Mason's New Orleans City Express, New Orleans La., 2c Black on Yellow (102L2). Mostly large margins just barely in at corner ornaments, tied by criss-crossed red circular grid cancels, matching "Mason's Express 23 Royal St." in small circle handstamp and "N-Orls. City Express Post La. Mar. 25" circular datestamp on back, red "New Orleans La. Mar. 25 10" integral-rate circular datestamp on blue Mar. 24, 1851 folded letter to New York City street address, slight crease away from stamp

VERY FINE. ONE OF SIX RECORDED COVERS BEARING MASON'S NEW ORLEANS CITY EXPRESS 2-CENT STAMP, OF WHICH ONLY THREE ARE TIED TO THE COVER. A MAGNIFICENT LOCAL POST RARITY IN SUPERB CONDITION, BEARING ALL THREE MARKINGS ASSOCIATED WITH MASON'S POST.

Our records contain seven 102L2 stamps, including the following six on covers, listed chronologically: 1) Jul. 4 (1850 contents) New Orleans datestamp (10c rate), stamp with wide left sheet margin and cancelled (not tied) by Mason's small circle (no datestamp) on folded letter to Chas. T. Pollard, Montgomery Ala., ex Ackerman, Caspary, the cover offered in lot 292; 2) Dec. 26, 1850 folded letter locally addressed to J. R. Hyde, stamp tied by red grid, Dec. 27 company datestamp, ex Worthington, Caspary, Middendorf; 3) Mar. 25 (1851 contents) New Orleans datestamp (10c rate), stamp tied by red grid, Mar. 25 company datestamp on back of folded letter to Dr. Banks, New York City, ex Ferrary, Hollowbush, the cover offered here; 4) Apr. 21 (1851?) company datestamp, stamp cancelled by red grid on folded letter to Rev. Anthony Blane, Archbishop of New Orleans, P.F. records; 5) Jul. 4 (1851 contents) New Orleans datestamp (new 5c rate), stamp tied by Mason's small circle (no datestamp) on folded letter to Eleanor Fratherly, Sodus Pt. N.Y., ex Boker; and 6) Aug. 9 (1851 contents) New Orleans datestamp, "Way 6" and "Adv. 1" handstamps on Aug. 7 folded letter from Mobile to Carl Marten, New Orleans, stamp has trace of red ink but not cancelled, ex Golden. In addition to the six stamps on covers, we record one off-cover stamp on piece with the Mason's small circle (lot 294 in this sale).

This cover has all three markings associated with Mason's post: the grid, small circle and large circular datestamp.

Ex Ferrary and Hollowbush. From the Estate of Dr. Hubert C. Skinner. With 1966 and 2009 P.F. certificates

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