UNITED STATES LOCALS continued...

FINE AND PRESENTABLE APPEARANCE. THE ST. LOUIS CITY DELIVERY STAMP IS EXTREMELY RARE ON COVER.

This post operated illegally for a brief period of time. Examples of the stamp properly used are very rare. A cover in our 2000 Rarities sale (ex Schwartz) realized $2,500 hammer, and another cover in Sale 841 realized $5,000 hammer. (Image)

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE SPENCE & BROWN TYPESET STAMP. THIS IS THE ONLY KNOWN UNUSED EXAMPLE OF THIS MAJOR PHILADELPHIA LOCAL POST RARITY.

Elliott Perry located two likely candidates for ownership of the mysterious Spence & Brown's Express Post of Philadelphia (see Pat Paragraphs reprint, p. 463, see also Steven M. Roth, Penny Post, Oct. 1993). City directories cited by Perry show James K. Spence as a "collector" (e.g. bill collector) at 48 South 6th Street from 1846-48 and Emmanuel D. Brown, also a "collector" at 21 South 7th Street in 1846 and at different addresses each year through 1850. One of the two recorded stampless covers with the stencil marking is dated July 21, 1848, and the 159L2 cover is dated Jan. 28, 1848.

Of the typeset stamp, only two examples are recorded: 1) part original gum, slight creases, ex Lilly and Hall (Siegel Sale 830, lot 755, realized $9,000 hammer), the stamp offered here, and 2) "Paid" ms. cancel, ex Boker, Golden (Siegel Sale 817, lot 1481, realized $10,500 hammer). It is not known on cover.

Ex Lilly and Hall. (Image)

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. PRIOR TO THE DISCOVERY OF A BLOCK OF 25, THIS WAS THE ONLY KNOWN MULTIPLE OF THE SPENCE & BROWN HORSE-AND-RIDER STAMP -- IT REMAINS THE MOST ATTRACTIVE OF THE GROUP.

The block of 25, which is creased and stained, was divided into smaller units after its discovery. This rejoined pair does not come from the block, and its condition is fresher and more attractive.

Ex Lilly and Hall (Siegel Sale 830, lot 756, realized $4,000 hammer). Scott Retail $3,000.00 as two singles. (Image)

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE EXAMPLE OF A SQUIER & COMPANY STAMP TIED BY THE ST. LOUIS CIRCULAR DATESTAMP. VERY FEW SUCH TIED USAGES EXIST.

Ex Chase and Piller (Image)

VERY FINE. ONE OF SEVEN RECORDED COVERS WITH THE STATEN ISLAND EXPRESS POST 3-CENT STAMP, OF WHICH FIVE ARE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH BOYD'S. POSSIBLY THE EARLIEST USE OF THE STATEN ISLAND EXPRESS POST STAMPS.

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 (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), the cover offered here, Siegel Sale 761, lot 125, 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.

Under ultraviolet light there is no evidence of a removed stamp (U.S. postage), and the local stamp shows strong gum aging thru the lettersheet. Nevertheless, it is remarkable that the letter entered the mails with such a weak strike of the New York datestamp. (Image)