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Two Tickets to Pittsburg |
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Alan Campbell |
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Chronicle, Vol. 46, No. l, November, 1994 |
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Introduction |
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For collectors of United States Official stamps, the Champion of Champions competition at APS Stampshow in Pittsburgh, August, 1994, was an historic occasion, since not one but two great exhibits surveying this neglected field were on display. After John Hagen's collection was sold in August, 1984, the only survey exhibits of Official stamps on the national scene were those of Rollin C. Huggins, Jr., shown principally in the Midwest, and my own, shown exclusively on the West Coast. But among the cognoscenti, it has been acknowledged for years that the collections being formed by Lester C. Lanphear, III and Robert L. Markovits were the most powerful holdings in this area since Rae Ehrenberg's collection was dispersed at auction in 1981 (Robert A. Siegel, #577) and the late Charles Starnes' collection was stolen in March, 1983. Given the limitations of the material that has survived, both the Lanphear and Markovits collections are now virtually complete and worthy of public display. |
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Lanphear has in the past whetted our appetites by exhibiting various specialized portions of his collection, including penalty envelopes, Official stamped envelopes, The Post Office Department, the Navy and War Departments combined, and most notably the Department of the Interior, six frames of which attained an international gold medal. Previously Markovits had shown competitively only one frame of the Department of State Dollar Values, which won the grand award at the first AmeriStampExpo in Kansas City, 1993. Lanphear first showed an eight frame survey collection at WESTPEX in San Francisco, May, 1993 that received a vermeil medal, a disturbingly low award that left many shaking their heads in disbelief. This same exhibit went on to win a gold medal at Bangkok in October, 1993. Lanphear then expanded the exhibit to nine frames and qualified for the Champion of Champions by winning the grand award at SANDICAL in San Diego, February, 1994. Meanwhile, Markovits qualified by winning the grand award on his first outing at NOJEX in Secaucus, New Jersey, May, 1994. |
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The "Battle of the Titans" at Pittsburgh was a fortunate circumstance for the rest of us, since it is unlikely that in the future these collectors will knowingly choose to exhibit against each other in direct competition, simply because each exhibit contains numerous unique pieces absent in the other exhibit which will tend to work - in the eyes of the judges - to the mutual detriment of both collectors. So on this occasion, I felt it would be valuable to summarize my impressions of both exhibits, which contain many pieces with provenances that can be traced back through the collections of Ehrenberg, Korff, Lilly, Sheriff, Stone, Waud, and the Weill brothers to Ackerman, Hughes, Knapp, and Ward. In my informal conversations with onlookers at the frames, no clear consensus emerged as to the superiority of either exhibit, which was gratifying since both collectors are close friends of mine (Lanphear and I at one time - by eerie happenstance - had our collections in adjacent safety deposit boxes at a small local bank.) |
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Exhibit Organization |
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A general collection of United States Official stamps encompasses so many aspects of philately - essays, proofs, stamps, special printings, used and unused multiples, cancellation studies, covers, and postal stationery - that the national level space limitation of ten frames forces one to exhibit selectively rather than comprehensively. Both of these great collections contain vast reservoirs of interesting material that did not survive the final cut. In the end, there are significant differences in emphasis between the two exhibits. Both show the basic stamps and many extraordinary covers. In addition, Lanphear shows great strength in the area of used multiples and unused plate number and imprint pieces, while Markovits concentrates on essays, proofs, and unused blocks. Both exhibits are elegantly mounted and employ state-of-the-art computer generated write-ups. At the bottom of eight of his ten frames, Markovits uses a row of three oversized pages in order to exhibit six of the typical legal-sized covers horizontally. Facing the same dilemma, Lanphear adheres to a constant page size and a diagonal format for the legal covers and long plate strips. Markovits achieves a stately balance in his exhibit by devoting one frame to each department, with an additional frame dedicated exclusively to the Department of State dollar values. Few yet understand that an entire frame of material from any of the "difficult" departments - Justice, Navy, State, and especially Agriculture and Executive - is an astonishing achievement. Lanphear makes no attempt at artificial balance and his exhibit honestly reflects the varying quantities of interesting usages available from the different departments. Lanphear's exhibit also includes postal stationery usages from the Post Office and War Departments, while Markovits' exhibit excludes this in favor of only stamp-related material. Both exhibits are arranged by department, and both reject the simple-minded alphabetical sequence used in the Scott catalog. Markovits' exhibit is organized according to the order of signatures on the displayed autographed letter sheet of President Grant's cabinet, while Lanphear's deviates slightly by following the sequence in the displayed original announcement of 1873 for the official stamps. |
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Essays and Proofs |
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The Markovits exhibit displays the original artist's model by Joseph Claxton for the frame design of each department (excepting Treasury, which apparently did not survive). It also includes a complete set of artist's models and essays for the Post Office Department, showing the evolution of the distinctive numeral vignette. Both exhibits show the incomplete die essay for the 6¢ Post Office, the Executive die essay prior to the deletion of "Dep't.", and the frame die essay for the Department of State dollar values surrounded by value tablets. |
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Markovits' powerful proof holdings are best displayed in the frame of Department of State dollar values, where he shows the complete Atlanta trial color proofs, the complete Goodall $2 small die trial color proofs, the complete cardboard plate proof sheets, the mysterious "egghead" or hollow frame proofs of the $2 and $20 values, and the finest display of the inverted center cardboard proofs ever assembled, including the dazzling $5 intact sheet of ten. |
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Between the two exhibits, the controversial 2¢ Navy green receives exhaustive treatment, with examples shown in greenish black and green, perforated and imperforate, on white and pink paper, in singles, pairs, blocks, and top and bottom plate number and imprint strips of the imperforate greenish black variety. All three authenticated used copies were on display, and the different explanations offered in the write-ups confirm that the jury is still out on whether this item is a true error of color or a manipulated trial color plate proof. |
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Issued Stamps |
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Both exhibitors naturally show a complete set of the stamps as issued. Lanphear shows a complete set of special printings (excepting the State dollar values) highlighted by the remarkable set of Justice plate number singles. Markovits shows the rare State dollar value special printings with their plate positions noted. His research indicates that only four copies of the $20 State special printing have survived. He also displays a large number of "SEPCIMEN" errors, with notations of the quantities surviving based on his original research. The highlights here include a complete Agriculture set, including the unique 6¢ value, the unique 15¢ Post Office, a complete State set through the 90¢ (excepting the 15¢, which is not believed to exist) including the unique 10¢ value, and the unique 6¢ War. Each exhibitor shows one of the two known copies of the 2¢ Interior "Sepcimen" error: it was during the overprinting of this stamp that the error was discovered and corrected. |
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In the area of multiples, the Markovits exhibit includes the most complete collection of unused blocks ever formed (109 of 112 possible, five stamps not known in blocks), featuring the only known blocks of the l¢ Executive (block of six), the $2 State, the 24¢ Interior on soft paper, and the 90¢ Treasury on soft paper. Also noteworthy are a 2¢ Executive plate number block of four; blocks of four of the 10¢ Executive, 24¢ State, and 30¢ State; and blocks of nine - the largest known multiples - of the l¢ and 7¢ State. Due to space limitations, plate number and imprint pieces are largely absent in this exhibit, and only a few used multiples are shown, but these include the only recorded used block of the 3¢ Navy and the famous strip of five of the 10¢ Executive with Long Branch, New Jersey purple star cancellations. The Lanphear exhibit, in contrast, includes the most complete collection of unused plate number and imprint strips ever assembled. Highlights here include matched top and bottom strips of six of the 2¢ and 3¢ Agriculture, a strip of six of the 3¢ Agriculture on soft paper, a perfectly centered strip of six of the 24¢ Interior on soft paper (largest known multiple), Navy strips complete through the 15¢ value except for the 7¢, a lower left block of 25 of the 6¢ State, the largest known multiple showing numerous double transfers, and a sumptuous top plate block of twenty of the 10¢ State. Lanphear also shows one of the two most complete collections of used blocks ever assembled, including used blocks of four of the 90¢ Interior and 30¢ Navy, several of the largest multiples known such as a block of ten of the 7¢ Treasury, and the extraordinary used plate number and imprint strip of six of the 30¢ War. Invariably, used blocks of the Official stamps are much scarcer than unused blocks. |
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As for plate varieties, numerous double transfers, plate scratches, and double impressions were shown by both exhibitors. Markovits displayed both recorded copies of the 3¢ Post Office printed-on-both-sides variety, which paled in comparison to his 90¢ Navy double impression with its staggering horizontal shift, a unique variety that once belonged to Colonel E.H.R. Green. |
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Neither exhibitor had room for extensive cancellation studies, but instead included a single page of striking examples from each department. The enormous variety of cancellations to be found on regular Bank Note issues of the period is not to be found on Official stamps, so that for example any strike of a New York foreign mail cancellation on an Official stamp is a treasured item. Lanphear shows eight different values of the Treasury Department with green cancellations, a feat that would be impossible to duplicate. Markovits shows 38 different legible Fort postmarks on singles, pairs and strips of the War Department, including a remarkable socked-on-the-nose Fort Benton, Montana Territory circular date stamp on a block of four of the 3¢ value. |
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Postal History |
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Both collections at Pittsburgh were dominated by overwhelming displays of postal history: between them, virtually every Official stamp known on cover was shown. In all departments, values above the 6¢ are scarce on cover, and Lanphear's write-up included census data based on original research for the scarcest items (less than five covers known). A surprising number of the higher values are not known on cover. So many unusual usages - including mixed frankings, foreign destinations, unusual corner cards, Fort and Territorial postmarks, and fancy cancellations - were on display that it is worth enumerating them, department by department, with Lanphear's covers discussed first, followed by Markovits' covers. |
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Highlights of the Lanphear exhibit of Executive usages include a beautiful 3¢ cover from Long Branch, New Jersey with characteristic purple star cancellation, and the recently discovered 2¢, 3¢, 10¢ domestic combination cover, the only known example of the 10¢ Executive stamp on cover. Markovits displays the only two known President Grant free franks from the summer White House at Long Branch and three covers with different frankings to London. |
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For Department of State usages, all values known to exist on cover were shown between the two collections. Much of this was consular mail carried from overseas in diplomatic pouch to Washington, D. C., where the stamps were applied before entering the regular mail stream. Lanphear displayed a striking 3¢ cover from the Consulate at Chemnitz, Germany with a spectacular engraved eagle corner card, along with a beautiful 10¢ cover forwarded by B.F. Stevens in London from the Legation at St. Petersburg, Russia. Markovits showed three covers forwarded by the Department of State dispatch agent in New York: a 6¢ cover to Hawaii, a 6¢ cover to Norway, and a spectacular 10¢ mixed franking to South Africa. Concluding his overpowering strength in this department were the remarkable oversized combination cover - 6¢, 30¢, 90¢ - to Matamoros, Mexico, and the legendary parcel front to Stuttgart, Germany franked with a 10¢ State, nineteen copies of the 30¢, and a single $2 stamp, the only known dollar value on cover. In the sale of the Congressman Ackerman sale on December 5, 1933, this piece was described as the "Koh-i-noor" of all Official covers, and it remains so to this day. |
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For Treasury Department usages, both exhibitors showed values up to the 15¢ on cover. Lanphear showed a penalty cover with the registry fee paid by ten 1¢ stamps, a cover franked with a 3¢ block of four, and a beautiful triple rate registered cover with a unique 7¢, 12¢ combination franking. Markovits showed a 3¢ Treasury first day cover to Canada, three covers to Japan, a quadruple treaty rate cover to London (2-2¢, 2-10¢) that stands as the only recorded Official cover with New York foreign mail cancellations, and five mixed franking covers, including the famous registered penalty envelope to Prussia, with the postage paid by a 15¢ regular Banknote and the registry fee overpaid by a 12¢ Treasury, in full accordance with postal regulations of the time. |
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For War Department usages, Lanphear showed the largest grouping of Fort covers ever assembled: Forts Apache, Apache Pass (Fort Bowie), Cummings, Grant, Leavenworth, Omaha, Rice, Snelling, and Union were shown on full cover, Fort Totten and Fort Abraham Lincoln on piece. He also displayed the only recorded examples on cover of the familiar Fort Leavenworth honeycomb and the Grand Rapids, Minnesota "S in U", a commercial canceler also known to have been used at Jefferson Barracks. Highlights of his postal stationery included a 6¢ envelope from General Sherman to his mistress in Paris forwarded to Innsbruck, a 15¢ envelope from Bismarck, Dakota Territory and a 30¢ envelope from Prescott, Arizona Territory. Markovits showed covers from Forts Leavenworth, Sill, and Wingate, two covers with mixed frankings, and a package label franked with four 15¢ stamps. Each collector also showed spectacular package labels franked with a combination of 24¢ and 90¢ stamps. |
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In Navy Department usages, Lanphear displayed a gorgeous 2¢ local rate cover with red cancellation, the only recorded 10¢ usage on a small Naval Observatory cover to Paris, and the only surviving 12¢ cover. Markovits showed an astonishing seven examples of foreign and domestic mixed frankings, where the Navy Department used its Official stamps to forward mail to sailors overseas. He also showed a package label with a combination franking (2¢, 3-6¢, 24¢), one of the two recorded surviving 24¢ values on cover. Between the two exhibits, all three surviving 7¢ covers were displayed. |
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For the Department of the Interior usages, Lanphear showed great strength in his specialty with numerous Territorial usages, unusual corner cards, five foreign destinations, and covers from Forts Berthold and Simcoe. But the highlights of this section were surely his 3¢, 6¢ combination first day cover and the 90¢ single on a penalty cover paying postage and the registry fee. Markovits countered with covers to Germany and France and a 24¢ usage on a registered penalty envelope. |
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For Post Office Department usages, Lanphear showed a 6¢ bisect cover, a 15¢ cover, and a series of four closely trimmed pieces showing various high value combination frankings, including a piece of 6¢ stationery franked with a 3¢, a 15¢, and three 90¢ stamps. He also showed Postal Service covers to Austria and Rumania and an ambulance cover to San Domingo (Dominican Republic) forwarding a shipwrecked letter. Markovits showed three mixed franking covers, two 6¢ bisect covers, and a matched pair of 6¢ bisects on pieces of stamped envelopes. |
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In Department of Justice usages, both collectors showed 1¢ through 15¢ values on cover, many of them from the Frederick Douglass correspondence and the Moore/Goff correspondence to Clarksburgh, West Virginia. Markovits also showed a 6¢, 15¢ combination franking and Lanphear showed a 24¢ on cover (one of two recorded). Markovits concluded with a baffling piece: three copies of the 24¢ value used on part of a registered Department of the Interior Pension Office cover. |
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It is not widely known that covers from the Department of Agriculture are by far the most difficult to obtain, yet in Pittsburgh virtually the world's supply was on display. Both collectors showed 1¢ through 6¢ values on a selection of covers and wrapper labels. Markovits showed a 10¢ used on a piece of a package label. The only two recorded usages of the 12¢ value were shown, Markovits on a cover, Lanphear on a package label. In addition, Lanphear showed a recent discovery: a 24¢ usage on a package label, believed to be the only known example on cover. |
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Conclusion |
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The major pieces that come to mind as missing from both exhibits include the unique irregular block of six of the $5 State (ex-Weill), unused blocks of the 15¢ and 30¢ Justice, the matching bottom half sheets of the $2, $5 and $20 State card proofs with inverted centers (ex-Ehrenberg), any of the three surviving complete sheets of the $10 and $20 State, any of the five extant sets of the imperforate special printings, the lone authenticated copy of the 24¢ Interior on soft paper used (ex-Jennings, now owned by Rollin C. Huggins, Jr.), the 3¢ State first day cover, a 7¢ War cover, and a kicking mule cancellation on cover. Of lesser importance is the absence of any significant multiples of the special printings, other than the crossed-out and corrected plate number on the 1¢ Executive imprint strip, which both collectors show. The extraordinary high value covers once in the Starnes collection are now believed to be irretrievably lost to philately. Given the high level of completion in these two collections, it is astonishing to note how many departmental values - many of them relatively common stamps - cannot be represented by a single used multiple, unused position piece, or example on cover. Some collectors have been repelled by the possibility of achieving anything approaching completion in these difficult areas. It is to be hoped that some of the onlookers and judges at Pittsburgh appreciated the courageous showings mounted by Lanphear and Markovits. |
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In the immediate future, it seems extremely unlikely that a new collector could enter the arena collecting United States Official stamps and hope to secure an equally dominant position regardless of financial considerations, since most of the key pieces are in the hands of these two active and dedicated collectors. Lanphear and Markovits were in a position to buy aggressively when the important collections of one generation - Ehrenberg, Korff, Lilly, Sheriff, Stone, Waud, and the Weill brothers - were sold between 1981 and 1993. Many of their most important pieces have distinguished chains of provenance, while others represent new discoveries. It is now time that the considerable research and scholarship which has gone into building and writing up these two great collections be translated into a series of articles, for which this section of the Chronicle now represents the most logical forum. Having met what must be the world's youngest collector of Official stamps (aged seventeen) earnestly taking notes at the frames in Pittsburgh, it is fervently hoped that in the near future either one or both exhibits can be made available through the Classics Society photocopy program in order to stimulate further interest in this emerging field. |
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Editor's Note: |
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Mr. Lanphear has nearly completed a census of the surviving Official used blocks (O1-O120), and would appreciate hearing from any other readers with material that could be included at the eleventh hour. The publication of this census data will be the basis on which the present woefully outdated catalog listings should be revised. He is also beginning a survey of unused plate number and imprint strips and blocks of the Official stamps, in the hope of finally getting these pieces listed in the catalog. Participants should send photocopies to Lester C. Lanphear, P.O. Box 80843, San Diego, California, 92138. All information will be kept strictly confidential. Your cooperation is sincerely appreciated. |
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e-mail: alan campbell |
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copyright © 2000-04 fran adams |
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