›

US Scott# 187 10 Cent Large Banknote Block of 4 on Cover

Thomas BraniffTThomas Braniff
in Questions 2 LikesVote Down
US#187BlkCover

Cannot find a sale or auction of a 187 blk of 4 on Cover. Can anyone help me find one? Thanks.

Comments

  • 19 Comments sorted by Votes Date Added
  • Henry BrooksHHenry Brooks
    0 LikesVote Down
    What is the origin and destination.. Looks like a postmaster signed manuscript cancel or registry marking? Large rectangular envelope or packet ?
  • Thomas BraniffTThomas Braniff
    0 LikesVote Down
    Handstamped Galveston Tecas with S.S. Cancel. Large #10 type envelope.
  • Thomas BraniffTThomas Braniff
    0 LikesVote Down
    Texas
  • Thomas BraniffTThomas Braniff
    0 LikesVote Down
    Looks like legal stuff.
  • Bill O'MalleyBill O'Malley
    1 LikesVote Down
    Your block looks like # 150. It does not have the secret mark which is a small scroll on the right end of the U. S. Postage label. The block is damaged and well off centered though and is worth no where what the catalog price is for a block. Being a NO. 10 envelope it had to be some sort of legal documents.
  • William SandrikWWilliam Sandrik
    0 LikesVote Down
    Did this block really originated on this cover? The cancel at the bottom on the envelope does not match up to the one on the stamps, although color appears to be the same. Perhaps it was lifted at one time and put back in the wrong place. Stamps look too clean to be on that grubby envelope.
  • William SandrikWWilliam Sandrik
    1 LikesVote Down
    On closer examination, I believe the block was closer to the edge of the envelope or partially over the edge, as the perfs on the right appear ragged. It was lifted and replaced and shifted a couple mm to the left. Perhaps someone was checking the backside.
  • Thomas BraniffTThomas Braniff
    edited January 2021 0 LikesVote Down
    I picked this up about 45 years ago. At first I thought this was a NBNC 150. Not only does it have the block of four but there is a canceled 10 Cent single on the back. Clearly a legal use, there is a written "Received from the post office, Galveston, Texas, Dec. 16, 1881..". With the exception of the ship cancellation, the stamps are canceled with a circular blue-green Galveston, TX Dec. 12 ?? Recd. The date of 1881 seemed late for 150's to still be in use in a big city like Galveston. The paper under magnification seemed too rough and uneven to be a 150 as well as darker in shade.
    Lester Brookman states that blocks of four of this stamp are extremely rare. I just wanted to see if there are any reported cases of this ABNC variety known on cover. Thanks again for your comments. They really help.

  • Rene BravoRene Bravo
    0 LikesVote Down
    Thomas, I had the initial same impression as William. My reasoning was the abrupt termination of the black cancellation strike in the upper left stamp and the proximity of the writing on the left border of the stamp . I look for this constantly on proclaimed Confederate covers , and you’d be surprised how industrious the collectors were in the 1930s and 40s . The stamps have seemed to fare much better than the envelope ( that’s another clue), and the ragged perfs on the right invite investigation . But you are correct that this an uncommon presentation on cover which could invite a good price . If you’re wondering whether it was worth expertizing , I’d say yes . As a buyer , with what I have learned through the years , I would not invest without one .
  • Thomas BraniffTThomas Braniff
    0 LikesVote Down
    Thanks Rene for the good advice. This stamp actually exists se-tenant pair with one stamp having the secret mark and the other not. There's a few theories about what happened, none seem really definitive.
  • Bill O'MalleyBill O'Malley
    0 LikesVote Down
    The one on the upper left looks like a secret mark but it is not complete as it should be. Without seeing it under a strong magnifying glass or scope it is hard to tell.
  • Thomas BraniffTThomas Braniff
    0 LikesVote Down
    SecretMarkYchanneel
    SecretMarkDetail
    Bill, I checked out the upper left stamp and the secret mark is not there. Cancel makes it hard to see. Using regular and Y channel pictures,
  • Bill O'MalleyBill O'Malley
    1 LikesVote Down
    That is what I thought. If you notice the ink from the cancellation does not fill in at all in the perforation holes. I would have to guess that the cover is a made up cover especially if it was not a registered mail cover.
  • Thomas BraniffTThomas Braniff
    0 LikesVote Down
    us#150coverback
    Here's a picture of the back. The cancel ink doesn't have to fill the perforation holes, although it's nice if they do. Also at the Stamp club we did canceling of a specialty cover It's amazing how difficult it can be and the results would shock you.
    I didn't buy this item at a stamp store. It was general collectibles. Located in the Searstown mall at the intersection of the Black Horse Pike and Tilton Road in South Jersey. The owner Doug did not know stamps and his shop had trains, comics etc. etc.
    It is weird looking I agree. Can't imagine a philatelist doing this with a valuable block of four. Maybe the lawayers cancelled it by rolling the canceller.
    I don't know. Thnaks for the feed back Bill.
  • Rene BravoRene Bravo
    0 LikesVote Down
    That is such an interesting cover . Back and front help a lot . Quite a bit . I’d stand by my impression, that cover could be pretty sweet ( to use the 70s vernacular). Get that expertized, if true , that’s a rare one .
  • Thomas BraniffTThomas Braniff
    1 LikesVote Down
    Thank you Rene. Your upbeat attitude and confidence helps a lot. Think I'll do that. Will report back the findings so we can know how this mystery ends.
  • Rene BravoRene Bravo
    0 LikesVote Down
    yes, please , thats how we learn as a community! good luck to you .
  • Thomas BraniffTThomas Braniff
    0 LikesVote Down
    Right on Rene.
  • Bill O'MalleyBill O'Malley
    1 LikesVote Down
    Yes please let us know how it comes out.
Sign In or Register to comment.