United States and Confederate States Postal History continued...

A FINE AND EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT 1847 ISSUE USED ON THE DISTINCTIVE VERMONT & BOSTON TELEGRAPH LINE ILLUSTRATED ENVELOPE.

This well-known telegraph company design illustrates ships, a train, post rider, postman and turtle, above which is a telegraphic lightning bolt connected to a hand and quill, the obvious implication being that the telegraph beats all other forms of communication.

The better-known example of this envelope with the 1847 Issue is the cover sold in our auction of the Leonard Kapiloff collection (Sale 742, lot 90, realized $13,000 hammer). Both covers are addressed to Miss Sophia H. Ring at Springfield, Massachusetts. The ex-Kapiloff cover is postmarked at Middlebury, Vermont (Dec. 18), and the 5c stamp is tied by criss-crossed blue grids. It is not known why this previously unrecorded cover was not also postmarked at Middlebury, but the use of pencil to cancel (and tie) the 5c stamp suggests it may have been carried outside the mails (by express) or by railroad. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM STAMP TIED BY THE DISTINCTIVE WILKES BARRE RECTANGULAR GRID OF SQUARES. ONE OF TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE 1847 ISSUE WITH THIS CANCELLATION (PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT TO BE UNIQUE ON COVER).

The other cover with the same markings is dated September 29 and comes from the same correspondence (ex Rohloff, Haas, Garrett and Kapiloff, last sold in our Sale 743, where it realized $2,600 hammer). An off-cover stamp with the Wilkes Barre Grid of Squares cancel realized $4,950 in a Christie's Sep. 1991 auction. This cover has not seen the light of day for more than sixty years. The "YS" source code on the back indicates it was bought from Y. Souren. (Image)