U.S. classics and more in April 19-21 Kelleher auction

By Michael Baadke

The April 19-21 Flagship auction by Daniel F. Kelleher Auctions of Danbury, Conn., will offer more than 2,300 lots of United States, British Empire and general worldwide stamps and postal history.

The auction features U.S. fancy cancels, the William R. Weiss Jr. collection of New York foreign mail postal cards, a large selection of Canada including imperforates, classic Great Britain with complete booklets, plus Russia, Iceland and much more.

The first session begins at 10 a.m. Tuesday with Great Britain and British Commonwealth, worldwide, and U.S. postal history.

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A nice treat found in the Canada material is a tete-beche gutter pair from Prince Edward Island, the 3-penny blue Queen Victoria from the 1862-65 issue (Scott 6). The stamps have large margins and are separated by a gutter with a vertical crease, as seen on all such pairs. Kelleher notes that only six such pairs can exist, and offers this example with an estimate of $3,000 to $4,000, and an opening bid of $1,500.

The U.S. postal history offerings include advertising and illustrated covers, Western Express, foreign mail, campaign covers, Civil War patriotics, plus fancy cancels on covers, airmail and much more.

Rare 10¢ Jefferson block with H grill

The Wednesday session offers mostly U.S. singles, and the Thursday session features a broad selection of U.S. multiples, booklet panes, revenues and other back-of-the-book, Confederate states, U.S. possessions, and United Nations.

Tucked among these is an unused block of four with original gum of the 1870 National Bank Note Co. 10¢ brown Thomas Jefferson stamp with H grill (Scott 139).

Kelleher identifies the block as ex-Hind and ex-Grunin, rediscovered by John Stoltz of McCloud Stamps and Covers in Rochester, N.Y., after an absence from the market since 1979.

A partial imprint is showing along the extra large top margin, according to the Kelleher auction catalog description, which states that “only two or three blocks” are reported.

The block is previously hinged with “complete natural short gumming along top two stamps, magnificently rich early National Banknote company color and impression.”

The block has genuine H grills measuring 10mm by 12mm on hard white, wove paper, Kelleher reports.

Accompanied by a 2016 Professional Stamp Experts certificate, the block is offered by Kelleher with an estimate of $10,000 to $15,000, and an opening bid of $5,000.

The auction lots can be viewed online at the Kelleher website, which also offers bidding opportunities. Information is also available from Daniel F. Kelleher Auctions, 4 Finance Drive, Suite 100, Danbury, CT 06810.