Sale 1144 — Smithsonian National Postal Museum Benefit Auction
Sale Date — Tuesday, 13 December, 2016
Category — Stampless Covers
Lot
Symbol
Photo/Description
Cat./Est. Value
Realized
1
(Boston Mass., 1777) "BOSTON". Bold straightline handstamp struck in red on back of August 15, 1777 folded letter to Portsmouth N.H., matching "21/AV" (Aug. 21) Franklin mark, manuscript "2" (dwt.) rate, written by John Williams to John Langdon about paying for repairs to a ship, docketed on back with clear yeardate, light vertical file fold does not affect markingsVERY FINE AND EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE "BOSTON" STRAIGHTLINE MARKING, STRUCK IN 1777.
Until the discovery of archival examples of the Boston straightline, no postal markings were known from Boston in 1776 and 1777, during the period following the British evacuation. The earliest reported use of a Confederation-period marking is in 1782.
E. 7,500-10,000
0
1A
Baskingridge (N.J.) Sept. 11. Fancy manuscript circular postmark with matching "8" rate (for less than 40 miles) on 1811 folded letter to Flemington N.J., clear evidence of the arc drawn by the postmaster with a compass to ensure his postmark would be circular, Extremely Fine, a beautiful and rare example of this fancy manuscript postmark, the only one recorded, ex Coles, illustrated in The Postal Markings of New Jersey Stampless Covers on p. 15, illustrated in Smithsonian National Postal Museum's Favorite Finds
E. 500-750
850
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