A letter sent from Texas during the Spanish colonial period is to highlight Robert A Siegel's auction of United States postal history on May 20-21.
The lot, valued at $10,000-15,000, is addressed to Manuel Antonio Cordero y Bustamante (1753-1823) - who was the acting governor of Coahuila at the time.
 The cover is adressed to the governor of Coahuila |
It features a light but legible strike of the red "Bexar" handstamp (the town was later renamed San Antonio) with a date that appears to read 1803. The postage price of three reales is prominently displayed.
There are around four or five complete Spanish Texas letters in circulation on the private market, with this example formerly held in the Guggenheim collection.
An 1862 cover featuring a rare example of the "Cammann" imprint on a 10c carmine is expected to make $5,000-7,500.
 The Cammann imprint is on the right hand side of the stamp |
The imprint is displayed on the right hand side of the stamp and its origin remains a mystery to scholars. Only two examples, including the lot in the sale, are known to feature on covers.
It's thought it was a signature used by a lithograph worker for one of the firms contracted to print the issue - most likely JT Paterson, as a handful of banknotes printed there also display the imprint.
We have a superb Newfoundland 1859 cover featuring a 4d Scarlett Vermillion.
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