Auction Detail

approximately 156 covers and folded letters in two binders, highlights too numerous to mention everything but we note (in roughly chronological order): 1834 folded letter to Boston, 1838 "Sept" four-letter month postmark (very few known), 1838 folded letter from future Mayor B.W. Raymond, 1839 folded letter to Scotland, 1839 folded letter to Lower Canada, 1842 folded letter written by William Larrabee for William Butler Ogden, 1845 folded letter to New York sent part paid, 1845 turned cover, 1846 folded letter from R.K. Swift (promoter of E.W. Hadley's private perforations), 1848 red "2" drop letter handstamp, 1849 latest known use of postmark A-4a, 1855 24c rate to England, various "3 Paid" datestamps, 9c, 15c, and 21c rate markings, 1858 stampless cover to Germany, free franks from Isaac Newton Arnold, Walter Atwood Burleigh, and incoming cover to Justin Smith Morrill, and much more, some small faults but generally fine to very fine, a collection that must be viewed to be fully appreciated as it represents a lifetime of work and would be impossible to duplicate, an extraordinary opportunity for the dedicated postal historian

four full margins, tied by red grid to cover to New York City, matching "Chicago Ill. Nov 28" datestamp, 1850 docketing, manuscript "Due 5", small faults including ink erosion and even overall toning, fine appearance, 1976 Philatelic Foundation certificate

whimsical design on reverse of cover to Dubuque, Iowa, franked with 1851 3c Dull red (11) tied by "Chicago Ill. Apr 2 1857" datestamp, small backflap tears, very fine appearance, Blanchard was a prominent early publisher in Chicago, the same year this cover was sent he produced Chicago's first street guide

blue datestamp duplexed with target ties 1861 1c Blue and 3c Rose (63, 65) to cover to "Mr. Frank Fischer, Co. F 26th Reg. Wis. Vol., Washington, Dis Col", stamps and cover small faults, fine appearance, a rare to-the-mails carrier use with perhaps only a dozen examples known

double circle datestamp duplexed with circle of wedges ties pair of 1861 3c Rose (65) to cover to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, cornercard for "U.S. Sanitary Commission", faults along top edge, still fine strike, one of two recorded covers with the letter "U" datestamp (the other of which we recently sold in the Challenger Collection), Piszkiewicz believes this initial stands for "Union Station" and was quickly replaced by the letter "X"