Cover bearing marvelous strike of Waterbury Pig fancy cancel in Aug. 20-22 Kelleher Flagship auction

By Charles Snee

Daniel F. Kelleher Auctions will present its Flagship sale of United States, British and worldwide stamps and postal history Aug. 20-22 at its gallery in Danbury, Conn. Each day of this Flagship auction will commence at 10 a.m. Eastern Time.

Kelleher describes the auction, which includes 1,500 lots, as “brimming with premium items.”

“We start with strong British Commonwealth highlighted by the Lister Great Britain Internal Airmail Collection, an unparalleled exhibit collection of pioneer Airmail service, and a strong offering of Mafeking stamps on- and off-piece,” Kelleher said. “Canada offers a wide range of attractive stamps and a solid group of Airmail Semi-Officials.”

“Worldwide runs from Argentina to Vatican City, with scarce Scout-related covers from China (2nd Jamboree), Czechoslovakia (1918 Scout Post), and Poland (a 1944 clandestine Scout cover), plus outstanding offerings from the Pataki German Colonial Postal History Collection,” are all available according to Kelleher.

Also up for bids is a substantial number of U.S. fancy cancels, a U.S. 1938 Presidential issue collection, postal history of the airships Graf Zeppelin and Hindenburg, and scarce and rare items from or to the Canal Zone and Panama, according to Kelleher.

“We end the sale with our usual broad range of U.S. material, among which you’ll find attractive early plate blocks, classic issue First Day Covers (listed with the issue), and numerous EFOs [errors, freaks and oddities],” Kelleher said.

Among the fancy cancel highlights to be offered during the first day of the sale is a cover bearing a lovely strike of the Waterbury, Conn., Pig. The letter was mailed Sept. 24, 1867, from Waterbury to New York City. An 1861 3¢ rose George Washington, affixed horizontally at upper right, bears a clear, full impression of the Pig cancel.

The Waterbury Pig is listed as No. A-5 in The Waterbury Cancellations 1865-1890 by Paul C. Rohloff. Waterbury cancels in Rohloff’s A group include animals, birds, fish and insects.

Rohloff assigned a rarity factor of “RRRR” to the Pig cancel, meaning than no more than five examples are known. Kelleher makes note of the Rohloff number and rarity factor in its description of the cover.

Kelleher submitted the cover to the Philatelic Foundation earlier this year. The foundation’s expertizing certificate issued May 30 states that the cover is a genuine use and points out that it has been roughly opened at the top.

Kelleher is offering this Waterbury Pig fancy cancel cover with an opening bid of $1,000 and an estimate of $2,000 to $3,000.

A scarce early 20th-century U.S. stamp color shade variety will be up for bids during the second session on Aug. 21.

The stamp is a 1912 2¢ lake George Washington type I stamp (Scott 406c). Normal examples of this stamp (406) are carmine.

The 1912 2¢ lake Washington stamp Kelleher is offering is in mint, never-hinged condition. Scott 406c is valued in that condition at $4,500 in the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers.

The value is italicized to indicate an item that trades infrequently in the philatelic marketplace.

Kelleher describes the stamp as being “Post Office fresh with razor-sharp impression in rich color.”

A 2023 Philatelic Foundation certificate accompanying the stamp states “it is genuine, never hinged.”

Kelleher lists this attractive 1912 2¢ lake George Washington type I stamp with a starting bid of $2,000 and an estimate of $4,000 to $5,000.

Kelleher has prepared a single catalog for the three-day Flagship auction that is available for viewing and download on the firm’s website, with online bidding options available on Stamp Auction Network.

For additional information, contact Daniel F. Kelleher Auctions, 22 Shelter Rock Lane, Unit 53, Danbury, CT 06810.

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