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United States and Confederate States Postal History continued...

Colonial Postal History: Revolutionary War, Transitional & Congressional Post
Lot Sym. Lot Description  
1116 c Image(Burlington N.J., 1774) "Burlington 4". Magenta manuscript postmark and rate on folded cover to Captain Gamble, Asst. Quartermaster General at New York, endorsed "On his Majesty's Service", "19/AU" Franklin mark struck on back, age toned file fold and splits, otherwise Fine, dated prior to the start of the American Revolution, Captain Gamble served in the British army as Assistant Quartermaster General, the Burlington marking is rare (Image)

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 E. $ 300-400

SOLD for $150.00
Will close during Public Auction
1117 c Image(Boston, 1775). Folded letter datelined "Boston Dec. 12, 1774" (in error, should be 1775) with manuscript "dwt 2" rate, addressed to Portsmouth N.H., docketed on flap Dec. 12, 1775 in disagreement with the dateline, letter mentions that Parliament will soon enact a law to blockade all the harbors on the Continent (the British Prohibitory Act, passed in late 1775 mandated the first phase of the full blockade, beginning in March 1776), some internal splits, otherwise Very Fine, Calvet N. Hahn attributed this to the Goddard Constitutional Post (Image)

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 E. $ 500-750

SOLD for $1,000.00
Will close during Public Auction
1118 c Image(Georgetown Md., 1775) "GEORGE*TOWN*S JAN:31". Mostly clear strikes of separate town and date straightline handstamps on back of folded letter datelined "Georgetown Jany. 31st 1775" to Philadelphia, manuscript "2" (dwt) rate and magenta "1/-" in local currency (2dwt=6p x 1.67 inflation factor=10p plus 2p carrier fee or or 1sh),

VERY FINE AND RARE EXAMPLE OF THE COLONIAL GEORGETOWN STRAIGHTLINE POSTMARK. FEWER THAN FIVE ARE RECORDED.

Although the "GEORGE*TOWN*S" straightline was once thought to be from South Carolina, it is now generally accepted that the marking was used at Georgetown, Maryland, shortly before the transition from the British Parliamentary Post system to the Congressional Post. Siskin reported only two covers with this straightline marking. We sold a third in our 2007 sale of covers from the Pennsylvania Historical Society. (Image)

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 E. $ 2,000-3,000

SOLD for $2,400.00
Will close during Public Auction
1119 c Image(New London Conn., 1775) "NEW*LONDON MAR 2". Two partly clear strikes of straightline handstamp, one showing the "*" between the two words, straightline date handstamp separate and below the town markings, manuscript "Dwt 2/ grs ." for 2dwt rate on folded cover datelined "Middletown 22 Feb. 1775" to Providence R.I., internal splits, otherwise Fine, a rare cover with these Colonial New London straightlines, ex Dr. Fay and Mayer (Image)

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 E. $ 400-500

SOLD for $475.00
Will close during Public Auction
1120 c Image(Boston, 1775) "BOSTON". Magenta straightline handstamp struck on flap, "27/MR" Franklin mark struck alongside on folded letter datelined "Cambridge March 24th 1775" to Newport R.I., "2dwt" rate (applied by Royal Postmaster Tuthill Hubbard) and manuscript "P. Post". at bottom, contents report the death of the recipient's father, minor edge splitting, Very Fine and rare, this straightline is the scarce British Occupation postmark used by the Crown post office during the early months of "open rebellion", according to the ASCC it was used from Feb. 20, 1775, until June 5 of the same year, this example falls into that period but precedes the opening shots of the war at Lexington-Concord in April 1775, illustrated in Collectors Club Philatelist (May-June 1991) (Image)

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 E. $ 750-1,000

SOLD for $375.00
Will close during Public Auction
1121 c Image(New York City, 1775) "NEW-YORK". Partly clear strikes of red straightline and "Jan. 31" handstamps on flap of Jan. 30, 1775 datelined folded letter to Norwich Conn., red manuscript "2.16" rate (2dwt 16gr), "1/5" in local currency on back, small paper loss from seal removal on back, Very Fine, a scarce red New York straightline on a cover sent a few months before the beginning of the Congressional Post (Image)

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 E. $ 400-500

SOLD for $800.00
Will close during Public Auction
1122 c Image(New York City, 1775) "N. YORK JUN:5". Mostly clear strike of red straightline on back of 1775 docketed folded incoming packet cover to Robert Livingston in Philadelphia, manuscript "1N" prepaid packet rate, red "1/10" due in local currency (4dwt), unclear strike of red circular handstamp, some minor toning and edge splits, still Very Fine, sent during the transitional period in New York from the Parliamentary Post to the Congressional Post, this is a Parliamentary Post marking (Image)

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 E. $ 400-500

SOLD for $225.00
Will close during Public Auction
1123 c Image(Newburyport Mass. to Philadelphia via Cambridge and New York City, 1775) "N* YORK*AU 24". Bold strike of greenish-blue straightline handstamp with large numeral date on obverse of folded letter datelined "Newburyport August 11, 1775" and addressed to Reynolds & Coates in Philadelphia, entered mails in Cambridge Mass. with "Camb 1/8" postmark (1dwt 8gr, see below for rate interpretation), transited New York City where straightline applied, letter notes that a ship the American Army depended upon for flour was taken prize by British cruisers off Cape Cod and conveyed to Boston to supply British General Gage, minor soiling and small erosion spot in "24" of straightline

VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE GREENISH-BLUE NEW YORK CONGRESSIONAL POST STRAIGHTLINE STRUCK ON THE FRONT OF A COVER FROM NEWBURYPORT TO PHILADELPHIA.

The Congressional Post was formed by the resolution of July 26, 1775, appointing Benjamin Franklin as the first Postmaster General of the United States. The distinctive greenish-blue ink was used by the New York post office in 1775 and 1776 after introduction of markings for the newly-created Congressional Post. Examples are rare and are normally found struck on the back of folded letters. This example, struck on the obverse and with the additional Cambridge postmark is an iconic piece of Revolutionary War postal history.

The "1/8" rate most likely represents the local currency due in Philadelphia. Working backwards with the 1.67 inflation factor (without a 2p carrier fee), this equals 20p inflation currency, 12p or 1/- shilling sterling and 4dwt (pennyweight). 4dwt represents the old Parliamentary Post single rate. Dr. Kingsley surmised that this indicates Massachusetts had by this time abandoned the provincial rating system of the new Congressional Post (and the brief 20% discount) and returned to the Parliamentary Post rate.

Illustrated in color in "United States Classic Covers" special 1986 Ameripex Chronicle issue. Also illustrated in Collectors Club Philatelist (May-June 1991, p. 169) (Image)

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 E. $ 3,000-4,000

SOLD for $13,000.00
Will close during Public Auction
1124 c Image(New York City, 1776) "N* YORK*JUNE 13". Absolutely perfect strike of greenish-blue straightline handstamp with large numeral date on back of folded letter from Joseph Trumbull to Capt. Jeremiah Wadsworth in Hartford Conn., red manuscript "2-16" rate (2dwt 16gr)

EXTREMELY FINE COVER AND STRIKE OF THE RARE GREENISH-BLUE NEW YORK CONGRESSIONAL POST STRAIGHTLINE. ABSOLUTE PERFECTION.

The Congressional Post was formed by the resolution of July 26, 1775, appointing Benjamin Franklin as the first Postmaster General of the United States. The distinctive greenish-blue ink was used by the New York post office in 1775 and 1776 after introduction of markings for the newly-created Congressional Post.

Joseph Trumbull was the son of Governor Jonathan Trumbull and was the first Commissary General of the Continental Army. Wadsworth was a sea captain who supplied the Continental Army. He represented Connecticut in the Continental Congress and later in the U.S. Congress (Image)

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 E. $ 2,000-3,000

SOLD for $8,000.00
Will close during Public Auction
1125 c Image(New York City, 1776) "N* YORK*JAN 29". Bold strike of greenish-blue straightline handstamp with large numeral date on back of small folded cover to Lancaster Pa., docketed Jan. 26, 1776, faint red manuscript "4 dwt" rate, minor age spotting, Very Fine and rare strike of this New York City straightline, the distinctive greenish-blue ink was used by the New York post office in 1775 and 1776 after introduction of markings for the newly-created Congressional Post, ex Dunsmoor (Image)

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 E. $ 1,000-1,500

SOLD for $850.00
Will close during Public Auction
1126 c Image(Newburyport Mass. to Philadelphia via New York City, 1776) "NP -- 9.8". Manuscript postmark (9dwt 8gr) on folded letter addressed to Philadelphia, transited New York City with light manuscript "N York ford" and greenish-blue "N*YORK*MA:1" (Mar. 1, 1776) straightline struck on back, red manuscript "4/1" due in local currency (9dwt 8gr=28p x 1.67 inflation factor = 47p plus 2p carrier fee, or 4sh1p), letter content related to shipments of goods

VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE REVOLUTIONARY WAR COVER COMBINING THREE SCARCE MARKINGS, INCLUDING NEWBURYPORT AND NEW YORK FORWARDED MANUSCRIPTS AND THE NEW YORK GREENISH-BLUE CONGRESSIONAL POST STRAIGHTLINE.

Calvet M. Hahn recorded only two examples of this New York forwarding manuscript (Image)

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 E. $ 1,500-2,000

SOLD for $3,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

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