1901 Pan-American FDC in Rumsey’s Dec. 11 Gems of Philately auction

By Charles Snee

Schuyler Rumsey Philatelic Auctions will present its annual Gems of Philately sale Dec. 11 at its headquarters in San Francisco, Calf.

Up for bids will be a broad selection of stamps and postal history spanning all eras of United States philately. The sale will conclude with a number of desirable worldwide stamps and covers. The final lot in the auction is a handsome 1928 leather-bound limited edition of The Postage Stamps of Japan and Dependencies by A.M. Tracey Woodward.

A standout item of early 20th-century U.S. postal history is a May 1, 1901, first-day cover of the set of six Pan-American Exposition stamps (Scott 294-299).

The FDC was sent via registered mail from Yonkers, N.Y., to St. Gallen, Switzerland. The stamps are tied by six strikes of the oval “Madison Square Branch” handstamp from New York City.

According to Rumsey, the reverse of the cover (not shown) bears a “clear purple boxed ‘Registered, Madison Square Branch, New York P.O., May 1, 1901’ first day of issue date stamp, with registry division ovals and receiving backstamps.”

Rumsey notes that the envelope has some light wrinkling, and the 1¢ and 10¢ stamps have some faint wrinkling. The cover is accompanied by a 1970 American First Day Cover Society certificate.

The registered letter is one of 16 recorded FDCs franked with a complete set of the 1901 Pan-American issue.

The Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers values a 1901 Pan-American Exposition FDC bearing all six stamps at $30,000. Rumsey cites that value in its description of FDC up for bids in the Gems of Philately sale.

Rumsey has prepared a single catalog for the Dec. 11 Gems of Philately sale. The catalog is available for download on the Rumsey website. Online bidding is through the Stamp Auction Network.

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