Middendorf classic U.S. and Hawaii offered in Feb. 25 Siegel auction

By Michael Baadke

On Feb. 25, Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries will conduct a public auction of the Ambassador J. William Middendorf II collection of United States and Hawaii classics. The sale begins at 10:30 a.m. at Siegel’s galleries in New York City.

The 248 lots are divided into nine categories: postmasters’ provisionals, the 1847 issue, the 1851-56 1¢ imperforate, other values of the 1851-56 issue, the perforated 1857-61 1¢ issue, other values of the 1857-60 issue, Pony Express, the Official Navy Department issue, and Hawaii.

The last group includes the only recorded multiple of the 1852 13¢ H.I. & U.S. Postage Hawaii Missionary stamp (Scott 4), a horizontal used pair that was separated and rejoined, struck three times with a bold seven-bar grid cancel and also struck with a faint red San Francisco circular datestamp.

Siegel notes a value of $70,000 for the pair, based on the 2020 Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers value of $35,000 for a single used stamp.

The sale features numerous scarce and unusual items among the classic postage issues, as well as superb postal history representing the Navy Department Official issue.

An 1877 cover from Washington, D.C., to Commodore C.H.B. Caldwell in Rio de Janeiro is franked with the 12¢ and 30¢ Navy stamps (Scott O41 and O44), tied by cork cancels. Siegel describes it as one of only two recorded examples of the 30¢ stamp on cover and one of three 12¢ Navy covers. It is being offered to the market for only the second time since its emergence in 2013, with an estimate of $15,000 to $20,000.

Additional information about the auction can be found online or by contacting Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, 6 W. 48th St., Ninth Floor, New York, NY 10036.

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