Lot 284
Lettersheet, 1886, 2¢ Grant (U293), UPSS (860-O), cancelled by "New-York Aug 23 '86" duplex postmark and addressed to Annapolis Md., reverse with "Annapolis, Md. Rec'd Aug 24" c.d.s., enclosed letter is business in nature; small faults, Fine.
Estimate 1,000 - 1,500
THE ONLY RECORDED COMMERCIAL FIRST DAY USAGE OF THE 1886 2¢ GRANT LETTERSHEET.
Expertization: 2006 A.P.S. Certificate.
From the 1887 Postmaster General Report, "The issue of letter sheet envelopes was begun on the 18th day of August, the order of that day on the contractors calling for the 1,000,000 to be distributed among twenty-seven of the pricipal post-offices of the country. The first delivery was made to the New York office on August 23; the dates of delivery to the other offices ranging from the 23d to the 30th of August." (p. 675).
The first day of delivery was also announced in the Empire State Philatelist, "The letter sheet envelopes mentioned last month, were issued in this city on the 23d ult." (p. 69)
The two other recorded August 23, 1886 usages comprise a Cincinnati use reported by L.S. Fisher in First Days, and a New York City usage that Konwiser wrote about in 1939. Both have not been seen in by current specialists and were clearly philatelic in nature.
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| Realized $1,600 |
