(Cole's) Post Office City Despatch, New York N.Y., 2c Black on Green Glazed, Hand-Etched Sideways "C" at Left (40L4b). Position 3 with lefthand "C" etched into plate by hand (so-called "Sideways C" variety), worn impression with barest trace of hand-entered "C" at left -- previously described in Middendorf collection as "C" at Right Only variety (40L4c) and with 1991 P.F. certificate as such -- large margins to slightly in, cancelled by brownish-red "Free" in frame (not tied), matching strike with faint "P.O. City Despatch Post Apr. 30 -- O'Clock" (1850) circular datestamp on large part of folded letter to local street address, stamp and cover have faults, still exhibitable, one of six recorded covers with the Hand-Etched "C" at Left on Green paper, this city-delivery cover shows the revived use of the old "P.O. City Despatch Post" circular datestamp and "Free" during the period in 1849-50 when the "CC" stamps were typically used on covers taken to the post office for regular mail (see The City Despatch Post 1842-1852 Issues, pages 23-24), there are four such covers recorded and they bear a striking similarity to the 40L2 covers from the Cummings & Wright period (with double strike of "Free"), ex Golden, "New Amsterdam" and Stimmell, with 1991 P.F. certificate as No 40L4c and 2000 P.F. certificate as No. 40L4b (correct), listed but unpriced in Scott

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