The William H. Gross Collection: United States Postal History continued...

U.S. City Despatch Post, New York, N.Y., 3¢ Black on Grayish (6LB1), large even margins, minute tear in margin at right far from frameline, well tied by two strikes of orange-red "U.S." in frame cancel, matching "U.S. City Despatch Post Dec. 3, 9 O'Clock" Type I double-line circular datestamp on folded meeting notice dated 1842, to local street address with notation "Despatch" in sender's hand

Very Fine. One of the finest tied examples among the fewer than 20 recorded covers with the Greig's 3¢ stamp used for United States City Despatch carrier service.

In August 1842 the privately-owned City Despatch Post was bought out and re-established as the carrier department of the New York City post office. Stamps sold by Greig for the City Despatch Post remained valid for prepayment of carrier fees and were used months after the buyout. By November 1842, the mailing date of this cover, Greig's stamps in public hands were accepted concurrently with the government carrier issues (6LB3 and 6LB5, primarily). The carrier stamp, 6LB1, can be distinguished from 40L1 only when cancelled with the "U.S." designated cancel or postmark. Such examples are very rare, with 19 covers contained in the Lyons census, as well as ten off-cover stamps. Of the 19 6LB1 covers recorded by Lyons, only 15 are confirmed as genuine full covers (two are fronts or pieces, one is unconfirmed, and a fourth 6LB1 stamp is on an 1844 cover).

Ex Donald S. Patton and David Golden. With 1972 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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Baltimore, Maryland, 1¢ Green (1LB4), Type 5, pencil cancel has been lightened for cosmetic effect, used with 1¢ Blue, Type II (7), large margins to slightly in, top of stamp affected by insect nibbling, both stamps tied by blue "Baltimore Md. Feb. 24" circular datestamp on buff cover to local street address, a few spots in cover eaten through by mildew or insects, repaired corner at bottom right, could easily be restored to Fine appearance, condition is secondary to the fact that this is the only recorded combination of the 1¢ 1851 Issue and the rare Baltimore Green carrier stamp, ex Ackerman, Hall and Hackmey (Image)

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Boston, Massachusetts, 1¢ Blue on Pelure, Wrong Ornament at Left (3LB1a), large margins to barely in, small corner crease, usual brown gum toning, uncancelled, red "Boston 5 cts. 7 Oct." integral-rate circular datestamp on buff cover to Sterling, Massachusetts, Very Fine appearing and remarkable plate variety which proves the 3LB1 Boston carrier issue was printed from a typeset form, this is the only on-cover example of this variety we have encountered, ex Caspary and Golden (Image)

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Honour's City Post, Charleston, South Carolina, 2¢ Black on Bluish, "Cens." Variety (4LB8b), Position 2, later state showing dropped period after "Post", gap between "N" and "O" of "Honour's", lower right pearl out of alignment, ample margins to just touching a few ornaments, manuscript cancel (not tied, lifted and hinged in place), used with 3¢ Dull Red, Type II (11A), large margins to slightly in at right, tied by blue "Charleston S.C. Paid Mar. 29" circular datestamp on buff cover to Sandy Grove S.C., handstamped return card on flap, Very Fine example of this scarce stamp on an attractive cover, ex Chapman, Caspary, Middendorf and Golden (Image)

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Honour's Penny Post, Charleston, South Carolina, (2¢) Black on Bluish (4LB11), large margins all around, used with 3¢ Dull Red, Type I (11), ample margins to just into frameline at top, both stamps tied by blue "Charleston S.C. Paid Oct. 19" (ca. 1855) circular datestamp on manila cover to Mrs. Jane B. Miller in Effingham, South Carolina

Extremely Fine. One of only three recorded covers with the Honour's Penny Post stamp and the 3¢ 1851 issue each fully tied by the Charleston circular datestamp.

The Honour's stamp bearing the legend "Penny Post" is extremely rare. Only approximately 13-15 covers are known. Of those, only seven have a cancellation that ties the carrier stamp (six of which are used with 3¢ 1851 or U10) and only three covers have the Charleston datestamp tying the carrier stamp--the cover to Ireland, the cover offered here and its twin from the Golden sale, addressed to Rev. Miller at Effingham, postmarked on the same day, October 19 (ca. 1855). Because the Honour's stamp was usually placed opposite the U.S. postage, it is rarely found tied by the circular datestamp.

Ex Rep. Ernest R. Ackerman, John and Katherine Hall, and Joseph Hackmey. (Image)

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Honour's City Express, Charleston, South Carolina, (2¢) Black on Bluish (4LB13), large margins, used with 3¢ Dull Red, Type I (11), both stamps tied by "Aiken S.C. Jun. 27" circular datestamp on small cover addressed to Charleston

Extremely Fine; very minor soiling and tiny erosion holes at top far from stamps.

This is one of only five examples of the Honour's border-of-links stamp tied in combination with the 3¢ 1851 Issue, and the only recorded use of the stamp from Aiken S.C. to prepay the Charleston carrier fee.

The border-of-links carrier stamp issued by Honour in late 1857 is extremely scarce. Evidence of 4LB13's rarity is the small number of examples contained in the Caspary, Boker, Hessel and Golden collections. Larry Lyons records twelve 4LB13 covers (The Penny Post, October 2007), but only five covers in our records have 3¢ 1851-57 stamps and the 4LB13 tied, and only this example is used from Aiken.

Ex Stanley M. Piller and Joseph Hackmey. With 1985 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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Bishop's City Post, Cleveland, Ohio, (1¢) Blue (10LB1), vertical pair, margins mostly clear to ample except bottom right corner where nicked, tiny tear at bottom, pencil cancel which is faint but clearly impressed through to the envelope (effectively tying the pair), affixed by carrier to indicate payment of 2¢ delivery fee on inbound 1854 cover to Cleveland street address, 3¢ Dull Red, Type II (11A), three huge margins to clear at bottom, tied by "Ogdensburgh N.Y. Aug. 9" circular datestamp

Very Fine; cover has very slight wear at edges.

An outstanding carrier issue rarity. This is the only recorded multiple of the Bishop's City Post Blue carrier stamp--either on or off cover--and it is also one of only seven recorded covers with this rarity.

Henry S. Bishop was appointed to operate the Cleveland carrier department on December 21, 1853. Research by Elliott Perry shows that Bishop became an employee of the post office on July 1, 1854, but the city post continued to function, with or without his direct participation. Bishop issued two stamps: the 10LB1 Blue with blank oval, presumably designed to accommodate more than one denomination; and the 10LB2 Black with 2¢ value. Both are very rare. The census by Thomas F. Allen (19th Century Cleveland, Ohio, Postal Markings) records seven 10LB1 covers; of these, only one cover has the stamp tied by a cancel and only this cover is addressed to Cleveland with the 2¢ delivery fee paid by stamps.

Ex Frank A. Hollowbush, David Golden, D.K. Collection and Joseph Hackmey. Signed by George B. Sloane. With 1999 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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Bouton's City Dispatch Post, New York, N.Y., 2¢ Black on Gray Blue, Dots in Corners (18L2), large to full margins, tied by red "PAID/BOUTON" two-line handstamp, red "New-York 5cts. 24 May" (1848) integral-rate circular datestamp on folded letter to York, Pennsylvania, May 27 answer docketing

Very Fine. A beautiful example of Bouton's City Dispatch Post stamp tied on an attractive cover.

The only United States stamps to depict a presidential candidate are the "Rough and Ready" designs issued by Bouton's City Dispatch Post and its successor firm, Swarts City Dispatch Post, which operated local mail services in New York City. The design is a profile portrait of Zachary Taylor, the Whig Party candidate in the 1848 election, with the campaign slogan "Rough and Ready." The earliest examples of the stamps are dated shortly before Taylor's nomination on June 7, 1848.

Bouton created the first design--one with leaf ornaments in the corners (Scott 18L1) and the other with dots in the corners (18L2). When Bouton sold out to Aaron Swarts in January 1849, Swarts continued to use Bouton's stamps until he could have his own printed. For a brief period, the name "Swarts" was written in pen across some of the Bouton stamps used under Swarts's ownership (136L13). By June 1849, after Taylor took office, Swarts was selling his own "Rough and Ready" stamps, modified by changing the name and deleting the "2 Cents" denomination, giving him flexibility to charge a different rate if necessary. Over the life of the "Rough and Ready" issues, Taylor was a presidential candidate, president-elect, sitting president, and finally a deceased president. (Image)

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Bronson & Forbes' City Express Post, Chicago, Illinois, (unstated value) Black on Green (27L1), margins rectangular but slightly into oval, lightened manuscript cancel, used with 3¢ Dull Red, Type I (11), mostly large margins, slightly in at top, both stamps tied by "Chicago Ill. May 3" circular datestamp on small cover to Iowa City, Iowa

Very Fine. The Bronson & Forbes’ local stamp is extremely rare on cover. This is one of two recorded intact covers with the stamp tied by a postmark, and it is the only tied example with a 3¢ 1851. An outstanding and very underrated rarity.

W. H. Bronson and G. F. Forbes operated their local post in Chicago from mid-1856 through early 1857, based on the most reliable evidence. A March 1855 cover is recorded, but its early date and the absence of dated examples from the following fourteen months make it doubtful that the stamp originated or that the date was reported accurately. The post probably closed in 1857. The Chicago city directories support this date span.

Fewer than a dozen Bronson & Forbes’ covers are known, and all but three have uncancelled stamps. Of the three tied examples, this is the only cover with a 3¢ 1851. The other intact cover has a 3¢ 1857 (Scott 25). The ex-Middendorf cover has a blank space where the 3¢ stamp was originally affixed but later removed; the local is still tied in its place. A piece is recorded with the stamp tied in combination with a 3¢ 1851 (ex Caspary).

Ex Dr. Clarence B. Hennan (purchased from Elliott Perry in 1930), David Golden, Edgar Kuphal and Joseph Hackmey. With 2007 P.F. certificate (Image)

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City Letter Express Mail, Newark, New Jersey, 1¢ Red (45L1), cut to heart shape, used with 3¢ Dull Red, Type I (11), full margins to nicked at top left with small cut, both stamps tied by "Newark N.J. Aug. 22" (1856) circular datestamp on buff cover to Binghamton, New York

Fine; small opening tear at top center and minor edgewear.

Only four examples of the Newark City Letter Express 1¢ stamp are known tied on covers. One of the rarest locals, although easily confused with the New York Metropolitan Express stamps of a similar design.

The Newark Daily Advertiser carried daily advertisements for Peck & Company's City Letter Express from June 12 through September 29, 1856. Augustus L. Peck's partner in the City News Office was R. Jaques, and their office was located at 324 Broad Street. The City Letter Express provided letter delivery to the mails (1¢) and within the city (2¢). Their competitor, Rogers' Penny Post, only carried letters to the post office. Peck's advertisements also solicited package-express business, which may have been on behalf of the New Jersey Express Company, which had its business in Newark during the same period (reference: Elliott Perry, Pat Paragraphs, reprint, pp. 405-408).

Our records contain just four examples of the 45L1 stamp tied on cover, all dated in 1856:

1 August 22, the cover offered here, ex Golden, Kuphal

2 October 28, ex Caspary, Middendorf

3 December 1, ex Boker

4 July 31, 1¢ stamp damaged, reported by William T. Crowe.

Another three covers are recorded with uncancelled stamps, and four or five off-cover stamps are recorded.

Ex David Golden, Edgar Kuphal and Joseph Hackmey. With 1999 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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Deming's Penny Post, Frankford, Pennsylvania, (1¢) Black on Grayish (58L1), ample to large margins, manuscript "X" cancel, tied by docketing "from Mary D. Whitelock, March 4th 1854", used with 3¢ Dull Red, Type II (11A), margins all around, tied by "Frankford Pa. Mar. 3" circular datestamp on blue folded letter datelined "Frankford March 2nd 1854" from Mary Whitelock to her uncle in Baltimore, describing the return home across the Susquehanna River and on the Frankford Omnibus

Extremely Fine. Only four examples of Deming's Penny Post stamp are recorded, including three on covers. Only this cover has the stamp tied, and only this stamp is used in combination with United States postage. One of the truly outstanding covers of American local posts.

Very little is known about this post, which was located in Frankford, a northeastern suburb of Philadelphia. The cover offered here dates the post to March 1854, soon after the February 1854 reorganization of Philadelphia, which consolidated the independent boroughs, townships and districts within Philadelphia County. Frankford, a small town, had its own independent post office until 1863, but it did not provide for mail collection or delivery until the free carrier system was initiated in July 1863. Elliott Perry located a directory listing for Sidney Deming (the name also appears as De Ming, and we are unsure which is correct), which identified him as operating a small newspaper and carrier business. It appears that Deming saw an opportunity to carry on a local post in 1854, but the great rarity of his lithographed stamp suggests that the enterprise was short-lived.

We record four examples of 58L1, excluding as best we can the numerous counterfeits that have been offered (including the stamp in the Lilly sale). The only genuine off-cover example is the ex Golden stamp (Sale 817, lot 1025, ex Boker). The Costales records contain a photo of a cover addressed to Mr. Joseph Ball (no location) with what appears to be a genuine uncancelled Deming's stamp. There is a large Valentine cover addressed to Miss Martha Cooper, Paul Street, Frankford, ex Hollowbush. The fourth example is the incomparable cover offered here, with the tying cancellation and use of the 3¢ 1851 Issue.

Ex Edward S. Knapp, John R. Boker, Jr., David Golden and Joseph Hackmey. (Image)

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