Prince's Letter Dispatch, Portland Me., (unstated value) Black (122L1). Large margins to full, used with 3c Rose (65) and tied together by "Boston Mass. Jan. 6" duplex circular datestamp on cover to Roxbury Mass., slightly reduced at right, some slight waterstaining

VERY FINE AND CHOICE. ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL INDEPENDENT MAIL USES FROM THE ONLY STEAMBOAT CARRIER TO ISSUE STAMPS.

Prince's Letter Dispatch was established by J. H. Prince of Portland, Maine, and carried mail by steamboat to Boston, which is probably why it continued to function without government interference as late as 1869. The pictorial stamps used by Prince were engraved and printed by Lowell & Brett of Boston (Lowell's imprint appears below the steamboat vignette). Although an abundant supply of unused stamps reached philatelic hands, genuinely used stamps are extremely rare. Larry Lyons records eleven Prince 122L1 covers, including fronts only (The Penny Post, October 2002).

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