Lot 2867
1939, 1¢-4¢ Postage Dues (J1-J4), tied on reverse of a cover to Pawtucket, R.I. by large St. John’s c.d.s.s, May 1, 1939, the day of issue, franked with 5¢ Caribou tied by St. John's machine cancel of the same date, Pawtucket receiver, May 5, Very Fine and quite possibly unique.
Estimate 200 - 300
This cover was mailed by the former Solicitor-General of Canada, W.J. (Billy) Browne, to his wife, who was staying in Rhode Island. Browne, a stamp collector, while buying the 5¢ Caribou to mail the letter, was told by the postal clerk that a new set of postage due stamps had been issued that day. The clerk told Browne that the stamps could be purchased for twice their face value and that they would have to be placed on the envelope. Browne, to his chagrin, only had 25¢ with him, so he was able to buy only the 1¢-4¢ values plus the 5¢ Caribou. The result is this unique FDC.
The foregoing information is from a short article about the cover written by John M. Walsh and published in the May-June 1989 issue of BNA Topics. Walsh bought the cover directly from Browne, who was in his early nineties at the time, and who related to Walsh the story of how the cover came to be.
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| Realized $160 |
