Robert A Siegel is to conduct “The William H. Gross Collection: United States 1847 First Issue” auction that will take place on October 27-29. This sale is filled with an extraordinary offering of proof material, unused singles, magnificent used examples with an emphasis on unusual shades, distinctive cancellations and a wealth of postal history usages. One of the most interesting lots that will appear during this sale is “Rush” cover.
The lot is described by Philip H. Ward, Jr. as "the most important cover known to American philately". It is called as the Rush cover because it's addressed to Richard Rush, who was the U.S. minister to France and was in Paris when the letter was mailed in 1848. The cover was mailed from Philadelphia. It's the only known cover with a strip of four, five or six of the Scott No. 2 stamp addressed to a foreign country.
The auction house described this lot as: “Positions 55-60L, horizontal strip of six with inter-pane sheet margin at right, Position 57L (third stamp from left) is the "Harelip" plate variety, mostly full to large margins except at bottom center where just barely into framelines, tied by multiple strikes of red "5" numeral in circle cancel with matching "PHILADA. RAILROAD" straightline handstamp applied at the New York City post office on an envelope to Paris, France, from Benjamin Rush in Philadelphia to his father, Richard Rush, the American minister to France, sender's directive "Via New York, British Mail Steamer of the 27th Septem. 'Europa'"carried on the RMS Europa, departing September 27, 1848”.
The lot is expected to fetch $400,000-500,000.
