The first US Postage Stamps were issued in New York City in 1842 for the US City Despatch Post. Operated Aug 16, 1842 – Nov 28, 1846. Scott Catalog 6LB1- 6LB7. Extensive research previously done by Larry Lyons and Scott Trepel. Original census of 6LB1 on cover by Larry Lyons published in The Penny Post, the official journal of the Carriers and Locals Society, affiliate 211 of the Am. Phil. Soc.
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| Scott Number | 6LB3 |
|---|---|
| Date | August 15, 1842 |
| From City | New York |
| From State | NY |
| To City | New York |
| To State | NY |
| Addressee | S. A. Wycoff & Co. |
| Cert Author | |
| Cert # | 591168 |
| Fake | |
| No. of Stamps | 1 |
| Off Cover? | |
| Other Stamps | |
| Notes | 3c black on light blue unglazed paper (6LB3) Aug 15 (1942) 9 o'clock Illustrated on the cover of the Feb 2025 Issue of the Chronicle of the US Classics Postal Issues (Vol 77, No. 1 Whole No. 285) with the caption – Is this the grandfather of all U. S. First day Covers? US City Despatch Post carrier stamp on a folded letter postmarked on August 15, 1842, the day the carrier post commenced operations under U. S. government ownership. PF 591168 (opinion missing) The abovementioned issue of the Chronical contains an article by Scott R. Trepel titled August 15, 1842: First Day of the First US Government Postage Stamp (pp. 20-22). Trepel writes : The stamp on the cover is the 3¢ Black on unsurfaced (not glazed surface) light blue paper, Scott 6LB3, and it comes from Position 3 in the right pane of the sheet of 50 (divided into two panes of 25). The stamp is cancelled by the U.S. in frame handstamp in red. The red circular datestamp reads CITY DESPATCH POST U.S. AUG 15 9 O’CLOCK. Overlapping the datestamp is a red PAID in arc handstamp and large manuscript “3” rate. The folded letter is addressed to Wyckoff & Co. at 102 Vesey Street. It has a docketing notation that reads “Farrington Price, In Bankruptcy, Aug 15/42.” The letter is actually a bankruptcy notice that had been prepared in upstate New York and sent (probably with others) to New York City for delivery. [Thanks to Jay Weiss for providing this information] |
