The Alan Geisler Collection of U.S. Carriers and Locals continued...

EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF THE FINEST OF THE SIX RECORDED COVERS BEARING THE RARE RUSSELL'S LOCAL STAMP IN BLUE ON ROSE PAPER. ONLY THREE 130L1 COVERS HAVE THE STAMP TIED.

Although little documentation has been produced, the accepted history of the Eighth Avenue Post Office is that it was operated by James Price in 1854 and sold that year to David Russell. Price may have issued the unique Eighth Avenue Post Office stamp (Scott 63L1), which is reported to have been used in 1852. The portrait on the 120L1 stamp issued by Price is thought to be his own. Price's successor, David Russell, is listed at 387 Eighth Avenue in 1854 and then at 410 Eighth Avenue from 1855 until 1857-58. The 1855-56 directory lists his occupation as "express" and in 1856-58 it is given as "subpost." Price issued a stamp very similar in design to Russell's.

The following count of covers bearing Russell's stamps resulted from our survey of auction catalogues, the Boker collection, Sloane's notes and the Costales files: 130L1 Blue on Rose -- 6 (3 tied), 130L2 Black on Yellow -- 3 (1 tied but with 3c 1851 missing), 130L3 Red on Bluish -- 5 (1 tied), and 130L4 Blue Green on Green -- 1 stamp off cover (no covers known). The 130L1 Blue on Rose covers in our census are as follows: 1) Tied by "New-York 5 Cts. Jan. 23" due datestamp on 1855 folded letter to Mrs. Sarah Dougherty, Suffern's Depot N.Y., ex Grant, Knapp and Hall, the cover offered here (realized $26,000 hammer in Siegel Sale 830), 2) Used with 3c 1851, both tied by "New-York Jan. 3" (ca. 1855) datestamp on cover to Mrs. Geo. E. Adams, Brunswick Me., ex Boker, 3) Used with 3c 1851, both tied by "New-York Feb. 6" (ca. 1855) datestamp on cover to Pennington N.J., ex Caspary, Judd, 4) Tied by indistinct circular handstamp on cover to Richard Atkinson, 54 West St., ex Caspary, Middendorf, 5) Uncancelled with 3c 1851 tied by "New-York Mar. 20" (ca. 1855) datestamp on cover to Mr. H. M. Adams (city?), ex Lilly, and 6) Uncancelled on Apr. 4, 1856 folded letter from Colombia to Lanman & Kemp, 69 Water St., Russell's oval handstamp, Gronowski collection. We also record one off-cover stamp, ex Boker.

Ex Grant, Knapp and Hall. With 2001 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE. THE ONLY TIED EXAMPLE AMONG THE FIVE RECORDED COVERS BEARING RUSSELL'S RED ON BLUISH STAMP. ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING NEW YORK CITY LOCAL POST COVERS EXTANT.

Our census of covers bearing Russell's stamps includes five 130L3 Red on Bluish covers as follows: 1) Tied by "New-York 5 Cts. Oct. 9" (ca. 1854) due datestamp on lady's embossed cover to Miss Louise Summer, Middlebury O., the cover offered here, ex Worthington, Caspary, Hall and D.K. Collection (realized $7,500 hammer in our Sale 862), 2) Uncancelled on cover to Mess. Mead, Taft & Dewey, 237 Broadway, ex Hollowbush, Boker, 3) Uncancelled on cover with 3c 1851 tied by "New-York Nov. 14" datestamp, 1854 enclosure from writer at 367 W. 24th St., ex Abt, Golden (realized $5,250 hammer), 4) Uncancelled on Apr. 15, 1856 folded letter (late usage if correct) to Myron Barrett, Union Theo. Seminary, ex Needham, Boker, and 5) Cut to shape, uncancelled, with 3c 1851 tied by "New-York Nov. 5" (ca. 1854) datestamp on small cover to Miss Susan Magie, Bloomfield N.J., ex Caspary. We also record one off-cover 130L3 stamp (ex Lilly, Boker).

Ex Worthington, Caspary, Hall and D.K. Collection. With 2001 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail $8,750.00 (Image)

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VERY FINE. THE ST. LOUIS CITY DELIVERY STAMP, ALTHOUGH A RELATIVE LATECOMER AMONG LOCAL POST ISSUES, IS EXTREMELY RARE ON COVER.

This cover is accompanied by a one-page letter from Warren P. Edgarton, Inspector for the U.S. Post Office Department, to John K. Tiffany, dated May 10, 1883, describing the illegal post and its suppression by the U.S. attorney. The St. Louis City Delivery stamp is extremely rare used on cover -- an example was absent from the Middendorf and Golden collections. This cover was last sold in our 2000 Rarities sale (ex Schwartz) and realized $2,500 hammer. Another cover in Sale 841 realized $5,000 hammer, and a faulty cover in the Kuphal sale realized $1,300 hammer.

Ex Malcolm and Schwartz. Signed Sloane. Scott Retail $2,750.00 (Image)

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VERY FINE. ONE OF THREE RECORDED EXAMPLES OF A SQUIER & CO. STAMP USED FROM ANOTHER CITY TO PREPAY DELIVERY TO THE ADDRESSEE IN ST. LOUIS.

A large portion of surviving Squier & Co. covers are addressed to Mrs. M. T. Lucas in Louisville. This cover from Louisville to St. Louis was presumably written by Mrs. Lucas to S. F. Lucas.

Ex Caspary and Hall. With 2001 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail $3,500.00 for this combination tied by a handstamp. (Image)

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FINE. ONLY THREE OF THE SEVEN RECORDED STATEN ISLAND EXPRESS POST 3-CENT COVERS HAVE TYING CANCELLATIONS. AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE OF THIS RARE STAMP USED TO DELIVER A LETTER TO THE MAILS.

The Staten Island Express Post was a combination local post, inter-city mail route and package express operated from 1849 to 1851 by the publisher of the Staten Islander newspaper, Francis L. Hagadorn (whose name is frequently misspelled). Hagadorn & Co. maintained offices at Stapleton on Staten Island and on the Manhattan side of the ferry at the foot of Whitehall Street. Relations between Hagadorn and the principals of Cornelius Vanderbilt's ferry line were evidently very good, and it is reported that the Manhattan office was provided free of charge by Vanderbilt (Konwiser, Stamps, Oct. 5, 1946). By using express wagons, the ferry and through links with Boyd's, Adams & Co. and Wells & Co., Hagadorn's express advertised a full range of transportation services, including mail delivery. However, in 1851 ten post offices were established on Staten Island, and the express seems to have closed. Hagadorn became postmaster of Stapleton from 1854 through 1856. (Source: Elliott R. Burgher, "The Staten Island Express Post", Proceedings of the Staten Island Institute of Arts and Sciences, Jan. 1949).

Two denominations of stamps were issued, 3c and 6c, both printed in bright Vermilion, presumably at the offices of the Staten Islander. Seven 3c covers and three 6c covers are recorded. In addition, four off-cover 3c stamps have been found in the auction catalogues and other sources reviewed. The seven 3c covers are: 1) tied by ms. line, ms. "Stapleton N.Y. Mch 6" postmark and "5" rate on 1850 folded cover to Stockbridge Mass., ex Golden, the cover offered here (Siegel Sale 817, lot 1490, realized $4,250 hammer), 2) uncancelled, used on May 22, 1850 folded letter from Francis L. Hagadorn to his father, Wm. Hagadorn, 28 Spruce St., Boyd's oval datestamp, ex Hall, D.K. Collection (Siegel Sale 862, lot 102, realized $3,250), 3) uncancelled, used on cover to Edward H. Seeley, 28 Fulton St., addressed in the hand of F. L. Hagadorn (proprietor), Boyds Apr. 7 (ca. 1850) oval datestamp, ex Chapman, Caspary, Lilly, Golden (Siegel Sale 817, lot 1489, realized $3,000 hammer), 4) tied by grid on folded cover with addressee's name crossed out, appears to be in the hand of F. L. Hagadorn, Boyd's Oct. 10 (ca. 1850) oval datestamp and "Paid" straightline, P.F. records, 5) uncancelled, used on cover to Jos. Johnson, corner Pearl and Chatham, handwriting similar to Hagadorn's, Boyd's Dec. 28 (ca. 1850) oval datestamp, John A. Fox sale, Mar. 31, 1961, 6) tied by ms. "X" and red New York datestamp on Nov. 2, 1849 folded letter to Capt. Henry Prince, Bellevilleport Mass., Boyd's oval datestamp (blurry date), ex Kuphal, and 7) uncancelled on cover to Dr. Geo. Cooke, Albany N.Y., with New York Jul. 23(?) 5c datestamp, stamp and corner torn off and replaced, illustrated in Burgher article. Four of the seven 3c covers (and one 6c cover) are or appear to be addressed by the proprietor, Francis L. Hagadorn.

Of the seven 3c covers listed here, only this cover was brought to the post office at Stapleton on Staten Island, where it entered the government mails for Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

Ex Golden. With 1999 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail $4,750.00 (Image)

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