Lot 239
R.M.S. Titanic Mail facing slip, U.S. Post Office form imprinted "Iowa/ From Sea Post, No 3 Letters" with well struck "Transatlantic Post Office 7/AP10 (19)12" postmark, plus clear "O.S. Woody" and "TITANIC" handstamps; minor edge flaws and small, insignificant water stain, Very Fine.
Estimate 5,000 - 7,500
Facing slips were commonly used by postal clerks after sorting the mails in order to identify a particular packet of mail according to its city of destination and/or mode of transportation.
Oscar Scott Woody, mail clerk on the Titanic, prepared a quantity of facing slips in advance of sorting the mails. Each bears the "Transatlantic Post Office 7" circular postmark dated on April 10, 1912, the day the Titanic sailed from Southampton, plus handstamps with the ship's name and postal clerk O.S. Woody's name to show that he had been responsible for sorting that particular bundle.
Such was postal clerk Woody's dedication to duty that, as the Titanic was sinking on the night of 15 April 1912, he placed a quantity of these facing slips (as well as his letter of assignment) in his breast pocket, apparently anticipating that he would need them to continue sorting the mails. Remarkably, these paper items survived the damage to a considerable degree because the cork life jackets in use at the time were very buoyant and kept most of the upper body above water.
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| Realized $7,000 |
