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| Scott Number | 1 2 |
|---|---|
| Date | April 4, 1851 |
| From City | Michigan Central RR |
| From State | RR |
| To City | Heidelberg |
| To State | Germany |
| Addressee | Lyman D. Norris |
| Cert Author | PF |
| Cert # | 565008 |
| Fake | |
| Quantity 1 | 5 |
| Quantity 2 | 1 |
| Bisect | |
| Others |
Notes
5c Orange Brown, 10c Black (1b, 2). 10c large margins at sides, ample at bottom and just in at top, fine impression on deep bluish paper, used with 5c horizontal strip of five, large margins except close at bottom of center stamp, which also has a sharp pre-use crease ending in small tear, beautiful rich Orange Brown shade -- a late printing from the cleaned plate -- tied by red 9-bar open grid cancels, matching "Mic. Central R.R. Mic. Apr. 4" (1851) Michigan Central Railroad route agent's circular datestamp on white envelope to Heidelberg, Baden, Germany, red "New-York Apr. 8" backstamp and Heidelberg May 9 receiving backstamp indicate 1851 sailing of the Washington (departing New York Apr. 19, arriving at Bremerhaven on May 5), "PAID PART" straightline handstamp indicating prepayment of United States portion of postage -- 10c domestic rate and 24c Ocean Line rate (1c overpayment) -- red "AMERICA/UBER BREMEN" two-line handstamp applied at Bremen, red "1-1/3" (gutegroschen) debit handstamp applied by Hannover Post Office at Bremen for its transit fee due from the Thurn & Taxis Post, who carried the mail south to Baden, light red ms. "6/6" applied by Thurn & Taxis Post indicating 6 kreuzer (equivalent to 1-1/3 ggr.) plus 6 kreuzer (Thurn & Taxis transit fee) due in southern German currency, the total of 12 kreuzer debited to Baden, to which an additional 4 kreuzer internal postage was added, for a total of "16" kreuzer due from addressee (expressed in black manuscript), small piece of flap torn
THE CELEBRATED HEIDELBERG COVER, COMBINING THE TWO FIRST UNITED STATES GENERAL ISSUES, CANCELLED IN RED BY THE MICHIGAN CENTRAL RAILROAD MAIL-ROUTE AGENT, PREPAYING THE UNITED STATES SHARE OF POSTAGE FOR AMERICAN OCEAN LINE SERVICE VIA BREMEN. ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING COVERS IN ALL OF CLASSIC PHILATELY.
The United States postal reforms of 1845 set in motion the post office's efforts to establish a subsidized American transatlantic mail line with regular routes to and from Europe. The creation of the Ocean Steam Navigation Company and successful negotiation of the U.S.-Bremen postal treaty of 1847 were consequences of this long and involved process, the history of which has been (and continues to be) documented by students here and abroad. An excellent series of articles on the subject, including research by Wolfgang Diesner and Richard F. Winter, has appeared in The Chronicle (Whole Nos. 126, 129, 149 and 159), which updates earlier published work by George E. Hargest (copies of these excerpts are provided with this lot). We are grateful to Richard F. Winter for his analysis of the Heidelberg cover's rates and sailing dates.
Covers carried by the Ocean Line are surprisingly scarce, and we are aware of only two such covers franked with 1847 stamps -- the other (ex Pope, illustrated in Ashbrook's Special Service, Photograph No. 125) has a single 10c for domestic postage and was carried on the same voyage of the Washington.
From a philatelic viewpoint, the 5c multiple is one of the largest recorded 5c 1847 frankings on cover (the largest is a strip of ten) and the Orange Brown shade (late printing) is very scarce in multiples of any size. Its use here -- in combination with the 10c on mail sent by the Michigan Central Railroad to New York City for carriage to an overseas destination -- is extraordinary.
Illustrated in Hargest book and "United States Classic Covers" color feature in The Chronicle (May 1986, No. 130). Ex Gibson, Meroni, J. David Baker and Kapiloff
Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. sale 811 lot 28 realized 210,000
Alexander listed as 4/4/51
Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. sale 526 lot 57 realized 40,000
The William Gross exhibit frame 8-11 on the USPCS website dates this cover as APR 14. To me, the date appears to be APR 4th. The stray marks to the left of the 4 are in a different color than the postmark.
Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries sale 1211 (William H Gross) lot 158 realized 135,000 (image)
Philip Ward Jr sale 12 June 14, 1944 (Henry C. Gibson) lot 31 realized 850
PF 565008 - IT IS A GENUINE USAGE, THE 5¢ STAMPS SCOTT 1b, ORANGE BROWN; THE CENTER 5¢ WITH A HEAVY PRE-USE VERTICAL CREASE ENDING IN A TEAR AT BOTTOM.
Letter addressed to Lyman Decatur Norris (1823-1894), lawyer, entered the University of Michigan in 1841, being the first student of the first class which ever entered the University of Michigan. He remained in the University for three years and then went to Yale where he graduated. He studied law in Detroit and began the practice of law in St. Louis. In 1850 he entered Heidelberg University in Germany to study civil law. For a time he was the political editor of the St. Louis Times. He argued the famous Dred-Scott case in the Missouri Supreme Court. In 1854 he left St. Louis to return to Ypsilanti, where he formed a partnership with the late Thomas Ninde, under the firm name of Norris & Ninde. In 1867 he was a member of the constitutional convention and in 1869 elected state senator. In 1875, ne was the democratic candidate for judge of the supreme court. From 1883 to 1884 he was regent of the University. In 1870 he formed a law partnership with Edwin F. Uhl at Ypsilanti. In 1875 he removed to Grand Rapids. A year later the firm of Morris & Uhl was again established.
THE CELEBRATED HEIDELBERG COVER, COMBINING THE TWO FIRST UNITED STATES GENERAL ISSUES, CANCELLED IN RED BY THE MICHIGAN CENTRAL RAILROAD MAIL-ROUTE AGENT, PREPAYING THE UNITED STATES SHARE OF POSTAGE FOR AMERICAN OCEAN LINE SERVICE VIA BREMEN. ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING COVERS IN ALL OF CLASSIC PHILATELY.
The United States postal reforms of 1845 set in motion the post office's efforts to establish a subsidized American transatlantic mail line with regular routes to and from Europe. The creation of the Ocean Steam Navigation Company and successful negotiation of the U.S.-Bremen postal treaty of 1847 were consequences of this long and involved process, the history of which has been (and continues to be) documented by students here and abroad. An excellent series of articles on the subject, including research by Wolfgang Diesner and Richard F. Winter, has appeared in The Chronicle (Whole Nos. 126, 129, 149 and 159), which updates earlier published work by George E. Hargest (copies of these excerpts are provided with this lot). We are grateful to Richard F. Winter for his analysis of the Heidelberg cover's rates and sailing dates.
Covers carried by the Ocean Line are surprisingly scarce, and we are aware of only two such covers franked with 1847 stamps -- the other (ex Pope, illustrated in Ashbrook's Special Service, Photograph No. 125) has a single 10c for domestic postage and was carried on the same voyage of the Washington.
From a philatelic viewpoint, the 5c multiple is one of the largest recorded 5c 1847 frankings on cover (the largest is a strip of ten) and the Orange Brown shade (late printing) is very scarce in multiples of any size. Its use here -- in combination with the 10c on mail sent by the Michigan Central Railroad to New York City for carriage to an overseas destination -- is extraordinary.
Illustrated in Hargest book and "United States Classic Covers" color feature in The Chronicle (May 1986, No. 130). Ex Gibson, Meroni, J. David Baker and Kapiloff
Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. sale 811 lot 28 realized 210,000
Alexander listed as 4/4/51
Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. sale 526 lot 57 realized 40,000
The William Gross exhibit frame 8-11 on the USPCS website dates this cover as APR 14. To me, the date appears to be APR 4th. The stray marks to the left of the 4 are in a different color than the postmark.
Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries sale 1211 (William H Gross) lot 158 realized 135,000 (image)
Philip Ward Jr sale 12 June 14, 1944 (Henry C. Gibson) lot 31 realized 850
PF 565008 - IT IS A GENUINE USAGE, THE 5¢ STAMPS SCOTT 1b, ORANGE BROWN; THE CENTER 5¢ WITH A HEAVY PRE-USE VERTICAL CREASE ENDING IN A TEAR AT BOTTOM.
Letter addressed to Lyman Decatur Norris (1823-1894), lawyer, entered the University of Michigan in 1841, being the first student of the first class which ever entered the University of Michigan. He remained in the University for three years and then went to Yale where he graduated. He studied law in Detroit and began the practice of law in St. Louis. In 1850 he entered Heidelberg University in Germany to study civil law. For a time he was the political editor of the St. Louis Times. He argued the famous Dred-Scott case in the Missouri Supreme Court. In 1854 he left St. Louis to return to Ypsilanti, where he formed a partnership with the late Thomas Ninde, under the firm name of Norris & Ninde. In 1867 he was a member of the constitutional convention and in 1869 elected state senator. In 1875, ne was the democratic candidate for judge of the supreme court. From 1883 to 1884 he was regent of the University. In 1870 he formed a law partnership with Edwin F. Uhl at Ypsilanti. In 1875 he removed to Grand Rapids. A year later the firm of Morris & Uhl was again established.
