10c Black (2). Intense shade and proof-like impression on strongly blued paper, large to huge margins--especially wide at sides--cancelled by Montreal 7-ring target perfectly centered on stamp, strong impression of outer ring ties through paper, used on folded letter from Montreal, Canada, to New York City, datelined "Bank of Montreal, Montreal 22 June 1852" to D. S. Kennedy, beneath the 10c stamp is a red "PAID" straightline handstamp applied at Montreal--stamp carefully affixed over the marking at the Montreal office--red "Montreal L.C. Ju 22 1852" rimless circular datestamp and matching "CANADA" in framed arc cross-border handstamp, prepayment with the demonetized 10c 1847 accepted at New York City, as indicated by the red curved "PAID" handstamp applied on arrival, vertical file folds clear of stamp

EXTREMELY FINE. AN ENORMOUSLY RARE COVER IN THE FINEST QUALITY IMAGINABLE, SHOWING USE OF THE DEMONETIZED 10-CENT 1847 ISSUE FROM CANADA, WHICH THE MONTREAL POST OFFICE NOT ONLY ACCEPTED, BUT CANCELLED WITH ITS OWN 7-RING TARGET. FEW SUCH COVERS EXIST, AND NONE IS FINER THAN THE COVER OFFERED HERE

The U.S.-Canada postal treaty, effective April 6, 1851, established the prepaid rate of 6p in Canada and 10c in the U.S. The customary use of 1847 Issue stamps on letters from Canada to the U.S. continued after the April 1851 treaty, and even sporadically after the 1847s were demonetized in the U.S. after June 30, 1851. Very few are known, and the most desirable have the 1847 stamps cancelled in Canada. The late Creighton C. Hart, an 1847 specialist, remarked: "the masterpieces of this period have the stamps cancelled in Canada evidencing that a Canadian post office accepted U.S. stamps to pay Canadian postage."

The USPCS 1847 census lists nine genuine covers showing use of 1847 stamps from Canada after April 6, 1851, excluding one from New Brunswick (see table at right). Two of these are the Beaver covers with mixed frankings. Apart from the two mixed-franking covers, which are really in a separate class, there are four 10c covers (three with singles, one with two singles) and three 5c covers (one with a pair, one with two singles, and one with a single).

Five of the recorded covers have the stamps cancelled by the Canadian target, and on one by the Montreal datestamp (these appear in red in the table). We consider the cover with the 5c pair (no. 260) and the two with 10c stamps (no. 283 and this cover, no. 285), all of which have the stamps tied by the 7-ring target, to be the three finest of their kind.

This cover and another cover from the E. D. Morgan correspondence (no. 283) show similar use of the 10c 1847 Issue from Montreal after demonetization. The red italicized "Paid" on this letter is covered by the stamp, so it must have been applied before the stamp was affixed. One scenario is that a stack of letters was brought to the post office, and the receiving clerk marked each one "Paid" in expectation of receiving cash or charging postage to the sender's box account, as was frequently done with this correspondence. The Bank of Montreal employee who brought the mail then handed over one or more 1847 stamps and requested to have them honored as prepayment. Possibly aware that the addressee, D. S. Kennedy, was the Canadian government's fiscal agent in the U.S., the clerk was accommodating. However, he hedged his accommodation by affixing the 10¢ over the "Paid," cancelling it and letting New York decide whether or not to accept the stamp. The New York "Paid" indicates they did.

USPCS census no. 285. Ex Henry C. Gibson, Sr. (Ward sale, Jun. 14-15, 1944, lot 18, to Hall), John H. Hall, Jr. (2000 Rarities of the World, Sale 824, lot 81, to Gross), William H. Gross (Sale 1188, lot 27, to "Yellowstone"). Discussed in Ashbrook's Special Service (#81, p. 656).

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