Sale 1291 — United States Postal History
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 25-26 July, 2023
Category — Carriers, Locals, Western Express
U.S. City Despatch Post, New York N.Y., 3c Black on Grayish (6LB1). Cancelled by lightly inked but strongly impressed orange-red "U.S." in frame (ties thru lettersheet), matching "U.S. City Despatch Post Sep. 19 1 O'Clock" (1842) Type I double-line circular datestamp on folded cover to local address, stamp has minor stains and wrinklesA FINE STAMP AND ATTRACTIVE COVER. ONE OF ONLY NINETEEN RECORDED COVERS WITH GREIG'S 3-CENT STAMP USED FOR UNITED STATES CITY DESPATCH POST CARRIER SERVICE -- THE FIRST STAMP ACCEPTED AS GOVERNMENT POSTAGE.
In August 1842 the privately-owned City Despatch Post was bought out and re-established as the carrier department of the New York City post office. Stamps sold by Greig for the City Despatch Post remained valid for prepayment of carrier fees and were used months after the buyout. In the period before U.S. City Despatch Post stamps were issued, the use of Greig's stamps has provisional status among collectors. By September 1842, the mailing date of this cover, Greig's stamps in public hands were accepted concurrently with the government carrier issues (6LB3 and 6LB5, primarily). The carrier stamp, 6LB1, can be distinguished from 40L1 only when cancelled with the "U.S."-designated cancel or postmark. Such examples are very rare, with nineteen covers contained in the Lyons census, as well as ten off-cover stamps. Of the 19 6LB1 covers recorded by Lyons, only 15 are confirmed as genuine full covers (two are fronts or pieces, one is unconfirmed, and a fourth 6LB1 stamp is on an 1844 cover).
Ex Hind and Mirsky. With 1999 P.S.E. certificate
