Lot 8
Brattleboro, Vt., 1846, 5¢ black on buff (5X1), position 9, large margins to just touching bottom frameline, small scrapes at lower left and upper right, tiny manuscript "FNP" initials below the engraved initials of the postmaster, tied by red "Paid" straightline with matching "Brattleboro Vt. 28 Aug" c.d.s. on 1846 folded letter datelined "Brattleboro Aug. 27, 1846" to Matthew Hale at Chelsea, Vermont; right side of center file fold is slightly toned, Very Fine.
Scott $35,000 Estimate 50,000 - 75,000
THE EARLIEST DOCUMENTED USE OF THE BRATTLEBORO POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL.
Expertization: 2000 P.F. Certificate.
Provenance: C. F. Bishop,"Troy" collection, and Philip T. Wall
It can be theorized that this letter may actually have been sent close to the first day of issue for the Brattleboro provisional. The August 27, 1846 letter is written from William R. Hale to his brother Matthew, with a postscript that lends credence "I pay this just to shew you the stamp. It's against my principles you know." It was a relatively new practice in America to prepay postage, and the sender obviously felt that his brother would enjoy seeing the novelty item, the Brattleboro stamp.
In Cal Hahn's article (CCP, Jan-Feb 1988, pg. 17), he discusses the tiny "FNP" initials on this stamp as a possible authenticating practice. He assumes they were applied by the postmaster, Dr. Frederick N. Palmer, and the practise was quickly abandoned. Because this is the earliest recorded date, it is possible that the first sheets sold were initialled by the postmaster, similar in practice to the New York City postmaster.
After this August 28 postmark date, the next earliest Brattleboro cover recorded in Cal Hahn's census is September 3, 1846 (Census number 24).
No. 6 in the Hahn Census, "The Plating of the Brattleboro", Collector's Club Philatelist, May-June 1988, P. 161-166.
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