4-13-2021 NobleSpirit Newsletter: Revisiting the 1800's: Penny Blacks, Westward Expansion, and Historic Mill Buildings
April 13th, 2021
3-Strip of Penny Blacks Comes to Market for the First Time in 30 Years
One of the most iconic stamps a collector could acquire is the famous Penny Black. Even with over 68 million printed, mint copies are often valued as the most exciting stamp for those lucky enough to have one in their collection.
Starting today, we are running a 10-day auction, starting at .99c, with a conservative reserve, for a Mint OG Margin strip of 3, plate 2, positions RJ/RL. Catalogue value of £37,500 and comes with a fresh 2019 Sismondo Certificate which describes the strip as a "scarce and unusual multiple."
This strip has not come to market in 30 years. It was last acquired from the estate of a private dealer located in the UK in the early 90's.
The History Behind NobleSpirit's Home: A Historic 19th Century Mill Building
Seven years ago, NobleSpirit experienced a growth spurt, and our operation moved into a large historic mill building at 16 Concord Hill Rd. in Pittsfield, NH. Last week, the Pittsfield Historical Society surprised our team with an old photo of the building, and a brief history behind its many uses over the centuries.
"William B. Hartwell had the building erected for use as a grist mill and store at the foot of Concord Hill. The building was 68' x 30' and two and a half stories high. The grist mill in the back half of the building was powered by a long, eight-inch wide and one-quarter inch thick rubber belt, connecting to the sawmill on the river behind the building. Initially, flour, corn, and all kinds of grain were sold in the store. Gradually, Mr. Hartwell added other items: groceries, soap, canned goods, hardware, rope, nails, lanterns, scythes, and a candy counter. Sometime before 1920 the grist mill ceased operation.
Russell H. Knowles purchased the property in 1939 and converted it into an automotive repair shop called Riverside Garage. In 1962, it was purchased by Harvey L. Smith, who operated a used car sales and repair shop known as Smitty's Garage." The building then passed through a few different owners before NobleSpirit founder, Joseph Cortese, purchased the building.
Today, our building operates on three floors, including a loading and storage bay with a conveyer belt, a shipping department, an office space with desks for specialized photographers, a library section with reference books, a vast sorting room to examine and divide collections in preparation for sale, and a catwalk across the third floor that connects the meeting room and administrative offices.
Cameron Blevins teaches American History and Digital Humanities at the University of Colorado Denver. His new book, Paper Trails: The US Post and the Making of the American West (Oxford University Press 2021) explores nineteenth-century Westward expansion in the United States as a result of the sprawling infrastructure of the nation's postal network. Since its release a few weeks ago, Cameron's book has been a sweeping success.
Michael and Charles sat down with Cameron to discuss the inspiration behind the book, several topics that it covers, and how the research of past philatelists fueled core datasets of his research.
A groundbreaking new perspective of our nation's past, Paper Trails will reshape the way people view one of the most significant periods of growth in American history, and how the West developed.
We are offering up a signed copy of Cameron Blevins’ book, Paper Trails: The US Post and the Making of the American West, to one lucky winner.
To enter to win: Retweet this tweet or leave a comment on the YouTube video of Cameron.
Winner will be decided on April 30th.