UNITED STATES LOCALS continued...

A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE "CITY DISPATCH POST" 2-CENT STAMP.

We estimate that 15-20 examples of 160L1 exist. Its connection to the various "City Despatch" operations has never been established. (Image)

VERY FINE. ONE OF SIX RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE CITY EXPRESS POST STAMP ON PINK PAPER, OF WHICH FIVE ARE KNOWN ON COVERS. ONE OF THE RAREST AND MOST DISTINCTIVELY-DESIGNED LOCAL POST STAMPS EXTANT.

Robson Lowe attributed the City Express Post to Calvin Tyson and claimed that D. O. Blood bought the business on November 26, 1846. Subsequent research by Steven M. Roth has failed to find the source documentation to substantiate (or refute) Lowe's statements. In fact, little is known about this post, except that it existed from 1844 to 1846 and issued stamps in 1846, this much is known from the surviving covers with handstamped markings and adhesives.

Our records concur with Steven M. Roth's census of City Express Post stamps published in The Penny Post (Oct. 1993). There are six confirmed examples of 44L2 (Roth A-F numbered 1-6 as follows, with date corrections): 1) uncancelled on Jan. 5, 1846 printed circular to Burlington N.J., Jan. 8 datestamp and "2", ex Gibson, Ward, Middendorf, Golden (PFC "decline opinion" as to usage), 2) uncancelled, tied by filing crease on Apr. 27, 1846 folded letter to NYC (Estes correspondence), Apr. 28 datestamp, "Paid" and "5", ex Emerson, Knapp, Mason, Hollowbush, Golden (Siegel Sale 817, lot 972, realized $22,000 hammer), 3) uncancelled, tied by filing crease on May 4, 1846 folded letter to NYC (Estes correspondence), May 4 datestamp, "Paid" and "5", ex Chapman, Caspary, Boker, Lilly, 4) uncancelled, on undated cover to Miss E. L. Townsend, Philadelphia Pa., ex Ferrary, Caspary, Golden (Siegel Sale 817, lot 973), 5) uncancelled, used on folded cover/letter to Wm. H. Richards, NYC, blue Jul. 19 (1846?) datestamp and "Paid", ex Boker, and 6) uncancelled, on piece with part Jul. 30 datestamp, the item offered here, ex Lilly, Boker, realized $9,000 hammer in our 1997 Rarities sale. In addition to these six stamps, an uncancelled copy was listed in the Worthington sale, but has not been seen since.

Ex Boker. Signed Robson Lowe (Image)

FINE. ONLY FOUR EXAMPLES OF THE NEWARK CITY LETTER EXPRESS ONE-CENT STAMP ARE KNOWN TIED ON COVERS. ONE OF THE RAREST LOCALS, ALTHOUGH EASILY CONFUSED WITH THE NEW YORK METROPOLITAN EXPRESS STAMPS OF A SIMILAR DESIGN.

The Newark Daily Advertiser carried daily advertisements for Peck & Company's City Letter Express from June 12 through September 29, 1856. Augustus L. Peck's partner in the City News Office was R. Jaques, and their office was located at 324 Broad Street. The City Letter Express provided letter delivery to the mails (1c) and within the city (2c). Their competitor, Rogers' Penny Post, only carried letters to the post office. Peck's advertisements also solicited package-express business, which may have been on behalf of the New Jersey Express Company, which had its business in Newark during the same period (reference: Elliott Perry, Pat Paragraphs, reprint, pp. 405-408).

Our records contain just four examples of the 45L1 stamp tied on cover, all dated in 1856: 1) Aug. 22, the cover offered here, ex Golden (Siegel Sale 817, lot 975, realized $15,500 hammer), 2) Oct. 28, ex Caspary, Middendorf, 3) Dec. 1, ex Boker, and 4) Jul. 31, 1c stamp damaged, reported by William T. Crowe (PSE). Another three covers are recorded with uncancelled stamps, and four or five off-cover stamps are recorded.

Ex Golden. With 1999 P.F. certificate. (Image)

FINE APPEARANCE. ONLY THREE GENUINE COVERS BEARING THE CITY MAIL COMPANY STAMP ARE RECORDED -- ONLY SIX EXAMPLES OF 46L1 ARE KNOWN ON OR OFF COVER.

The City Mail Company was the successor to the New York office of Overton & Company, a letter-and-package express and foreign-mail forwarding agency founded by Richard Carleton Overton prior to July 3, 1844. The change in name was announced in the February 15, 1845, edition of the New York Daily Express and soon after the company's address changed from 3 Broad Street to 7 Broad Street. The handstamp on this cover shows the modified "3" appearing as a "7", reflecting the move.

Overton & Co. issued stamps in 1844 for use on inter-city letters (Scott 113L1), these are recorded on covers from Jul. 29, 1844 (see Hall sale, lot 370), through Jun. 30, 1845, the day before the independent mail firms were forced out of business by the July 1845 postal laws. The City Mail Co. issued its own stamps for use on city-delivery letters at 2c each. It is thought that these stamps were issued after the February 1845 announcement of the new City Mail Company. The ex-Caspary folded letter dated Jun. 18, 1844, is an improbable 46L1 usage, inasmuch as it predates both the issue date and documented formation of Overton & Company.

Three covers in the proper time period are recorded with 46L1: 1) uncancelled on May 15, 1845 folded letter to Robert H. Morris, red "Overton & Co. City Mail Office 7 [modified] Broad St." oval, ex Golden and Gordon N. John, 2) cancelled by red "Paid" (not tied, creased) on Sep. 15, 1845 folded letter to Cornelius W. Lawrence, red framed "City Mail Co. Office 6 Wall Street", ex Boker, and 3) repaired stamp cancelled by red "Paid" (not tied) on Oct. 15 (1845) folded letter to Mr. Mathews, red framed "City Mail Co. Office 6 Wall Street", the cover offered here, ex Hunter, Worthington, Mason, Richardson, Golden (Siegel Sale 817, lot 978, realized $7,500). Including the two stamps added to covers (ex-Caspary and ex-Hall), the ex-Ferrary stamp (defective, off cover) and the three genuine covers listed above, we count a total of six examples of 46L1.

Ex Hunter, Worthington, Mason, Richardson and Golden. With 1999 P.F. certificate (Image)