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United States

United States Postal stationery

United States

United States Postal stationery

United States

Lot 2033

80.00 CAD

Live

1897 (August 6), cover from New York to Montreal, forwarded to Richmond, Quebec, franked with United States 2c Washington tied by Brooklyn

1897 (August 6), cover from New York to Montreal, forwarded to Richmond, Quebec, franked with United States 2c Washington tied by Brooklyn machine cancel, 1c Jubilee (sulphurized) affixed and tied by Montreal flag cancel (9 Aug) for forwarding, Richmond c.d.s. arrival backstamp (10 Aug), an unusual mixed-country franking paying the 3c domestic forwarding rate.

United States Postal stationery

Lot 2059

50.00 CAD

Live

1913 (December 4), United States 2c Washington postal stationery cover postmarked Cambridge, Massachusetts duplex, affixed with Canada 10c

1913 (December 4), United States 2c Washington postal stationery cover postmarked Cambridge, Massachusetts duplex, affixed with Canada 10c Special Delivery (Scott #E1) tied by same duplex, to Toronto, with two violet Special Delivery straight-line handstamps, next-day Toronto c.d.s. arrival backstamp, very fine.

United States

United States Pre-philately

United States

Lot 2163

50.00 CAD

Live

1844 (June 16), London to Charleston, South Carolina, transatlantic stampless folded letter, with family contents, struck with red circular

1844 (June 16), London to Charleston, South Carolina, transatlantic stampless folded letter, with family contents, struck with red circular BOSTON / MS. / SHIP (3 Jul) transit and matching red circular "27" rate marking representing the 2-cent ship fee plus 25-cent U.S. inland postage for distances exceeding 400 miles from Boston to Charleston, very fine. The letter provides an account of a father's medical crisis involving his young son Lenox in London, where multiple doctors including Sir James Clark discovered "an enlargement of the heart." The sender writes "Last night was the most awful night I ever spent," describing Lenox's quiet bravery and "most manly" conduct on ship despite "no desire" to see the sights of London due to his failing health.

United States Pre-philately

Lot 2309

60.00 CAD

Live

1773 (February 9), privately-carried better within Danvers, Essex County, Massachusetts, manuscript address to "Docter Samuel Holten," no

1773 (February 9), privately-carried better within Danvers, Essex County, Massachusetts, manuscript address to "Docter Samuel Holten," no postal markings, one-page contents datelined Danvers, February 9, 1773, signed by Israel Hutchinson, fine. The letter pertains to a discussion of local tax obligations and whether to appeal to the "Generals Court." Both correspondents would become prominent Revolutionary figures: the sender, Hutchinson, commanded 60 minute men at the Battle of Lexington and served as Colonel under Washington; Holten became a member of the Continental Congress and later served in the U.S. Congress.

Lot 2310

120.00 CAD

Live

1773 (c. May 18), PHILA / DELPHIA red two-line postmark on folded cover to West River, Maryland, addressed to Capt. Thomas Galloway, with

1773 (c. May 18), PHILA / DELPHIA red two-line postmark on folded cover to West River, Maryland, addressed to Capt. Thomas Galloway, with red manuscript "4" and "2" rate markings overlayed at upper right, reverse with bold red two-line Philadelphia handstamp and red "18 / MA" Bishop mark, no contents, some staining and imperfections, but a fine example of this scarce Philadelphia postmark.

Lot 2311

40.00 CAD

Live

1808 (June 18), Lexington, Kentucky, frontier contractor defying the Department of War, stampless folded letter to Washington City, black

1808 (June 18), Lexington, Kentucky, frontier contractor defying the Department of War, stampless folded letter to Washington City, black oval LEXINGTON / KENTUCKY (19 Jun) datestamp with manuscript "Free" franking, addressed to William Simmons, Accountant of the Department of War, minor edge wear and some toning along filing folds, else fine, with interesting contents. The letter is written by Charles Wilkins regarding a contentious financial dispute with the federal government, in which he boldly invites the Department of War to pursue "legal process," asserting that an "intelligent jury" would find in his favour upon settlement of a contract for military provisions, and declaring he will pay no claims until "justice is done to me in the settlement."

Lot 2312

40.00 CAD

Live

1809 (May 19), Bowling Green, Kentucky, manuscript cancel on stampless folded letter to Hartford, Kentucky, the contents pertaining to a

1809 (May 19), Bowling Green, Kentucky, manuscript cancel on stampless folded letter to Hartford, Kentucky, the contents pertaining to a plea of tresspass, bold "Paid 10" rate in manuscript, addressed to Charles Henderson, Clerk of the Ohio County Circuit Court, front with contemporary docketing tracking the legal progress of the case from October 1808 through August 1809 with entries for "rule to declare," "rule to plead," and itemised legal costs totalling $8.21½, some light staining, else fine.

Lot 2313

50.00 CAD

Live

1812 (June 4), Beverly, Massachusetts, to New York, stampless entire, red manuscript "Beverly June 4th" dispatch and manuscript "17" rate

1812 (June 4), Beverly, Massachusetts, to New York, stampless entire, red manuscript "Beverly June 4th" dispatch and manuscript "17" rate mark for the standard single letter rate between 150 and 300 miles, addressed to David Gelston Esq., Collector for the Port of New York, central filing fold, else a very fine example of this manuscript cancel. Written weeks before the outbreak of the War of 1812, the letter is a plea from the sender regarding her husband's imprisonment, entreating Gelston to "take bond" or bail for her husband, whom she believes has been victimised by "the extremity of the law" and "wrong storys" told by "low dirty" individuals. As Collector for the Port, Gelston held authority over maritime legal and financial bonds.

Lot 2314

200.00 CAD

Live

1814 (January 23), stampless folded letter from Lexington, Kentucky, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with War of 1812 contents, struck with

1814 (January 23), stampless folded letter from Lexington, Kentucky, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with War of 1812 contents, struck with Lexington oval in black (23 Jan), manuscript "25" cents rate, contemporary docketing reading "Drum Major Thos. Fant taken at Raisins was still alive" and "Jn. M. McCalla / Dat. 23 Jan. 1814 / Recd. 7 Feby. Do.," some staining, but a fascinating letter. The letter is from John McCalla to his father Andrew in Philadelphia. McCalla reports that "several soldiers, who were supposed to be killed in Dudley's defeat, have come in" after being held by the "savages," specifically noting that Patterson Clark and "our little Drum Major Thos Fant" were found alive among the Indians at the extremity of Lake Michigan, 250 miles from Detroit, and were sold to the French to escape their captors. He also reports several deaths in Lexington, including a Miss Smith whose demise was attributed to "imprudence in not wearing flannel" after dancing.

Lot 2315

60.00 CAD

Live

1815 (April 20), Bardstown, Kentucky, manuscript cancel on stampless folded letter to the Postmaster at Hardinsburg, with legal contents,

1815 (April 20), Bardstown, Kentucky, manuscript cancel on stampless folded letter to the Postmaster at Hardinsburg, with legal contents, manuscript "Free" franking at upper right, slight toning at left, else a clean cover, and an elusive manuscript cancel.

Lot 2316

50.00 CAD

Live

1818 (March 27), Charles Brickett Haddock stampless folded letter from Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts, to Hanover, New Hampshire,

1818 (March 27), Charles Brickett Haddock stampless folded letter from Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts, to Hanover, New Hampshire, ANDR / MS (30 Mar) c.d.s. in violet and manuscript "12½" rate at upper right, quite fresh and attractive, very fine. The letter is written by Charles Brickett Haddock (1796–1861), nephew of statesman Daniel Webster, the future professor at Dartmouth and U.S. Chargé d'Affaires to Portugal, during his final year at the Andover Theological Seminary, to Richard Lang, a prominent Hanover merchant and Haddock's future father-in-law, advocating for Lang's daughter Susan to spend a year in exclusive study. Haddock is also remembered as the originator of the railroad system in New Hampshire and the state's first school commissioner.

Lot 2317

60.00 CAD

Live

1821, stampless folded letter from St. Genevieve, Missouri Territory, to Cooper County, with scarce black oval St. Genevieve / Missouri

1821, stampless folded letter from St. Genevieve, Missouri Territory, to Cooper County, with scarce black oval St. Genevieve / Missouri handstamp (24 Apr) and two manuscript "18½" cent rates, internal contents comprising a series of entries written over a fourteen-month period from Dicks-River, Lincoln County (27 Feb 1820) through September 1820, the April 24 postmark establishing a despatch date of 1821 and thus a territorial usage mailed less than four months before Missouri statehood on 10 Aug 1821, the contents further referencing the "Reprevey Law" and noting the scarcity of circulating currency, manuscript "Favoured by Mr. John Cooke" notation, significant aging, but a rare territorial cancellation.

Lot 2318

50.00 CAD

Live

1823 (January 4), stampless folded letter from Chillicothe, Ohio, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with red oval Chillicothe, Ohio c.d.s. (4

1823 (January 4), stampless folded letter from Chillicothe, Ohio, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with red oval Chillicothe, Ohio c.d.s. (4 Jan) and manuscript "25" cent rate, two-part legal and financial archive comprising a primary letter headed "Marble Iron Works Jany 1st 1823" and a secondary legal addendum dated 3 Jan, toned at right, otherwise fine. The letter is from Samuel Massey to his Philadelphia creditors, explaining his inability to pay his debts following the reduction of his Marble Iron Works land holdings from fifteen hundred acres to just over two hundred by an old mortgage. Massey offers to settle using two notes totalling $4,300 held on "Messrs William Green & Co of Cincinnati," identifying General William Henry Harrison - the future 9th U.S. President - and Jacob Burnet as partners in that firm. Harrison was elected to the United States Senate the following year, though his term was cut short by his appointment as minister plenipotentiary to Gran Colombia in 1828.

Lot 2319

50.00 CAD

Live

1827 (September 20), prison reform stampless entire from Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts, to Boston, red ANDR / MS (20 Sep) c.d.s.

1827 (September 20), prison reform stampless entire from Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts, to Boston, red ANDR / MS (20 Sep) c.d.s. with matching red PAID strike and manuscript "6" rate at upper right, fresh and very fine. The letter, written by F.A. Strale, a student at the Andover Theological Seminary, to the Reverend William Jenks (1778–1866) in Boston, outlines a visionary project to "explore the Prisons and Penitentiaries in this country" for six months. The recipient, William Jenks, was a distinguished Harvard graduate and linguist who founded the first mission for seamen in Boston and served as pastor of the Green Street Church.

Lot 2320

90.00 CAD

Live

1828 (November 26), Beverly, Massachusetts, to Buxton, Maine, stampless entire, black manuscript "Beverly Ms Nov 26" dispatch

1828 (November 26), Beverly, Massachusetts, to Buxton, Maine, stampless entire, black manuscript "Beverly Ms Nov 26" dispatch and manuscript "18¾" rate mark for the single letter rate between 150 and 400 miles under the Act of 3 March 1825, addressed to Charles Coffin Esquire, signed by the eminent jurist and statesman Nathan Dane, slight separation reinforced with archival tape due to brittle paper, an otherwise fine and fascinating letter of historical interest to collectors of Massachusetts postal history. The letter represents a scholarly exchange between two historically significant figures regarding the colonial foundations of New England. Nathan Dane, former delegate to the Continental Congress and author of the Northwest Ordinance's ban on slavery, writes to Coffin providing detailed genealogical and historical research on the "seven Narragansett Townships," tracing the incorporation of these grants to the 1760s and identifying "Narragansett No. 1" as the precursor to the town of Buxton, elaborating on Major Samuel Appleton's military service in "Philip's Indian War in 1675," and tracing his own family lineage back to Philemon Dane.

Lot 2321

60.00 CAD

Live

1830 (March 12), stampless folded letter from Columbus, Ohio, to York, Pennsylvania, early black double-oval COLUMBUS / OHIO (16 Mar)

1830 (March 12), stampless folded letter from Columbus, Ohio, to York, Pennsylvania, early black double-oval COLUMBUS / OHIO (16 Mar) datestamp and manuscript "25" rate for distances between 150 and 400 miles, small red wax seal remnant, the contents with clear legible penmanship, some typical aging, fine. Written by Martin Shive to his father Lewis Shive, the letter explains his decision to move further west to Illinois, "500 or better miles below sensinatta [Cincinnati]" , drawn by better wages and traveling from Columbus to Dayton by canal boat to Cincinnati and then by steamboat to Illinois. Shive notes that he does not "make it practice of rambling a bout at Night nor gamble nor drink strong liquer," and that his "boss cabinetmaker" is a "relidges [religious] man" who will accompany him.

Lot 2322

30.00 CAD

Live

1830 (December 5), Philadelphia to Bordeaux, stampless translatic letter, with contents datelined New York, Dec 5th, PHIL c.d.s. in red (9

1830 (December 5), Philadelphia to Bordeaux, stampless translatic letter, with contents datelined New York, Dec 5th, PHIL c.d.s. in red (9 December), matching red PAID straight-line, rated "25" and "10" in manuscript, to Bordeaux, France, endorsed "per Packet for France", struck with boxed "PER D'OUTRE MER / PAR LE HAVRE", black French arrival backstamp (9 Janv), fresh and fine.

Lot 2323

90.00 CAD

Live

1832 (February 22), transatlantic stampless folded letter from West Meredith, New York, to Kelso, Scotland, with family

1832 (February 22), transatlantic stampless folded letter from West Meredith, New York, to Kelso, Scotland, with family contents, manuscript West Meredith at upper left, manuscript "Paid 18¾" U.S. inland postage, manuscript "1/7" British rate representing the 8d ship letter fee plus 11d inland carriage, reverse with framed Liverpool / Ship Letter transit (22 Mar) and scarce boxed Carlisle Add'l ½ handstamp applied as the letter entered the mail coach service to the Borders, and Kelso arrival c.d.s. (22 Mar), with enclosed two-page manuscript legal bond dated 18 Feb 1832, fine-very fine; a scarce small-town origin for transatlantic mail.