Show Your US 1857 Perforated Stamps

I suppose they could be pulled perfs, but I'm doubting it. The smaller perf holes are too evenly rounded.

To me it appears that someone tried to punch extra perf holes, maybe experimenting, maybe trying to cover something up. It is certainly a curiosity.

Thanks for posting the back side.

Moyock13

Pulled perfs.

Here is one I just picked up. It was listed as a 24, regum, unused. Its clearly not a 24, its indeed regummed, and the scan picks up what might be a light cancel. Since I knew it was a problem child going in, no issues there. My question is: What is this one really? Type 2? IIIa? Since the top is cut into by the perfs, it's not clear. Are the top perfs good? The only plating mark I can see is a mark in the right scroll. No secret mark, so not from plate 11 or 12, so it must come from 1L, 2, or 4.

Overall worn appearance almost surely makes it a plate 1L stamp, and there is a part of a recut visible at right top line. The bottom line area is more complete than body of plate B reliefs, which are guide-reliefed, so I'd go with this is a bottom row stamp.

Then I look at bottom row examples, and 94L1L is a pretty good match.

The vertical dash beneath the N of ONE is usually a dead give away for this position, but its harder to see here. The dot in E of POSTAGE is also clear. The rust marks appear to be in the right spots as well.

Thanks for the positive ID, I had totally missed the small amount of the recut at the top. Checked the archive, and I agree it has to be 94L1L, so another nice pickup. That makes two misidentified 23s in as many weeks.

Sharing a #26 on cover today.

The Central Overland And California & Pike's Peak Express Company, Denver City K.T. Dec 1, oval datestamp with matching "The Central Overland And California & Pike's Peak Express Company, St. Joseph. Mo. Dec 7" oval on cover to Millville, Missouri, entered the mails with "Saint Joseph Mo Dec 8" double circle datestamp tying 3c Dull red (26), few toned spots, very fine and scarce.
This marking was used between November 6, 1860 & September 12, 1861.









From Alexander's Simpsons ...

Rocky Mountain Mails and the Pony Express
The Leavenworth & Pikes Peak Express Companies

Gold was discovered at the present site of Denver in the summer of 1858, causing a great rush to the area from the East. While post offices were established at Auraria and Coraville in January and March, 1859, no through U.S. mail service was established over the Platte River Road until August, 1860.

Between 1859 and 1861 one or all of the partners of the freighting
firm of Russell , Majors & Waddell, acting through two corporations and one unincorporated association, ran express service to the mines, which included carrying mail. The postmasters at the western terminals of the regular mail system (at St. Joseph, Leavenworth, and Atchison) were directed to deliver mail for this area to those express companies.

From April 18 to July 2, 1859, the express service was operated by the Leavenworth & Pikes Peak Express Company over the Smoky Hill Route (across Kansas Territory). This company was a subsidiary of Jones & Russell Company.
On July 2, 1859, the express service was moved to the Platte River Route and operated directly by the Jones & Russell Express Company.

This company acquired the mail contract to Salt Lake City. At this time the U.S. mail route was extended to Julesburg for mail directed to the Colorado gold fields.

The last run of this service occurred on February 23, 1860.

In order to provide the necessary financial resources to extend their services to California and to inaugurate the Pony Express, Russell, Majors & Waddell organized the Central Overland & Pikes Peak Express Company on February 13, 1860, which bought out the predecessor company, and began service under the new name.

The Jones & Russell handstamp was continued in use until receipt of the new oval markings, about June 1.

New postal contracts were not awarded to the Central Overland & Pikes Peak Express Company, the Denver to Julesburg contract being awarded to E. F. Bruce in August, 1860.

On March 2, 1861 , a contract for over land mail service to California was awarded to the Butterfield Overland Mail Company.

However, an agreement was reached by these parties whereby the Central Overland & Pikes Peak Express Company actually operated both of these services east of Salt Lake City under sub-contract.

Consequently, a weekly mail service was inaugurated to Denver on August 14, 1860, though much mail continued to be carried by express.

On March 22, 1862, Ben Holladay bought the Central Overland & Pikes Peak Express Company and continued the service as the Over land Stage Line. Until September, 1860, the express charge was 25¢ per letter in addition to U. S. postage; thereafter, it was reduced to 10¢ as a result of competition with Hinckley & Company.

See also "The Leavenworth and Pikes Peak Express Companies"
by David T. Beals III
in Western Express, October, 1975, pp. 3-13.

This is a strip of 5 of the 12c stamp from Plate 3 (#36b) positions 91-95L3.

Positions 93-94L have double frameline at side, right and left respectively.

Also note the intense black shade.

This pays the double-30c -> 60c Prussian Closed Mail rate to Wurttemburg.

Thats is a beautiful cover Txstamp. I love the transatlantic uses of these early issues. Must.. resist.... urge... to.... plate.... other... stamps...

Harper1249

I find foreign mail usages both interesting, in trying to understand them, and often attractive, with multi-colored markings. (oh yea, and you can get them with stamps on them )

Regarding plating multiple issues - I like to learn at least the-first-thing, about the different 1851-61 issue stamps (and 47's) with regard to plating. I have no immediate intention of trying to do reconstructions of anything at the moment, other than certain imperf 1c stuff.

I started out as a plater-only back in the 1980s and eventually I got the 'cover-bug'. I will always collect stamps, at least to some degree, though. This allows me to get plate varieties on cover -- which is definitely a key collecting point for me, in addition to general postal history.

There are probably still some neat plate varieties that have long been buried in postal-history-only collections, just waiting to be found. I will say that much material has cycled enough times now, such that those finds are getting harder to come by than they used to be.

Scott #24, Mint, Slightly Disturbed Original Gum / Very Light Hinge, Position 10L9 showing what is called the "Ear Ring Flaw". Two drips coming out of Franklin's right ear and dripping onto his right shoulder.

This is a pretty cool example - other than when they cut the sheets apart, they took the extra effort to make position 1R9 a jumbo.

Here is a vertical strip of three Scott #24 with what appears to be a Stanley Ashbrook pencil notation stating a plate crack above the N in ONE shown in black ink.

I find that improbably. Why black ink?

Is anyone here familiar with this as a plate crack?
Which plate?

I could not find it in Nienken's book.
I did not have a chance to look in Ashbrook's book, yet.

It certainly looks like Ashbrook's handwriting.

I am interested in your thoughts.

Perforated 47R6 - recut bust and medallion - on cover.
Scott #24 Variety.

Something that doesn't come up every day.

Cover has some water damage on the left side.

This Scott #26 has an engraver's slip at the top of the left frame line.

I haven't looked it up yet, but I am hoping it is a Hegland's chart.

BTW, Bedford Iowa is listed in ASCC as being used circa 1857.
Pencil notation is incorrect.

I'm assuming this is a bottom row 26 and not a 26A? Nice big gap at the bottom. I'm hoping someone here can confirm. Thanks.

Hi rlsny,

Your stamp appears to be an F relief based primarily on 1) the small break in the oval below the "ST" in POSTAGE, 2) weak rosette dots (around 9 o'clock) in the upper left rosette and 3) "thicker" impingement on left side of oval at 3 o'clock. Lack of a 6th row guide dot and along with the wide margin at bottom point towards the 10th row. Framelines are also very straight. For all these reasons, I'm leaning towards calling this a 26 from the bottom row.

Regards,
Harper1249