Auction Detail
Fall Postal History 2022
Our Fall 2022 Postal History sale includes the John D. Bowman Collection of Boyd's City Express Post, the William B. Robinson Collection of Wisconsin Postal History, material from the collections of Steven M. Roth and Graham Booth, FRPSL, and much more.
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folded letter addressed to Portsmouth datelined "Boston 19 Sept 1786", endorsed "P stage", fine, this letter was carried outside-the-mails on the stage line established in 1784 by John Stavers, running between Portsmouth and Boston
folded letter addressed to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, datelined "Boston Dec 31 1789", manuscript "Way 1.8" rate (61-100 miles), very fine, letter makes reference that the sender would "give the letter to Stavers", who had a contract to carry the mails between Boston and Portsmouth
folded letter datelined "Portsmouth N.H. Stage Office, Nov. 22, 1832", addressed to Boston, written by the postmaster of Waldoboro and sent free as a traveling postmaster, red "Portsmo N.H. Nov 25" datestamp and matching straightline "Free", very fine
undated folded letter addressed to Rome, New York, red "Oswego N York Aug 23" datestamp, manuscript "10" rate, endorsed "To be left at the stage house" very fine
1794 folded letter to Goshen, black straightline "Albany Nov. 6" postmark, manuscript "12½" rate (distance of100-150 miles), very fine
The first stage service West of Albany, running on the West side of the Hudson River, began in May 1793, and was operated by Moses Beale. Jason Parker, the former post rider, competed with Beale for this contract, and in 1794 won the mail contract to carry mail from Albany to Goshen. The folded letter was written and signed by Peter W. Yates of Albany. Yates had been a member of Albany's Committee of Correspondence in 1775, a member of the Continental Congress in 1786, and a virulent Anti-Federalist during the debates concerning the ratification of the Constitution.
Albany manuscript postmark on folded letter to New York City, datelined "Albany 7 Febry 1786", manuscript "2.16" [dwt] rate converted into "1/4" (1sh 4d) local currency in New York City, very fine, the Albany manuscript postmark on this cover is not a post office marking but rather a private mail marking used by Van Wyck for mail originating at Albany, this is the only recorded example of this marking and the basis for the ASCC listing, ex-Peltz
The post office at Albany, NY opened in 1782 as a state funded and operated post office. In June 1785, the legislature of the State of New York granted a ten year monopoly to Isaac Van Wyck and his associates to operate stages to carry passengers and all mail between Albany and New York City. This grant gave rise to a state operated mail system along the east side of the Hudson River until July 31, 1792 when the Albany post office became part of the Federal system under the Constitution.
1789 folded letter to New York City with "Albany :2" straightline handstamp and manuscript "1/" rate, light foxing, very fine, this handstamp was a private mail marking used by Van Wyck's stage line on mail originating at Albany and not one used by the post office
three folded letters from Albany, first "Albany" straightline with "24/IY" [1790] Franklin mark on folded letter to New York City, manuscript "15" rate, reinforced vertical crease; second "Albany, Feb.5" [1794] straightline and large "Paid" in double circle on folded letter to New York City, manuscript "15" rate; third "Albany, Dec*14" [1794] straightline and matching "Free" on folded letter to Representative Henry Glen in Philadelphia, small faults but generally fine to very fine, all carried by Van Wyck's Stage Line (whose monopoly ended in June 1795)
folded letter to New York City datelined "Hudson Nov 18 1794", two-line "Hudson. Nov 13." datestamp and manuscript "Free", very fine, the Van Wyck Stage line that had a monopoly on mail from Albany to New York City from 1785 to 1795, with Hudson being added as a stage stop in 1794
This letter was sent free using the franking privilege for postmasters per the Act of 1792, although was an improper use of the franking privilege by the sender (Cotton Gelson, the first postmaster of Hudson) since the folded letter did not pertain to post office business.
folded letter to Philadelphia, datelined "Allentown Oct 8 1773", endorsed "P stage", very fine
This folded letter was carried by the Allentown stage from Allentown to either Burlington or Bordentown, where the letter was given over to one of two stage lines. The Burlington Stage Line and the Bordenton & New York Stage Line competed at this time over the same route. It is not be possible to tell which of these stage lines carried this letter because of the absence of some notation on the cover or within the folded letter.
folded letter addressed to Hydestown, New Jersey datelined "Philadelphia 20th Sept. 1788", endorsed "p Stage", very fine, this cover was carried either by the Burlington or Bordentown stage, but as both companies used the same route and there is no indication in the letter it is impossible to tell which
folded letter sheet addressed to Hidestown, New Jersey datelined "Philadelphia 5 June 90" and endorsed "Stage", very fine, this letter would have been carried via either the Burlington or the Bordentown stage who competed over the same route