| The Aristocrat Collection of First Day Covers and Earliest Known Usages |
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Description |
Lot 1 |
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New York, N.Y., U.S. City Despatch Post, 1842, 3¢ black on grayish (6LB1), four margins, cancelled by boxed "US" handstamp on 1842 folded cover carried privately from Boston and entered the mails in New York City for local delivery to a street address, matching red "City Despatch Post, U.S., Aug 16" rimmed c.d.s., docketed in blue manuscript "Charles Jackson Jr., Boston, Ans. Aug 17. 1842"; slight edge splitting and light soiling, stamp faulty, but absolutely unnoticable, a Very Fine usage.
Estimate 50,000 - 75,000
THE ONLY RECORDED FIRST DAY COVER OF THE FIRST UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT ADHESIVE.
Expertization: 1991 P.F. and 2000 A.P.S. Certificates, signed by F.W. Hunter on inside of lettersheet beneath the stamp.
Provenance: Hunter, Brooks, Wilson, Kapiloff
The United States Postmaster General established a carrier service in New York City by purchasing Greig's City Desptach Post on August 1, 1842. Service as a government carrier service commenced on August 16, 1842 as the United State City Despatch Post and utilized the same stamps previously circulated by Greig. The postmark device used was altered to include "U.S." at foot and the stamps were canceled with boxed "US" handstamp.
These were the first adhesive postage stamps authorized to be used by the post office and the cover above was posted on the first day of service.
Accompanied by copy of a February 20, 1922 letter from F. W. Geissenhainer to Vahan Mozian, "In reply to your favor of the 18th inst., would say that the City Dispatch envelope, together with a number of others, was found by me about six years ago among a lot of old papers and letters belonging to my grandfather, the Reverand F. W. Geissenhainer." Also includes a photocopy of the cover referred to by the grandson to the Reverend mailed October 15, 1842 with 1976 P.F. Certificate (52,323).
Note on reverse from prior sale, "Nassau Stamp Co., Oct 1926, $447.00".
No. 1 in the Larry Lyons Census, The Penny Post, Vol. 12 No. 4, Oct. 2004, p. 29.
Subject of article by Richard Schwartz, "The Long, Long Road to Acceptance: A First Day Cover of the U.S. City Despatch", Opinions VI, Philatelic Foundation, 1992, pp. 1-6.
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Lot 2 |
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American Letter Mail Co., 1844, 5¢ black, thin paper (2nd printing) (5L1), large margins, cancelled by red brush on prepaid January 25, 1844 folded letter from Baltimore Md. to New York City street address; fold separations, stamp with faulty corners, Fine.
Estimate 20,000 - 30,000
MAILED ON THE FIRST DAY OF SERVICE BY THE AMERICAN LETTER MAIL COMPANY.
In January 1844, Lysander Spooner founded the American Letter Mail Company to operate a cheap letter express between Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and Boston to compete with the government postal service. He issued adhesive postage stamps, which he sold "20 for a dollar", that could be used to prepay fees for service at a far lower rate than the government was charging.
Spooner announced on January 25, 1844 the commencement of service. The cover above was carried on the first day of operations.
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