Viewing Collections — Article Archives

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Viewing the "Crossings" BNA Collection

from March 5, 2010 issue of Mekeel's & Stamps Magazine
by John F. Dunn

On January 23, Eastern Auctions of Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada conducted a public auction of the "Crossings" Collection of Premium Quality BNA stamps. In these viewings I usually stay away from focusing on such “picture book” sales of U.S. stamps. There are just too many of them and everything starts to look alike.

However, this auction of Canada and BNA also presented an interesting cross section of images that would have been worth reproducing anyway—and which just happened to be premium grade examples, so on that basis, and because it tells us something about the market in Canada for premium quality stamps, I selected it for a viewing.

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Viewing the Risvold Americana Collection, Part 1

from April 2010 issue of U.S. Stamp News Magazine
by John F. Dunn

On January 27-29 Spink Shreves Galleries presented the fabulous Floyd Risvold Collection: “American Expansion & the Journey West.” As the title suggests, this was more than just a cover collection, as it included documents, literature and other material, including covers. In this “viewing” we will look at some of the highlight covers. (It will take more than one installment here, and I will also be presenting other material in a series in our sister publication, Mekeel’s & Stamps.)

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Viewing the Risvold Americana Collection, Part 2

from May 2010 issue of U.S. Stamp News Magazine
by John F. Dunn

We continue this month our review of the January 27-29 Spink Shreves Galleries auction of the Floyd Risvold Collection: “American Expansion & the Journey West.”

The next lot in our viewing is this folded letter with a "Fort Leavenworth, Mo. / June 14" date - stamp and matching “X” rate. The datestamp is struck over the only reported example of the “Fort Kearny Oregon Route” manuscript military marking, computer enhanced (inset) to better display the marking. Per the lot description, “The Post Office Department did not establish a Post Office at the fort until 7 July, 1849.This letter was written by a California bound emigrant, J. Emery, who dated it ‘On the Plains May 21st 1848’. The following is from the letter: ‘I have an opportunity to use the influence of our Captain…to get a letter conveyed…there are so many persons wishing to send letters that it would be impossible for the Quartermaster to get them all in the mail.’…There is a large number of persons going - all rushing ahead - some one way & some another - some of their teams & waggons already giving out & breaking down & the road is strewn with broken waggons - trunks - boxes - bacon - lead - powder - sugar - coffee & in fact everything which people in their mad zeal throw out…some are turning back…There is certain to be a great amount of suffering in the mountains’. There were two Fort Kearnys in what is now the State of Nebraska. The first was abandoned in the spring of 1848, less than a year after it was founded, for a more favorable site at the head of Grand Island in the Platte River.” [This is the Ft. Kearny that is seen on Scott 970.]. Estimated at $4,000-5,000, this cover realized $6,750.

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