12c Navy (O41). Bright color and well-centered, tied by quartered cork cancel on "Official Business" Bureau of Ordinance corner card label for printed matter only and signed by chief clerk Samuel Ellis, label pasted on complete cloth-lined envelope, addressed to Rear Admiral A. A. Harwood in Marion Mass.

VERY FINE. AN INCREDIBLY RARE 12-CENT NAVY DEPARTMENT USE, BEING ONE OF ONLY FIVE RECORDED. THIS IS ONE OF TWO SOLO FRANKINGS KNOWN. AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF OFFICIAL POSTAL HISTORY.

Unlisted in the Campbell census (Chronicle 193, February 2002) which only lists two examples known. No. 51 (used with 3c) in his census is ex Lockyear and Hughes, No. 56 (used with 30c) is ex Starnes (Siegel Sale 945, realized $37,500 hammer), and the other unlisted cover (also used with 30c) is the newly-discovered Commodore Caldwell cover (Siegel Sale 1048, realized $15,000 hammer). We have reports that one other solo use is in private hands.

According to the Stanford Archives, the recipient of this package was Rear Admiral Andrew Allen Harwood (1802-1884), who was a great grandson of Benjamin Franklin. He began his career in the Navy as Midshipman on the USS Saranac in 1818 and ultimately retired in 1874 as Rear Admiral.

With 2013 P.F. certificate

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