Heritage World Coin Auctions
CCE Signature Sale 3064 20-21 Apr 2018
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Canada
Province of Canada. Weir & Larminie Encased Postage Stamp 1 Cent XF, Br-568, MT-10. The rarest denomination of the series.
Weir & Larminie were Montreal exchange brokers who also did business in New York. During the U.S. Civil War, specie payments were suspended in the United States and there developed a major shortage of coins in circulation. In July President Lincoln signed an act authorizing the use of U.S. postage stamps as currency. A clever man named John Gault took the concept one step further and invented the encased postage stamp, a stamp housed in a special case, consisting of a brass back and a clear mica front. The name of the issuer was stamped on the back. Thus, the stamp was protected from wear and tear and the pieces also served as merchants' cards. Of the more than 90 companies that used encased postage stamps, Weir & Larminie was the only Canadian company. It was an advantage for them to be able to provide these makeshift coins to customers planning to travel to the United States. While all denominations are rare, the 1c denomination is the rarest.
Ex. J.K. Lilly collection (Siegel Lilly V, Sept. 1967, lot 289), ex. John Ford collection (Stack's, Jun. 2004, lot 627).
From the Doug Robins Collection of Canadian Tokens
HID02901242017
Estimate: 12000-15000 USD
Province of Canada. Weir & Larminie Encased Postage Stamp 1 Cent XF, Br-568, MT-10. The rarest denomination of the series.
Weir & Larminie were Montreal exchange brokers who also did business in New York. During the U.S. Civil War, specie payments were suspended in the United States and there developed a major shortage of coins in circulation. In July President Lincoln signed an act authorizing the use of U.S. postage stamps as currency. A clever man named John Gault took the concept one step further and invented the encased postage stamp, a stamp housed in a special case, consisting of a brass back and a clear mica front. The name of the issuer was stamped on the back. Thus, the stamp was protected from wear and tear and the pieces also served as merchants' cards. Of the more than 90 companies that used encased postage stamps, Weir & Larminie was the only Canadian company. It was an advantage for them to be able to provide these makeshift coins to customers planning to travel to the United States. While all denominations are rare, the 1c denomination is the rarest.
Ex. J.K. Lilly collection (Siegel Lilly V, Sept. 1967, lot 289), ex. John Ford collection (Stack's, Jun. 2004, lot 627).
From the Doug Robins Collection of Canadian Tokens
HID02901242017
Estimate: 12000-15000 USD