Bishop's City Post, Cleveland, Ohio, (1¢) Blue (10LB1), vertical pair, margins mostly clear to ample except bottom right corner where nicked, tiny tear at bottom, pencil cancel which is faint but clearly impressed through to the envelope (effectively tying the pair), affixed by carrier to indicate payment of 2¢ delivery fee on inbound 1854 cover to Cleveland street address, 3¢ Dull Red, Type II (11A), three huge margins to clear at bottom, tied by "Ogdensburgh N.Y. Aug. 9" circular datestamp

Very Fine; cover has very slight wear at edges.

An outstanding carrier issue rarity. This is the only recorded multiple of the Bishop's City Post Blue carrier stamp--either on or off cover--and it is also one of only seven recorded covers with this rarity.

Henry S. Bishop was appointed to operate the Cleveland carrier department on December 21, 1853. Research by Elliott Perry shows that Bishop became an employee of the post office on July 1, 1854, but the city post continued to function, with or without his direct participation. Bishop issued two stamps: the 10LB1 Blue with blank oval, presumably designed to accommodate more than one denomination; and the 10LB2 Black with 2¢ value. Both are very rare. The census by Thomas F. Allen (19th Century Cleveland, Ohio, Postal Markings) records seven 10LB1 covers; of these, only one cover has the stamp tied by a cancel and only this cover is addressed to Cleveland with the 2¢ delivery fee paid by stamps.

Ex Frank A. Hollowbush, David Golden, D.K. Collection and Joseph Hackmey. Signed by George B. Sloane. With 1999 P.F. certificate.

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