Lot 374 October 30th, 1759 Soldier’s Letter from Québec City, written by then Major Roger Morris, who served for the Louisbourg Grenadiers, a special corps made up of the Grenadiers of the 22nd, 40th and 45th Regiments during General James Wolfe’s invasion of French Québec, where he participated in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. In the letter, Morris writes about difficulties in communications, and the fact that he is “apprehensive” that he may not get an answer “…before the River is shut up.”. He goes on to say that General “Monckton sailed for New York yesterday” (Monckton was relieved of his duties at Québec on 26 October 1759 and was reassigned to New York for convalescence). This letter, Morris explains, was carried by Col. (Richard) Gridley, who has “promised to deliver it”, etc. Morris later retired from the British army in 1764 and settled in New York City. In 1765 he built a huge mansion in Manhattan (still there) and during the American Revolution, he left for England (left his wife and children behind) and lent his mansion to General George Washington, who used it as his temporary headquarters. A note on the back reads in part “Rec’d Col. Gridley / Nov 20 1759”. An important historical document. Estimate C$500, sold for C$6,400.00 plys 17% buyer’s premium.
Lot 495, Collection of 33 Folded Letters and Covers from Leeds County, 1829 to 1870, sold for C$2,223
Lot 495 Collection of 33 Folded Letters and Covers from Leeds County, 1829 to 1870, with items from Brockville (straightline in red dated 1829), Lyndhurst C.W (the ERD and the LRD), Farmersville U.C (the only recorded strike, on a small cut square), Escott C.W (ERD), Westport U.C (ERD), Toledo U.C (on a cross-border cover), Charleston U.C, South Elmsley U.C, Philipsville U.C (the LRD of only three recorded strikes, on a, incoming cross-border cover), Philipsville U.C (the ERD of only three recorded strikes), Newboro C.W (in blue, on a cover to Ramsay via Addison and Smith Falls), Portland U.C (the only recorded example of the B2x instrument), Portland U.C (LRD of the B2 instrument, on a registered cover), Yonge U.C (double circle on two covers, one is a money letter), Newboro U.C (LRD of the B2x instrument), a folded letter from Toronto to Portland via Millcreek and Spike’s Corners, Frankville U.C (LRD), Lansdown U.C, Lyn U.C (ERD plus an other cross-border cover), Seelys Bay Leeds C.W (in red), Elgin U.C (in green, the ERD of only two reports), Addison U.C (LRD), Farmersville C.W (two different instruments, in red), Yonge (manuscript precursor on a money letter), Kitley U.C (double circle in red on folded letter to Newboro via Addison), Kitley U.C (double circle in black on a double money letter, the ERD), Beverley U.C (LRD), Brockville U.C (ERD, on a money letter) and Brockville (LRD of the “1829 Type”. Overall fine to very fine, with numerous useful items, sure to please any collector or dealer. Estimate C$750, sold for C$1,900.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
Lot 229, Canada accumulation of mint and used Federal and Provincial Revenues, 1860s-1960s, sold for C$1,521
Lot 229 Accumulation of Mint and Used Federal and Provincial Revenues, 1860s-1960s, with a few thousand stamps, in two stockbooks, retired dealer pages, 102 cards, and roughly 30 stock pages housed in a binder. The lot has a little bit of everything, with a spot check indicating roughly 70% of the material relates to Federal revenues, noting excise, war tax, unemployment insurance, provincial and federal law stamps, luxury stamps, postal scrip issues, electricity and gas stamps, and more. A spot check noted Supreme Court FSC4 (used, c.v. $200); Excise FX20 block of 10 (used, $450), FX94 block of 10 (used, $275), leaving many other potential finds for the dedicated collector. Online photos show a sampling, with duplication up to 10 and up for some issues. We note a few small faults with a few of the stamps, overall fine to very fine. Estimate C$250, sold for C$1,300.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
Lot 701, Accumulation of Roughly 700 United States Covers and Cards, 1850s-1950s, sold for C$1,521
Lot 701 Accumulation of Roughly 700 United States Covers and Cards, 1850s-1950s, primarily commercial material, loose in a box. The lot has a wide range of material with roughly 40 illustrated advertising covers, generally ranging from the 1890s to the 1930s, with retail prices ranging from $10 to $30 and up, along with postal stationery (used and unused), post cards, and more, including roughly 50 covers in a binder, ranging from 1857 to the 1880s, primarily with single frankings (noting Scott #s 11A and 26). We note the majority of covers have solo frankings, paying domestic rates, along with a variety of postmarks, including c.d.s., machine, R.P.O.’s and more. Online photos show an overview. The covers are in generally mixed condition, with bends, tears, soiling etc, with some better to very fine. Overall fine to very fine. Estimate C$250, sold for C$1,300.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
Lot 1027, Extensive mostly Mint Czechoslovakia Collection, 1918-1987, sold for C$3,744
Lot 1027 Extensive, Mostly Mint Czechoslovakia Collection, 1918-1987, in black mounts in two Minkus albums. The collection is in its majority mint, with a few used here and there, with mostly NH stamps only from the mid-1960s to the end, and a mix of hinged and never hinged before then. The collection is missing items in the 1919 overprints section, but is otherwise complete, including most of the souvenir sheets, sheetlets, stamp exposition items, back of the book (saw military #s 6-14, $315), etc. We note that the Scott #s 95-108 issues include 31 different stamps) and there are imperforate issues here and there. The collection also includes Slovakia (1939 to 1944 complete, including #s 2-23 (NH, $550), B27a (NH, $50)) as well as Bohemia and Moravia (1939 to 1944 complete, including a hinged and a NH set of #s 1-19). Rounding off the lot are some covers and FDC, as well as many NH items probably destined to replace the hinged in the albums, plus some modern souvenir sheets and three specialized publications on the subject. A nice quality collection, not needing much to be complete (see our single lot section for more expensive items missing from this collection), overall fine to very fine, online scans only show a small sampling. Estimate C$500, sold for C$3,200.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.