3¢ experimental orange brown, type II, position 28L1L, four full to large margins, canceled by deep blue "Oct 8" town cds only two days after EDU, tiny corner crease at bottom left, otherwise Extremely Fine; with 2006 P.F. certificate and Amonette note "Exp. O.B. Color".

Scott No. 11A   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  $300.

SAMPLE E used in first XRF pigment analyses of 3¢ stamps at the Smithsonian Institution. See "The U.S. 1851 3¢ Stamp: Color, Chemistry and Changes" Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Analytical Methods in Philately, Washington, D.C., 2013.

1851, 3¢ bright experimental orange brown, type II, position 22L1L, large margins except just touched at bottom, stitch watermark variety, bright shade, blue Philadelphia Pa. town cancel, fresh and Very Fine; with Amonette note " brightest plate 1L Experimental orange brown I have seen-very unusual. ".

Scott No. 11A   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  Estimate $300 - 400.

1851, 3¢ experimental orange brown, type II, position 76R1L, four margins with part of top and bottom stamps, tied by blue 7-bar circular grid, matching sharp "Brookfield, Vt., Oct 7" cds on light buff 1852 cover to South Woodstock Vt.; cover faint corner stain lower right., Very Fine, the second earliest documented use of this color and plate 1 late ; signed Amonette on reverse.

Scott No. 11A   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  Estimate $300 - 400.

1852, 3¢ "transitional" orange brown, type II, position 2R1L, rich vibrant color, large margins except barely clear or touched at right, tied by sharp "Philadelphia Pa., Oct 18" cds on 1851 folded cover to New York City; horizontal fold reinforced, particularly fresh and Very Fine.

Scott No. 11A var.   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  Estimate $500 - 750.

This is an apparent experimental ink that is primarily colored with red lead pigment and very little iron oxide. Additionally, the gummy or sticky nature of this ink is evident in the background around the bust and different spots on the frame lines. Classified as a "transition" color for the experimental orange brown of plate one late in 1940 (original notes attached), and later by Amonette, as it doesn't fit the color system of the period. At one point, Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co. was connected by an underground tunnel to the Philadelphia post office. This allowed them to place useful, but "different appearing" stamps into postal use without commentary about quality or color from the pm's of the other city offices (which was common early in the production of the 3¢ stamps. See Travers Paper, uspcs.org website).

References: Illustrated in Jim Allen's "The 3¢ 1851 Stamp Plates: Color Changes and Earliest Documented Uses", Chronicle 266, May 2020, p. 143, fig. 11.

1851, 3¢ experimental orange brown, type II, 86R1L, four margins except touched at bottom left, tiny margin flaw at top, tied by sharp blue "Augusta. Geo. '3 Paid' Jan 31" integral-rate cds on fresh 1852 folded letter to Cumming Ga.; couple file folds, Extremely Fine and beautiful, a premium color example of the Experimental Orange Brown variety.

Scott No. 11A   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  Estimate $400 - 600.

1851, 3¢ experimental orange brown, type II, position 50R1L showing part imprint and "No. 1", touched to just in at top, tied by blue "Philadelphia Pa. Dec 31" cds on 1851 blue folded letter to Providence R.I.; stamp with small closed tear along top, Fine appearance, ex-Amonette .

Scott No. 11A   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  Estimate $500 - 750.

THIS IS THE EARLIEST DOCUMENT USE OF A MARGINAL IMPRINTED PLATE NUMBER ON ANY U.S. STAMP PLATE.

Sometime in the Fall 1851, Plate 1 Late was re-entered for a second time. This time the marginal inscription was added. It reads "Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co., Banknote Engravers, Phil. New York. Boston & Cincinnati, No. 1".

1851, 3¢ pale experimental orange brown, type II, position 21R1L plated by Chase, dull shade, left center margin single with margins all around, huge to barely clear showing part of adjacent stamp at top, tied by bold "New York, Feb 19" three-bar experimental cds on gray cover to Deep River Conn.; file fold tone spot, Very Fine.

Scott No. 11A   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  Estimate $300 - 400.

1851, 3¢ experimental orange brown, type II, singles on three covers from same St. Francisville La. correspondence to R. J. Palfrey, New Orleans La. with black cds strikes of Nov. 15th with pos. 50L1L large margins all around including sheet margin at right, Dec. 29th with pos. 39L1L large margins to in at right, and Mar. 15th with pos. 75L1L with four large margins showing part of stamp at top; all with similar file folds, F.-V.F. correspondence trio.

Scott No. 11A   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  Estimate $400 - 600.

1851, 3¢ experimental orange brown, type II, pos 51R1L, singles on 6 covers, reference collection showing full range of shades and hues, all are Plate 1 Late, Nov. 20th with position 48L1L, blue town cancel, file fold through stamp; Dec. 1st with pos. 96R1L, blue Philadelphia Pa. cds, ex-Hulme; Dec. 13 with pos. 31L1L, blue Philadelphia cds; Jan. 6th with pos. 80L1L margin single; Feb. 19 with pos. 11R1L, pale, margin copy, red Rouse's point cds and red grid, Jul. 2, 1852 with pos. 51R1L margin single, blue Lowell Mass. cds late use not mid-'52 color; each plated by Amonette or Celler, three with Amonette notes and others, a F.-V.F. study experimental orange brown study group.

Scott No. 11A var. ; $4,200  ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  Estimate $400 - 600.

1851, 3¢ experimental orange brown, type II, three vertical pairs , positions 28/38, 30/40, 29/39R1L, each pair with bright color and tied by blue "Philadelphia, Pa., Jan 6" cds on cover to Astoria, Oregon Territory ; bit of flap missing, Very Fine and choice use at three-times the 6¢ transcontinental rate; with 2013 P.F. certificate.

Scott No. 11A   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  Estimate $3,000 - 4,000.

A REMARKABLE TRIPLE-RATE USAGE TO OREGON TERRITORY BEARING THE SCARCE 3¢ EXPERIMENTAL ORANGE BROWN ISSUE, THE LARGE RECORDED MULTIPLE USE OF THIS DISTINCTIVE SHADE.

This correspondence from Philadelphia to Henry Baring Powel Esq. in Astoria, Oregon Terr. yielded several distinct color variations of Plate 1 Late.