DESCRIPTION

90¢ Blue (72), beautifully centered, deep shade, tied by two strikes of Philadelphia 12-bar grid in circle cancel on buff cover addressed to John M. Nixon, Jr., care of Blain, Tate & Co. in Shanghai, China, red Philadelphia “Paid” foreign-mail office circular datestamp very faintly struck (as often for this office in this period), magenta “48/2” double 24¢ credit to Great Britain at top center--carried on the Inman Line’s Glasgow from New York on May 9, 1863, arriving in Queenstown on May 22 and Liverpool the next day--red “London Paid BB MY 23 63” transit datestamp, red “1d” handstamp crossed out in red crayon and re-rated with manuscript “2” for double 1p British Colonial rate--carried on Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co. steamers from Southampton to Alexandria (Egypt), then overland to Suez, and from there to Hong Kong via Galle (Ceylon), “Hong-Kong C JY 19 63” receiving datestamp on back, the last leg from Hong Kong to Shanghai was made on another P&O steamer

PROVENANCE

* Edward S. Knapp, Parke-Bernet Galleries, May 5-10, 1941, lot 2873

* Louis Grunin (sold privately)

* Sotheby Parke Bernet sale, 10/30/1979, Sale 38, lot 192

* Siegel Auction Galleries, 1991 Rarities of the World, 4/20/1991, Sale 737, lot 397

CENSUS, LITERATURE AND EXHIBITION REFERENCES

* William K. Herzog and Charles J. Starnes, “Cover Usages of the 90¢ 1861 and 1868 Issues,” Chronicle 140, November 1988, no. 13 in the census

CERTIFICATION

* The Philatelic Foundation (1980)

CONDITION NOTES

* Extremely Fine appearance; stamp has a small sealed tear at top and the cover is lightly cleaned (neither noted on certificate, but the tear is described in the 1941 Knapp sale catalogue)

* Signed in pencil by Stanley B. Ashbrook, October 21, 1951

VIEW PDF OF HISTORY AND COMMENTARY at https://siegelauctions.com/2018/1188/63.pdf

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