(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 markings

VERY 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.

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