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| Scott Number | 2 |
|---|---|
| Date | July 2, 1847 |
| From City | New York |
| From State | NY |
| To City | Indianapolis |
| To State | IN |
| Addressee | Clerk of the Marion Circuit Court |
| Cert Author | PF |
| Cert # | 211438 |
| Fake | |
| Quantity 1 | 0 |
| Quantity 2 | 2 |
| Bisect | |
| Others |
Notes
One of the most famous and valuable envelopes (or covers as philatelists refer to them) is the first recorded usage of these stamps “ a pair of the Ten Cent stamps on a cover from New York City to Indianapolis, Indiana used on July 2, 1847. No other such cover exists dated this early.
The July 2, 1847 cover bearing the Ten Cent 1847 Issue was discovered in 1972 between the pages of a book in a library of an Indianapolis tax consultant. Prior to its discovery, the earliest recorded usage of the 1847 Issue was a July 7th cover bearing a single Five Cent stamp. To date, this July 2nd cover remains the earliest known usage of a United States postage stamp.
Alexander listed as 7/2/47
PF 211438
2 1847 10¢ black
LEFT MARGIN HORIZONTAL PAIR, RED GRID & BLUE MS. CANCELS, ON COVER TO INDIANAPOLIS, IN. RED 2 JULY PMK & MS 8 JULY 1847 FILING DATE.
AND WE ARE OF THE OPINION THAT
It Is Genuinely Used On Cover CANCELLED JULY 2,(1847), THE EARLIEST REPORTED USAGE, TO THIS DATE
Christie's sale 7180 Oct 25-26, 1990 lot 811 realized 132,000
Christie's sale 7948 Sep 21, 1994 lot 4012 realized 112,500
The second image is cropped at left but is sharper than the first image.
The stamps are positions 61 and 62 from the left pane and may be the first two sold. (Postmaster Robert Morris received stamps from 3rd Asst PMG John Marron on July 1st and may have divided several sheets among his clerks). They are tied by multiple strikes of the NY red square grid and by blue pen cancel at the bottom of the rightmost stamp.
The July 2, 1847 cover bearing the Ten Cent 1847 Issue was discovered in 1972 between the pages of a book in a library of an Indianapolis tax consultant. Prior to its discovery, the earliest recorded usage of the 1847 Issue was a July 7th cover bearing a single Five Cent stamp. To date, this July 2nd cover remains the earliest known usage of a United States postage stamp.
Alexander listed as 7/2/47
PF 211438
2 1847 10¢ black
LEFT MARGIN HORIZONTAL PAIR, RED GRID & BLUE MS. CANCELS, ON COVER TO INDIANAPOLIS, IN. RED 2 JULY PMK & MS 8 JULY 1847 FILING DATE.
AND WE ARE OF THE OPINION THAT
It Is Genuinely Used On Cover CANCELLED JULY 2,(1847), THE EARLIEST REPORTED USAGE, TO THIS DATE
Christie's sale 7180 Oct 25-26, 1990 lot 811 realized 132,000
Christie's sale 7948 Sep 21, 1994 lot 4012 realized 112,500
The second image is cropped at left but is sharper than the first image.
The stamps are positions 61 and 62 from the left pane and may be the first two sold. (Postmaster Robert Morris received stamps from 3rd Asst PMG John Marron on July 1st and may have divided several sheets among his clerks). They are tied by multiple strikes of the NY red square grid and by blue pen cancel at the bottom of the rightmost stamp.
