The Lake Shore Collection of United States Stamps and Covers continued...

VERY FINE. ONE OF FIVE RECORDED COVERS WITH THE EAGLE CARRIER AND 3-CENT 1861 ISSUE, OF WHICH FOUR ARE AVAILABLE TO COLLECTORS. AN OUTSTANDING CARRIER RARITY.

The Eagle Carrier was not demonetized in 1861 and continued to be used until the carrier fee was abolished in July 1863. However, such usage is extremely rare. Our records contain four covers with the Eagle Carrier and 3c 1861 used together, all from Washington D.C. (listed chronologically): 1) Nov. 2, 1861, ex Meyersburg (our Sale 791, realized $6,000 hammer), 2) Jun. 21, 1862, the cover offered here, ex Ackerman, Hall (our Sale 830, realized $2,200 hammer), 3) Jun. 23, 1862, ex Sapperstein (our Sale 761, realized $4,750 hammer), 4) Sep. 26, 1862, ex Chase, Miller, New York Public Library, and 5) May 27, 1863, latest known usage, ex Meyersburg (our Sale 791, realized $1,200).

Ex Ackerman and Hall. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. A NEW FIND AND ONE OF THE FINEST OF FIVE RECORDED COVERS WITH THE MOODY'S PENNY DISPATCH STAMP TIED. A DESIRABLE AND COLORFUL LOCAL POST USAGE.

What little is known about Moody's Penny Dispatch comes from original research by Dr. Clarence Hennan and Henry E. Abt, with additional information provided by Elliott Perry. Abt's series on Chicago locals was published in the American Philatelist (June 1957-January 1958), and the discovery of the "Henny Dispatch" error with a plating analysis was published by Scott R. Trepel in Chronicle 164 (November 1994). City directories point to Robert J. Moody as the proprietor. Gager's directory for 1856-57 lists Moody at 30 Dearborn, at the corner of Lake Street. Dated examples establish a brief period of operation from September through December 1856 and possibly into January 1857.

A total of 19 stamps are recorded, including a strip of 3 and 16 singles on and off cover. Our records contain seven Moody's Penny Dispatch covers with stamps: 1) 110L1 Ty. Ic with Comma, Pos. 4, repaired, Nov. 15, 1856 datestamp, tied with 3c 1851 on cover to Deerfield Mass., ex Hennan, Golden (unsold), 2) 110L1 Ty. Ic with Comma, Pos. 7, Nov. 14, 1856 datestamp, tied with three 1c 1851's on cover to Middletown R.I., ex Caspary, also Siegel Sale 773, 3) 110L1b Ty. III "Henny Dispatch" error, Pos. 8, Sep. 18, 1856 datestamp, tied with 3c 1851 on cover to Voluntown Conn., ex Rohloff, Siegel Sale 773, 4) 110L1 Ty. Ic with Comma, Pos. 4, Sep. 29, 1856 datestamp, tied with 3c 1851 on cover to Dover N.H., ex Brown, Knapp, Hall, Siegel Sale 830, lot 724, 5) reported 110L1 uncancelled on Oct. 9, 1856 cover, ex J. W. Kline, Abt article, no further details, 6) 110L1 Ty. Ic with Comma, Pos. 4, blue Moody's datestamp, not tied, with 3c 1851 tied by Chicago Jan. 5 datestamp, 1856 receipt docketing, uncertain usage, and 7) 110L1 Ty. Ic, Pos. 7, Nov. 4, 1846 datestamp, tied with 3c 1851 on cover to Neillsburg Pa., the cover offered here. Reviewing the list, it is obvious that there are only three 110L1 covers with the stamps tied in combination with the 3c 1851. Two of the four remaining covers are not tied, one is a combination with the 1c 1851, and the last is the 110L1b "Henny" error, which is in a class of its own. (Image)