Archives for September 2023

Unique double rate cover to England with 2 Shilling hand stamp and 1847 stamp.

First day of through rate between US and Canada. 6 April 1851. Before this date, pre-paid mail could only be sent to the border with domestic postage.

Largest unused multiple of the 10¢ 1847 US stamp. Known as the Bible Block since being found in a family bible more than a century ago. 10¢ Black (2), Positions 71-73/81-83R. Block of six (three by two) from the first three columns of the eighth and ninth rows of the right pane. Original gum, mostly […]

One of two known covers with the 1c 1851 stamp canceled by the small red Boston PAID in Grid handstamp. This unsealed printed circular was sent from Boston to Beverly, Mass., a Boston suburb, on July 14, 1851. Each circular was charged 1c per 1/2 oz. if sent less than 500 miles.

This is one of the very few (possibly unique) strips of 3 of the 5c 1856 imperforate issue cancelled with the iconic large Boston PAID in Grid cancels. The 15c rate is for 0-1/2 oz. letter sent on Dec. 22, 1857 from Boston to La Rochelle, France, per the U.S. postal agreement with France of […]