A Magnificent Civil War Era Condom. Two printed advertising circulars from Mr. (Isaac) De Young of Philadelphia, one begins "Sir,--I have herein enclosed you a specimen of an article which I have been selling in Philadelphia ever since the year 1830", accompanied by the original enclosures--a DeYoung condom measuring an ambitious nine inches in length, together with an advertising handbill to be placed in a prominent position in the store--the handbill "To the Public" extols the virtues of the product called "Cundumns", explaining "Single young men use them to prevent themselves from becoming diseased when having intercourse with women of a public character," and also recommending them to married couples "to save the lives of thousands of wives...as many females have some malformation by nature, which prevents them from having a child, without losing the life of one or both", not to mention the benefit to "people in poor circumstances, and who find no pleasure in raising subjects for alms houses, poor houses, or work houses, or to be a tax upon the people"; it also provides a quick tutorial in how it is to be put on "when the sexual member of the male is in a proper condition for the purpose"--accompanied by original transmittal cover with 3c Rose (65) tied by target cancel with "Phila. Pa. Jan. 26, 1865" circular datestamp, addressed to the Postmaster of Bradford Me. (postmasters often ran general stores where various products were sold), cover roughly opened and stained, enclosures also slightly stained, the condom itself is in excellent unused condition (thankfully); the 1873 Comstock Act made distribution of information about birth control a federal criminal offense, along with distributing pornography and just about anything else Anthony Comstock considered immoral; offered on behalf of Jeff Purser and Melissa Wheeler, retired auction agents, who have for years appreciated the rarity and special nature of this philatelic phallic object, and now wish to pass it on to others--very rare (we know of one other with a stamped cover and another without)

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