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ONE OF THE EARLY USAGES OF THE CITY DESPATCH POST STAMP AND A SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL DOCUMENT SIGNED BY ITS MANAGER, ALEXANDER M. GRIEG
Very few examples of the City Despatch Post printed circular have survived, this being the only one, to our knowledge, that carries a transmittal letter signed by Alexander M. Greig.
Ex Kapiloff. With 1995 P.F. certificate. Last offered in our 1995 Rarities sale, where it realized $8,000 hammer. (Image)
AN EXTREMELY FINE TIED EXAMPLE OF GREIG'S 3-CENT STAMP USED FOR UNITED STATES CITY DESPATCH POST CARRIER SERVICE. ONLY NINETEEN 6LB1 COVERS ARE RECORDED.
In August 1842 the privately-owned City Despatch Post was bought out and re-established as the carrier department of the New York City post office. Stamps sold by Greig for the City Despatch Post remained valid for prepayment of carrier fees and were used months after the buyout. In the period before U.S. City Despatch Post stamps were issued, the use of Greig's stamps has provisional status among collectors. By September 1842 Greig's stamps in public hands were accepted concurrently with the government carrier issues (6LB3 and 6LB5, primarily). The carrier stamp, 6LB1, can be distinguished from 40L1 only when cancelled with the "U.S."-designated cancel or postmark. Such examples are very rare, with nineteen covers contained in the Lyons census, as well as ten off-cover stamps.
Ex Pope and Kapiloff. With copy of 1985 P.F. certificate. (Image)
EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF TWO RECORDED UNUSED PAIRS OF THE FIRST STAMP PRINTED AND ISSUED BY THE UNITED STATES POST OFFICE FOR THE NEW YORK CITY CARRIER DEPARTMENT.
This the only example of Position 4R known to us that shows the sheet margin at top. On this example, there appears to be a double transfer of the upper third of the design.
Ex Caspary, Middendorf and Kapiloff. With 1995 P.F. certificate. (Image)
VERY FINE COVER. THIS IS THE FINEST OF THE EIGHT RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE UNITED STATES CITY DESPATCH POST CARRIER STAMP USED TO PREPAY INTER-CITY POSTAGE. AN OUTSTANDING POSTAL HISTORY ARTIFACT.
This cover and seven other similar examples mark the beginning of prepayment of inter-city postage by adhesive stamps in the Western hemisphere. In each case, the United States City Despatch Post stamps prepaid the regular postage and carrier fee for delivery to the New York City post office, where the letters were marked "Paid" in full.
Our records contain eight inter-city covers with full prepayment, including one front and one with a stamp missing (listed chronologically by New York postmark date): 1) May 25 datestamp, 1843 folded letter to Henry Morris, Philadelphia, strip of 3 + pair, ex Caspary, Middendorf, Kapiloff, Siegel 1995 Rarities sale (realized $37,500), 2) May 30 datestamp (1843), folded cover to F. Packard, Philadelphia, 2 pairs + 1, the cover offered here, ex Caspary, Pope, Kapiloff, Siegel 1995 Rarities sale (realized $42,500), 3) Jun. 16 datestamp, 1843 folded letter to Henry Morris, Philadelphia, strip of 4 + 1, ex Caspary, Hall (Siegel Sale 830, lot 144, realized $32,500 hammer), Gordon N. John (Siegel Sale 868, lot 2015, realized $42,500 hammer), 4) Jul. 5 datestamp, 1843 folded letter to Henry Morris, Philadelphia, strip of 5, ex Caspary, Middendorf (1990 private treaty sale at $30,000), 5) Aug. 23 datestamp, 1843 folded letter to Henry Morris, Philadelphia, 4 singles (1 missing), ex Seybold, Hall (Siegel Sale 830), 6) Nov. 1 datestamp, 1843 folded letter to Julia Welling, Pleasant Valley N.Y., 5 singles, badly creased and restored, from a recent find, 7) Oct. 18 datestamp (1844), folded cover to Dr. Wheeler, Athens N.Y., strip of 3 + 1, ex Caspary, Hall, Gordon N. John (Siegel Sale 868, lot 2015, realized $42,500 hammer), and 8) Jun. 13 (ca. 1845), front only to Lewis Riley, Ridgefield Conn., ex Caspary, Middendorf, Kapiloff, Siegel 1995 Rarities sale. Three of the covers have stamps on Blue paper (6LB5b) from the later printing. The others are Green or Blue Green (1843 printings).
Ex Caspary, Pope and Kapiloff. With 1985 P.F. certificate (Image)