The Spring Sale

M. Sta. No. 1, Porto Rico, Aug 3 '98 (Playa de Ponce), military station duplex on Spanish American War patriotic cover bearing 2¢ rose pink (279Bc) , canceled by cork, addressed to La Moille Ill.; reduced slightly at left, 2¢ slight erosion, F.-V.F.

Estimate  ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  $1,000 - 1,500.

AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE FIRST DAY USE FROM THE FIRST MILITARY POSTAL STATION AT PUERTO RICO.

Military postal service for the Spanish American war was operated by the Railway Mail Service. As early as June 29, 1898, the RMS was instructed to provide three clerks for duty in Puerto Rico. The clerks were assigned to Tampa, Florida until a U.S. base was established on the island. Henry Robinson was designated as Chief Clerk. After waiting for three weeks, the railway postal clerks were ordered to report to Nathan Smith, Postal Agent for Puerto Rico, in Newport News, Virginia no later than July 23. They were to prepare to depart for Puerto Rico immediately. Accompanying the RMS staff were three Post Office Clerks.

On July 28, Henry Robinson and his staff steamed from Newport News Va. on USS St. Louis to Ponce arriving July 31, 1898, one week after troops had landed. Arrangements had been made for Robinson to set up shop in the Customs House on the dock at Playa de Ponce, two miles from the city of Ponce. With limited furnishings and supplies available. Soldiers were sent to the Spanish post office in Ponce to remove what useful equipment was available for use in the new military post office. At 1 PM on August 3, 1898 Military Station #1 opened as a branch of the Washington, DC post office in Playa de Ponce, Puerto Rico.

Registered, Jan 30 1899, Military Station No. 4, Washington D.C., San Juan, Porto Rico., purple four-line postmark on 2¢ green entire bearing 1¢ green (279) , 2¢ rose carmine (279Bc) and 5¢ Trans-Mississippi (288) tied by four-ring cancels endorsed from A.O. Tillman, Ponce P.R. to New York City, reverse with New York (2.6) transit and Hoosick Falls N.Y. (2.7) arrival, Very Fine and scarce San Juan registered use.

Estimate  ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  $500 - 750.

Coamo Provisional, 1898, 5¢ black, type II, position 10, ample to large margins showing complete frame lines, good impression, tied by "Military Sta. 1, Porto Rico, Wash. D.C., Sep 19, 98" duplex on Potts correspondence cover to Presidio, California, reverse with New York (9.23), San Francisco (9.28) and Presidio (9.29) arrival cds., Very Fine, ex-Gallagher, Acevedo, Thompson ; signed W.H.C. (Colson), with 1992 P.F. certificate.

Scott No. 201 ; $27,500  ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  Estimate $10,000 - 15,000.

ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED PUERTO RICO COAMO PROVISIONAL USES TIED BY THE U.S. MILITARY STATION POSTMARK.

There are just ten covers recorded bearing the Coamo Provisions, of which three were sent by Captain Potts to his wife at San Francisco, these being the only covers extant sent abroad bearing a Coamo Provisional. As the stamp was only valid internally, it paid the portion of the journey from Coamo to Ponce, and this mail should have required 2¢ postage for onward transmission, but it was nevertheless accepted without additional franking by the military postal clerk.