Pinkney's Express Post, New York N.Y., 2c Black on Green Glazed (115L1). Roughly separated with margins clear except at right, lettering is intact, three pen strokes, one of which was dry but ties the stamp, pencil "Paid" referring to Pinkney's fee, black "New-York 5 Cts. Oct. 5" due rate circular datestamp on cover to Suffield Conn., pencil docketing indicates 1851 year date, stamp with minor age spots

FINE. ONE OF FOUR RECORDED COVERS BEARING THE PINKNEY'S EXPRESS POST STAMP -- THIS IS THE ONLY TIED EXAMPLE.

The only clue to the location of this post is the discovery cover, ex Ferrary, which contains a letter datelined "Fourth Ave., 94 -- opposite 11th St.", which Elliott Perry discusses in detail in Pat Paragraphs (reprint, pp. 473-474). The other recorded covers provide no further clues, except that the dates range from July to November 1851. Perry located a few Pinkney's (or Pinckney's) in the city directories, but found no evidence linking any of them to the post.

Our records contain four covers with 115L1, which may represent all or most of the known examples: 1) Jul. 9, 1851 folded letter to Boston with corner sheet margin single, uncancelled, "New-York 5 Cts. Jul. 10" due datestamp, ex Ferrary, Boker; 2) "New-York 5 Cts. Oct. 5" (1851 docketing) due datestamp, 115L1 cut to shape, tied by pen on cover to Suffield Conn., ex Golden (Siegel Sale 817, lot 1413, realized $5,250 hammer); 3) Nov. 3, 1851 folded letter to Mary S. Purdy, Sing Sing N.Y., same correspondence as No. 4 listed here, 115L1 cut square, uncancelled, red "New-York Paid 3 Cts. Nov. 4" datestamp, ex Caspary, Lilly, Hall (Siegel Sale 830, lot 736, realized $8,500 hammer); and 4) cut to circular shape, uncancelled, on folded cover to Robert H. Purdy, Sing Sing N.Y., same correspondence as No. 3 listed here, "New-York 5 Cts. Oct. 4" (1851) due datestamp, ex Brown, Hall (Siegel Sale 830, lot 737, realized $3,250 hammer). A fifth cover exists with a remnant of the Pinkney's 115L1 stamp, addressed to Andrew Van Bergan, Tully N.Y., with "New-York 5 Cts. Aug. 28" (1851) due datestamp (appreciation to Stephen Gronowski for this citation). The two covers from the Purdy correspondence have a third mate, the White's Branch Express cover, ex Caspary and Middendorf, which is dated Apr. 30, 1852.

Ex Golden (Siegel Sale 817, lot 1413, realized $5,250 hammer). With 1999 P.F. certificate

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