Lot 291 (C) New Brunswick #2b 6d Olive Yellow Crown & Heraldic Flowers, A Fine Cover Franked With Bisect, Sent From St. Stephen To Point Wolfe Via Harvey, Signed Calves, With 2011 Pascal Scheller Certificate, Only One Known With #30 Grid Cancel

A fine cover of the 6d olive yellow Crown & Heraldic Flowers from the 1851-1860 Pence Issue franked with a bisect, sent from St. Stephen to Point Wolfe via Harvey, signed Calves, with 2011 Pascal Scheller certificate. This is the only one known with #30 grid cancel for St. Stephen.

The cover has the usual discolouration overall that covers of this period often have, and a couple of small edge tears, but the backflap is intact, the stamp has one large margin at the bottom, and is just touching on the right side. The strike of the cancel is very clear, and #30 for St. Stephen has a rarity factor of #7, which corresponds to very rare. According to the consignor, this is the sole 6d bisect cover in existence with the #30 grid cancel, and I'm totally inclined to believe him based on the rarity of the cancel itself, as well as the bisect covers. There are faint strikes of St. Stephen and Harvey CDS cancels on the back.

Unitrade values this at $5000, for a fine cover, and 2022 Scott Classic assigns a $150 premium for the cancel on just the 3d (should be higher for the 6d cover). Our estimate of the value for the condition offered is $6000.

The pence issues are notorious for condition problems. First of all the paper used was very soft and fragile: it tears very easily, creases easily and thins very, very easily. As a result, very few stamps have survived without at least one of these three faults. Many have been repaired or rebacked to conceal these faults. The genuine paper should have a somewhat rough surface under magnification, and will often show very fine mesh. If it is smooth, lacks any bluish undertone and shows no mesh at all, even when held to backlight, it very likely has been rebacked. The second major condition issue with these is small to no margins. This is because the printing plates for these were laid down by hand, by just 2 or three individuals. Spacing between the impressions was often no more than 1 mm, to even less, and occasionally slightly more, so that margins are rarely more than 1/2 mm wide. So, quite often a stamp will appear to have fewer than 4 margins, even when it does. Full margins on all sides is XF to superb. VF stamps will have 4 margins of 1/2 mm width.

This is a consignment lot. Accordingly, a 15% buyer's premium will be added to the hammer price.