1c Blue, Ty. II (7). Large margins to clear, used with 3c Dull Red, Ty. II (11A), margins to in, 1c tied by "West Cambridge Ms. Feb. 11" circular datestamp on bluish gray cover addressed to John A. Pattee, in care of Pattee & Macfarlane in New York City, stamps used to create an elaborate hand-drawn illustration of Washington driving a horse and wagon with Franklin on back thumbing his nose at a dog, 3c light creases and few toned spots

VERY FINE. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS AND EXTRAORDINARY OF ALL AMERICAN HAND-DRAWN COVERS, ORIGINATING FROM THE FAMOUS PATTEE CORRESPONDENCE. ONE OF ONLY TWO PATTEE COVERS EXECUTED IN COLOR, BOTH OF WHICH DEPICT WASHINGTON AND FRANKLIN IN HUMOROUS CARTOONS.

The partnership of Pattee & Macfarlane, dealers in hardware and cutlery, was announced on February 1, 1855, in the New York Evening Post. The partnership announcement allows us to narrow the date range in which this cover was mailed to February 1855-57. We are aware of approximately eight to ten covers from the Pattee correspondence. Five of these were offered in the Matthies sale, at the same time as the majority of covers from the famous Angell correspondence of Union Patriotics to Europe. Of the Pattee covers, two stand out from the rest -- the cover offered here, and one of Washington and Franklin seated at a table (ex Grunin). These are the only two drawn in color.

Ex Matthies (Siegel Sale 353, May 20-21, 1969)

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