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Encased Postage Stamp 10 Cents ELLIS McALPIN + CO. Cincinnati EP-112 Rarity-5

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:2,400.00 USD Estimated At:2,800.00 - 3,600.00 USD
Encased Postage Stamp 10 Cents ELLIS McALPIN + CO. Cincinnati EP-112 Rarity-5
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Encased Postage Stamps
Ten Cents “Ellis, McAlpin & Co.” Cincinnati, Ohio Rarity-5
EP-112, HB-113, S-81, Reed-EM10. Ten Cents Stamp. ELLIS, McALPIN & CO. Cincinnati. Extremely Fine.
c. 1862 Civil War. Rated as Rarity-5 (21 to 30 known) according to Fred Reed. Reed may have been too generous, as our records are more conservative. The Hodder-Bowers reference states that “Six specimens of the Ten Cent denomination have been traced, two of which are in institutional collections.” This cataloger believes that more realistically about 10 to 20 are known. This is certainly an important and rare Merchant encasement. Its legend reads: “Ellis, McAlpin & Co. - Wholesale Dry Goods. - FOR CASH - 108 Pearl St AND 119 Third St - PAT. AUG 2, 1862 - J. GAULT - Cincinnati.”

This example displays a deep green 10¢ George Washington 1861 Issue U.S. Postage Stamp which is centered slightly to the upper left. It is viewed through clean, clear unbroken mica having one faint natural internal craze at the top rim edge. The case is a perfectly natural chestnut-brown, very clean and pleasing in appearance. The John J. Ford, Jr. Collection Sale of June 2004 offered only a single example that was noted to have problems. Previous examples sold in our EAHA Auction of August 26, 2000 Lot 650 graded Choice VF+ for $2,070; also April 23, 2000 Lot 288 graded Choice VF sold for $2,185, and in our December 7, 2002 Auction Lot 638 graded Choice EF sold for $3,450. And our June 2011 Specialized Sale Lot 8 graded Extremely Fine, which sold for $3,405. This current specimen is a very lovely example of this scarce Merchant.