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| Scott Number | 1 |
|---|---|
| Date | February 14, 1852 |
| From City | New York |
| From State | NY |
| To City | Gilmanton Center |
| To State | NH |
| Addressee | Mrs. Margaret Badger |
| Cert Author | |
| Cert # | |
| Fake | NG |
| Quantity 1 | 1 |
| Quantity 2 | 0 |
| Bisect | |
| Others | 6LB10 |
Notes
Ashbrook Special Services cover 114
Photograph No. 114, illustrates a small valentine and a cover with a New York postmark in black with a date of "Feb 14," but no indication of actual year use. This is a brown envelope of thin paper' and the valentine which evidently was sent in this cover, was enclosed in the small glazed paper envelope as per photograph No. 115.
The envelope is addressed to Mrs. Margaret Badger, Gilmanton Center, New Hampshire.
Attached to the cover are two stamps, a 5c 1847 in the 1848 color, and incidentally a vary early print, and an exceedingly fine engraving. Unfortunately the stamp has a vertical crease at left. The other stamp is a New York Carrier, S. U. S. 6LB10 “ 1c Yellow, (S.U.S. page 249), apparently "tied" by a red "P'AID." The 5c 1847 is also apparently tie" by a red grid.
If you were offered this cover, would you question it? Here is a valentine that was evidently mailed from New York: on St. Valentine Day, Feb 14and the New York postmark reads 5 CTS and there is a 5c1 1847 on the cover. There is also a New York Carrier's stamp, and this stamp is listed in the S.U.S; "as on cover with a #l, or 5c 1847." Is anything wrong;, and, if so, what?
In my opinion, neither of' the two stamps were used on this cover, therefore, the valentine was sent unpaid from New York, with 5¢ due on delivery as per the5 CTS" in. the postmark. It seems odd that a person would mail a valentine and require the recipient to pay the postage, but perhaps it went to a wife or mother and the sender was a bit careless in this respect. The handwriting looks feminine so it may have been from a daughter. It was also mailed a bit late, and was not received until after Valentines Day.
What about the year of use? The shade and impression of the 5c stamp would indicate a use in 1848 but it could not have been that early because this type of New York postmark was not put into use before July of 1851. It was first place into use during that month at the New York Post Office to be applied to unpaid first-class mail. It will be recalled that commencing July 1, 1851, the domestic rate in the US (except to and from California and the west coast) was 3c per ½ oz if paid and 5c if unpaid. Therefore, the use of this cover was surely not earlier than Feb 1852 and after the 1847 stamps had been declared invalid for postal use. Further, the tie of the red grid on the cover is not genuine but a paint job and this also applies to the tie of the Carrier stamp to the cover. New York certainly did not use a red grid to cancel stamps in February 1852 or later.
As mentioned above, there is a bad vertical crease in the stamp but no crease in the cover, but a faker could explain this feature by stating the stamp had been creased before it was used.
A NICE STORY, BUT NOT TRUE
What a nice story this cover would make it' these two stamps had actually been used on this cover. I believe that this little valentine s4d its fancy envelope were mailed in this brown envelope and hers is the imaginary story. The Carrier stomp was used to convey the letter by a Carrier to the New York Post Office and a 5c 1847 stamp was used to pay the postage to New Hampshire (though the rate was 3c) but the use was 1852 or later and the New York Office refused recognition and rated the letter as unpaid with 5c due on delivery. A nice story but, unfortunately, not true. I note that I failed to mention that the 5c stamp has part of a town postmark in the left bottom corner, proving it came from some other cover.
Alexander listed as 2/14/52
Photograph No. 114, illustrates a small valentine and a cover with a New York postmark in black with a date of "Feb 14," but no indication of actual year use. This is a brown envelope of thin paper' and the valentine which evidently was sent in this cover, was enclosed in the small glazed paper envelope as per photograph No. 115.
The envelope is addressed to Mrs. Margaret Badger, Gilmanton Center, New Hampshire.
Attached to the cover are two stamps, a 5c 1847 in the 1848 color, and incidentally a vary early print, and an exceedingly fine engraving. Unfortunately the stamp has a vertical crease at left. The other stamp is a New York Carrier, S. U. S. 6LB10 “ 1c Yellow, (S.U.S. page 249), apparently "tied" by a red "P'AID." The 5c 1847 is also apparently tie" by a red grid.
If you were offered this cover, would you question it? Here is a valentine that was evidently mailed from New York: on St. Valentine Day, Feb 14and the New York postmark reads 5 CTS and there is a 5c1 1847 on the cover. There is also a New York Carrier's stamp, and this stamp is listed in the S.U.S; "as on cover with a #l, or 5c 1847." Is anything wrong;, and, if so, what?
In my opinion, neither of' the two stamps were used on this cover, therefore, the valentine was sent unpaid from New York, with 5¢ due on delivery as per the5 CTS" in. the postmark. It seems odd that a person would mail a valentine and require the recipient to pay the postage, but perhaps it went to a wife or mother and the sender was a bit careless in this respect. The handwriting looks feminine so it may have been from a daughter. It was also mailed a bit late, and was not received until after Valentines Day.
What about the year of use? The shade and impression of the 5c stamp would indicate a use in 1848 but it could not have been that early because this type of New York postmark was not put into use before July of 1851. It was first place into use during that month at the New York Post Office to be applied to unpaid first-class mail. It will be recalled that commencing July 1, 1851, the domestic rate in the US (except to and from California and the west coast) was 3c per ½ oz if paid and 5c if unpaid. Therefore, the use of this cover was surely not earlier than Feb 1852 and after the 1847 stamps had been declared invalid for postal use. Further, the tie of the red grid on the cover is not genuine but a paint job and this also applies to the tie of the Carrier stamp to the cover. New York certainly did not use a red grid to cancel stamps in February 1852 or later.
As mentioned above, there is a bad vertical crease in the stamp but no crease in the cover, but a faker could explain this feature by stating the stamp had been creased before it was used.
A NICE STORY, BUT NOT TRUE
What a nice story this cover would make it' these two stamps had actually been used on this cover. I believe that this little valentine s4d its fancy envelope were mailed in this brown envelope and hers is the imaginary story. The Carrier stomp was used to convey the letter by a Carrier to the New York Post Office and a 5c 1847 stamp was used to pay the postage to New Hampshire (though the rate was 3c) but the use was 1852 or later and the New York Office refused recognition and rated the letter as unpaid with 5c due on delivery. A nice story but, unfortunately, not true. I note that I failed to mention that the 5c stamp has part of a town postmark in the left bottom corner, proving it came from some other cover.
Alexander listed as 2/14/52
