Lot 618 Canada #E1 1898 10c Blue Green Special Delivery First Day Cover, tied by JUL.1.1898 5pm Montréal Bickerdike flag cancel (very uncommon on special delivery mail) on 1c blue Queen Victoria stationery envelope (Webb EN6) paying the 1c printed matter rate (unsealed as was required, with pencil notation “found opened no contents fw”) plus 10c special delivery fee, fresh and very fine. July 1, 1898 was the first day the Special Delivery was offered in fourteen Canadian cities, including Montréal. The sender of this cover obviously recognized the importance of this occasion by preparing the two covers offered in this sale (see lot 619 for the other one). Prior to the discovery of the two covers offered in this sale, the earliest recorded use of this stamp was July 2, 1898. An exceptionally rare and important early first day cover, offered to the market for the first time 125 years after its date of issue. Estimate C$500.
montreal
Lot 82, Canada 1899 twelve cent cross border Registered AR cover Montréal to New Orleans
Lot 82 Canada 1899 12c Cross Border Registered AR Rate Cover, mailed from Montréal to New Orleans on AUG.9 (squared circle precursor free strike) to New Orleans (AUG.13 receiver on front) through New York (faint AUG.10 transit on back), franked with a 2c purple QV Numeral and pair 5c QV Numerals (stamps have faults), paying 2c postage, 5c registration and 5c AR fee. Overall aging, edge and backflap tears, still a very rare cover and early use of the AR service in Canada, with only a handful recorded in the Victorian era (mostly Small Queen covers). Estimate C$1,000.
Lot 136, Canada 1868 three cent red Large Queen on laid paper with Montreal datestamp, Fine
Lot 136 Canada #33 1868 3c Red Large Queen on Laid Paper, used with a well centered Montreal broken circle datestamp dated AM JUL.6.1868, with strong laid lines, fine. Unitrade CV$1,500.
Lot 17, Canada collection of eight Three Penny Beaver imperforates with 4-ring numerals, sold for C$1,404
Lot 17 Canada #4 Collection of eight 3d Beaver Imperforates with Legible 4-ring Numeral Cancels, includes #s 39 (St Johns, RF 9, tough to find on Pence issues), 50 (Windsor, RF 6), 12 (Dundas, RF 9 faint strike), 15 (Guelph, RF 6, extremely fine strike but stamp has a thin), 21 (Montréal, RF 1, corner crease), 31 (Picton (RF 7, very fine strike), 10 (Cobourg, RF 7, faint strike) and 11 (Cornwall, RF 7, rare and usually faint). The stamps typically have three to four margins and are sound, except for those faults mentioned above. Estimate $400, sold for C$1,200.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
Lot 588, Canada 1899 Registered Map cover Montréal to Hawaii, sold for C$555
Lot 588 Canada #74, 78, 86 1899 Registered Map cover to Hawaii, mailed from Montréal on MAR.16.1899 (squared circle precursor free strike on front plus two more on back) to Honolulu Hawaii, with APR.4 receiver on front through Seattle Wash (MAR.23 transit on back). The two cent stationery cover is uprated with two half cent and one three cent Numerals plus a pair of two cent Maps (all stamps have perf toning) making up the required 10c UPU registration rate. A scarce destination, very fine. Estimate $200, sold for C$475.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.