David Feldman's 22nd Rarities of the World Auction June 6, 2019

Rarities of the World – 144 – EXTENSIVE AND SPECIALIZED COLLECTION ON THE WATERBURY CANCELLATIONS 60125 H G F Introduction: The creator of the Waterbury cancellations, John W. Hill (1834-1921), moved with his family to Waterbury CT. at an early age. As a young man he became an apprentice as a die sinker. The outbreak of the civil war disrupted whatever plans he may have had but then he returned to Waterbury where he found work in the local post office. His duties as postal clerk may have been proven boring and he probably preferred his passion for whittling, Combined with the plain and uninteresting cancellations used by the Waterbury post office at the time, this motivated him to create a wide assortment of figures and designs while working as a postal clerk. He continued his carving, even after his promotion to the position of postmaster in 1870. The different designs were motivated by various events he experienced, for example the Elephants used in 1866 were occasioned by the arrival of the circus in the Spring of that year. Cancellations are ordered in 18 groups lettered A to S as per the Paul C. Rohloff book. 1865-90, Outstanding and most extensive collection of Waterbury postmarks housed in four “White Ace” albums comprising 123 stamps and 220 covers or cards, showing a wide range of Animals, Objects and designs. Remarkable items include the following (all by Rohloff numbers and according to following rarity scale): (RRRR): not more than 5 copies known. (RRR): not more than 8 copies known. (RR): not more than 15 copies known. (R): more than 15 copies known. • Group A: Elephant Type 2 on 1861 1c blue (RRRR) • Group B: Arrowheads with several B2 and B3, rare B4 (RRR) on cover (illustrated in book, fig. 20), two B5 (RRR), B12 on cover (illustrated in book, fig. 27), B16 on cover (RRR), two B18 (RRR) and four B19 (RRR) covers. • Group C: Crossroads with C2 (RRR) on cover, two C3 (RRR) on cover, C4 on cover (illustrated in book, fig. 38), C6 on cover (illustrated in book, fig. 40), C8(RRR) on cover and C9 on cover (illustrated in book, fig. 43) • Group D: Designs - geometric pattern and target with two D2 (RRR) on cover, D12 (RRR) on cover, several D15 covers, D20 (RRR) on cover, D25 on cover with PF certificate • Group E: Faces with Soldier’s Head on 1861 1c blue (RRRR) United States