Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

**Colonial Period - Parliamentary**
Lot	Sym.	Lot Description	Est/Cat	Realized
4001		Joseph Dudley. Member of the Massachusetts General Court (1673-76), fought the Naragansett Indians during King Philip's War (1675), member of the Upper House in the Massachusetts Bay legislature (1676-83, 1684), Commander of the United Colonies of New England (1677-81), member of the Governor's Council, President of the Council (1684), in charge of press censorship for Governor Andros and Chief Justice of Colonial Superior Court (1687-89), free frank "On Her Matys. Service Dudley" as Governor of Massachusetts and President of the New England Confederation on autograph letter signed, datelined "Boston 11 June 1711" to Secretary Storey at Piscatagua (now Portsmouth), content discusses a Congress of Governors to take place in Connecticut and is signed, expert repair at top left, accompanied by second autograph letter signed and dated Sept. 7, 1711, originally enclosing the Act of Parliament for the establishment of the post office under the Act of Queen Anne VERY FINE. THE ONLY REPORTED EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE EARLIEST AMERICAN FREE FRANKS AND AN IMPORTANT PAIR OF LETTERS FROM JOSEPH DUDLEY, A MAJOR HISTORICAL FIGURE IN COLONIAL AMERICA. In 1692 the first attempt to create an American post under the Neale Patent was to ultimately fail, but it was understood at that time that public letters were to be sent and received without charge. Under the Queen Anne Act, effective June 1, 1711, military officials could also send correspondence free of charge. Ex Kantor (Image)	E. 3,000-4,000	3,250.00
4002		Samuel Cranston. Free frank "On her Majtys. Servis" as Colonial Governor of Rhode Island on address panel to Boston, accompanying autograph letter signed and datelined "Rhode Island Newport Octo. 20th 1711", fresh and Very Fine, one of the earliest reported American free frank usages (Image)	E. 1,500-2,000	1,700.00
4003		Sir William Keith. Free frank "W Keith free" as Governor of Pennsylvania and Delaware on Sept. 17, 1719 autograph letter signed from Philadelphia to New York, small piece out at top and some light wear incl. horizontal file fold thru frank, otherwise Fine, one of the earliest reported American free frank usages, Keith is perhaps best known for convincing a young Benjamin Franklin to set up his own printer's shop, in 1724 he promised Franklin that letters of credit would be in England upon his arrival to purchase new equipment, however, upon Franklin's arrival the letters were not there, and he found Keith's name had a poor reputation due to his prior backing of the upstart son of King James II to the throne, Franklin ended up spending two years working in England to earn enough to return to the States, in his biography, Franklin wrote "He wish'd to please everybody, and, having little to give, he gave Expectations. He was otherwise an ingenious sensible Man, a pretty good writer, and a good Governor for the People...Several of our best laws were of his Planning, and pass'd during his Administration." (Image)	E. 1,500-2,000	1,600.00
4004		Lord Jeffey Amherst. Free frank "Jeff Amherst" as Commander of British forces during the French and Indian War on address panel (with flaps added from portion of original letter dated Feb. 29, 1760) from New York "To His Excellency Horatio Sharpe Esq., Govn. of His Majesty's Province of Maryland, or to the Commander in Chief of sd. Province for the Time being, Annapolis", brownish "New York" two-line handstamp and rated "4dw" pennyweight and "1/8" sterling, faint stains, expertly restored, Very Fine appearance, sent via inter-colonial system as it was less expensive than using a military courier, the franking was used in this instance to indicate the importance of the letter, this rare cover was used for many years as the frontispiece for the American Stampless Cover Catalogue, ex Konwiser and Stevens (Image)	E. 2,000-3,000	5,750.00
4005		"On His Majesty's Service, R N. Colden". Manuscript free frank and address in Colden's hand to postmaster at Newport R.I., printed notice from R. N. Colden, Secretary of the Colonial General Post Office, dated Nov. 10, 1774, requesting copies of official correspondence, pay vouchers and postal receipts, copies of this notice were sent to all Colonial post offices at the time questions of loyalty to the Crown arose -- although the notices and responses are discussed in official minutes of Deputy Postmaster General meetings, actual examples are extremely rare -- Very Fine (Image)	E. 3,000-4,000	2,100.00

Colonial Period - Parliamentary

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

Est/Cat

Realized

4001

Joseph Dudley. Member of the Massachusetts General Court (1673-76), fought the Naragansett Indians during King Philip's War (1675), member of the Upper House in the Massachusetts Bay legislature (1676-83, 1684), Commander of the United Colonies of New England (1677-81), member of the Governor's Council, President of the Council (1684), in charge of press censorship for Governor Andros and Chief Justice of Colonial Superior Court (1687-89), free frank "On Her Matys. Service Dudley" as Governor of Massachusetts and President of the New England Confederation on autograph letter signed, datelined "Boston 11 June 1711" to Secretary Storey at Piscatagua (now Portsmouth), content discusses a Congress of Governors to take place in Connecticut and is signed, expert repair at top left, accompanied by second autograph letter signed and dated Sept. 7, 1711, originally enclosing the Act of Parliament for the establishment of the post office under the Act of Queen Anne

VERY FINE. THE ONLY REPORTED EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE EARLIEST AMERICAN FREE FRANKS AND AN IMPORTANT PAIR OF LETTERS FROM JOSEPH DUDLEY, A MAJOR HISTORICAL FIGURE IN COLONIAL AMERICA.

In 1692 the first attempt to create an American post under the Neale Patent was to ultimately fail, but it was understood at that time that public letters were to be sent and received without charge. Under the Queen Anne Act, effective June 1, 1711, military officials could also send correspondence free of charge.

Ex Kantor (Image)

E. 3,000-4,000

3,250.00

4002

Samuel Cranston. Free frank "On her Majtys. Servis" as Colonial Governor of Rhode Island on address panel to Boston, accompanying autograph letter signed and datelined "Rhode Island Newport Octo. 20th 1711", fresh and Very Fine, one of the earliest reported American free frank usages (Image)

E. 1,500-2,000

1,700.00

4003

Sir William Keith. Free frank "W Keith free" as Governor of Pennsylvania and Delaware on Sept. 17, 1719 autograph letter signed from Philadelphia to New York, small piece out at top and some light wear incl. horizontal file fold thru frank, otherwise Fine, one of the earliest reported American free frank usages, Keith is perhaps best known for convincing a young Benjamin Franklin to set up his own printer's shop, in 1724 he promised Franklin that letters of credit would be in England upon his arrival to purchase new equipment, however, upon Franklin's arrival the letters were not there, and he found Keith's name had a poor reputation due to his prior backing of the upstart son of King James II to the throne, Franklin ended up spending two years working in England to earn enough to return to the States, in his biography, Franklin wrote "He wish'd to please everybody, and, having little to give, he gave Expectations. He was otherwise an ingenious sensible Man, a pretty good writer, and a good Governor for the People...Several of our best laws were of his Planning, and pass'd during his Administration." (Image)

E. 1,500-2,000

1,600.00

4004

Lord Jeffey Amherst. Free frank "Jeff Amherst" as Commander of British forces during the French and Indian War on address panel (with flaps added from portion of original letter dated Feb. 29, 1760) from New York "To His Excellency Horatio Sharpe Esq., Govn. of His Majesty's Province of Maryland, or to the Commander in Chief of sd. Province for the Time being, Annapolis", brownish "New York" two-line handstamp and rated "4dw" pennyweight and "1/8" sterling, faint stains, expertly restored, Very Fine appearance, sent via inter-colonial system as it was less expensive than using a military courier, the franking was used in this instance to indicate the importance of the letter, this rare cover was used for many years as the frontispiece for the American Stampless Cover Catalogue, ex Konwiser and Stevens (Image)

E. 2,000-3,000

5,750.00

4005

"On His Majesty's Service, R N. Colden". Manuscript free frank and address in Colden's hand to postmaster at Newport R.I., printed notice from R. N. Colden, Secretary of the Colonial General Post Office, dated Nov. 10, 1774, requesting copies of official correspondence, pay vouchers and postal receipts, copies of this notice were sent to all Colonial post offices at the time questions of loyalty to the Crown arose -- although the notices and responses are discussed in official minutes of Deputy Postmaster General meetings, actual examples are extremely rare -- Very Fine (Image)

E. 3,000-4,000

2,100.00

The Dr. John L. Robertson Collection of Free Franks