1LB3a, Baltimore, Maryland, 1c Blue on white, Laid paper, Type 9, crisp and bright impression, large margins, affixed but not tied to local cover with blue "Baltimore Md. Jul 10" cds and matching circled "1," cover with light moisture discoloration at the top right (effectively tying stamp), otherwise Very Fine, signed Denwood Kelly (Scott $1,000 on cover tied by handstamp)rnProvenance: Charles F. Meroni (John A. Fox Sale 258-59, 1961)rnDavid Golden ( R.A. Siegel Sale 817, 1999) (Image)

CV. 100

7LB18, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1856(?) 1c Black, single showing nearly full handstamp (rare thus) just tied by a black circular grid cancel on an envelope addressed to Ridley Pa, 1851 1c Blue Type II (7) horizontal strip of three alongside tied by "Philadelphia Aug 11" (1856) cancels, 1c strip margins to just cutting and left stamp some light wrinkling and small edge break, "wee bit ratty" envelope with wrinkles, edge breaks and mostly missing backflap, hinge sealed breaks on back side, still a Fine and rare use, from the Hutchinson correspondence (Scott $17,000)rnThe handstamped Philadelphia carrier stamps (incl 7LB18) were handstamped on sheet margins of the current 1851 1c Blue issue and used contemporaneously these issues. Some students theorize that they were produced by letter carriers and prepared en route to show the 1c carrier fee paid in cash and that they were not made available to the general public.rnIllustrated in Ashbrook, "The United States One Cent Stamp of 1851-57", page 200 (Image)

CV. 5,000