3c Orange Brown, Ty. II (10A). Two strips of three, one a left sheet-margin strip, deep rich color, both tied by red circular grids, matching "U.S. Express Mail N.Y. N York 19 Dec." route agent's circular datestamp on folded cover to Boston, manuscript "Paid" notation and docketed on back "New York 19th Dec. 1851 Clary & Co", file folds thru both strips and inconsequential small nicks in sheet margin of top strip and in bottom margin of bottom strip

A SPECTACULAR SIX-TIMES RATE NEW YORK U.S. EXPRESS MAIL COVER TO BOSTON, FRANKED WITH TWO STRIPS OF THE 1851 3-CENT ORANGE BROWN.

While pairs of the 3c Orange Brown on cover are sometimes encountered, strips of three or larger are rare, particularly paying a domestic rate. The census of 3c 1851-57 stamps paying multiple domestic rates compiled by William K. McDaniel and published in the 1851 Sesquicentennial book contains only two examples bearing multiples of No. 10 or 10A. Both of these examples are franked with three pairs paying a multiple of the over-3,000 miles rate. This cover does not appear in the census. This is the largest on-cover franking we have offered since the strip of six and pair on cover to Liverpool in our 1998 Sevenoaks sale

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