Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

Boyd's Stampless Markings:

Lot

Lot Description

703

FREE. Red straightline handstamp struck twice and very boldly (as if to advertise the service) with clear red "Boyd's City Express Post, May 24 2 O'C" oval datestamp on 1845 folded letter to the New York Herald, a charming complaint (for publication) about noise emanating from a "dancing and singing" house near Greenwich Street at all hours of the night (some things never change), faint fingerprint on front, Extremely Fine, one of the four or five known examples of Boyd's free-to-the-press service, ex Abt (Image)

E. 400-500

704

FREE. Red straightline with "Boyd's City Express Post, Apr. 28 12" oval datestamps on folded printed circular to local street address, worn along file fold, still Fine and scarce (Image)

E. 150-200

705

John Wheeler MC. Free frank on small cover to Joseph Wheeler Jr., "Boyd's City Express Post, Feb. 10 2" oval datestamp, ms. "Not at Union P Hotel", lines thru Boyd's marking indicate that the senior congressman Wheeler wrote the note and franked the cover for drop mailing, Very Fine and unusual (Image)

E. 100-150

706

Boyd's City Express Post, May 6 9 O'C. Red oval datestamp on folded letter from Lansingburgh N.Y. to local street address, ms. "Collect 6-1/4" and clear strike of "Collect/6/Cents" handstamp, Extremely Fine, choice combination of inter-city express and Boyd's service (Image)

E. 200-300

707

Boyd's City Express Post. Three strikes of red oval datestamp, each different, two attempted and one final delivery, on Aug. 1847 folded letter to local street address, redirections in manuscript, faint waterstains, still Fine and very unusual (Image)

E. 200-300

708

"Important John T. Boyd". Manuscript endorsement on cover to local street address, "Boyd's City Express Post, Mar. 12 2" oval datestamp with "Paid/J.T.B." in frame, New York Tribune return card on flap, Extremely Fine, no indication of premium rate, but clearly an example of Boyd's special service (Image)

E. 300-400

709

Boyd's 3c Rate. One cover and one folded letter, both to local street addresses, each marked "Paid 3 cts" with Boyd's oval and "Paid/J.T.B." in frame, letter dated 1855 (no date on other cover), Very Fine, Boyd's charged 2c for city letters, these are clearly special 3c rates (Image)

E. 400-500

710

TELEGRAPHIC. Large blue straightline with black "Boyd's City Express Post, Feb. 20 12" oval datestamp on brown cover to local street address, flap partly torn, Fine, extremely scarce telegraph usage -- the only one Abt had seen (Image)

E. 200-300

711

Boyd's City Express Post, Jul. 6 2 O'C. Oval datestamp on folded letter datelined St. Louis Mo. Jun. 26, 1852, to New York City, carried by hand and given to Boyd's for the post office, "New-York 1 Ct. Jul. 6" drop-letter due datestamp, writing shows thru, from a missionary doing work in pioneer lands, Fine and unusual usage (Image)

E. 200-300

712

Boyd's City Express Post, Jan. 16 1. Dirty red oval datestamp (1850) on Nov. 1849 folded cover from Italy to New York City via Paris forwarder, black and red Italian datestamps, "8" decimes due, blue "Greene & Co." backstamp, carried outside the mails to N.Y.C. and given to Boyd's for delivery to local street address, transatlantic postage avoided, Very Fine and most unusual inbound usage (Image)

E. 200-300

713

Boyd's City Express Post, May 6 12. Oval datestamp with "Paid/J.T.B." two-line handstamp on folded letter from San Francisco, Apr. 1, 1851, to pastor or Amity Street Church, routing "Pr Steamer Via Panama", there is an inked address at lower left and different pencil address on back -- one wonders if this arrived in an outer envelope and was redirected using Boyd's service -- light folds, Fine and rare early transcontinental usage (Image)

E. 200-300

714

Bootlegged Foreign Mail to New York City via Boyd's. Four 1850-54 folded letters, three originating in France, one in Canada, each with Boyd's oval datestamp for local delivery, three from France have either forwarder's ovals or conspicuous routing on the front, Canadian letter datelined with origin, Very Fine and scarce group showing how the illegal transport of letters and use of Boyd's could save postage (Image)

E. 400-500

715

Boyd's City Despatch, 1 Park Place, Paid. Serrated oval handstamp on two covers, each with purple "Boyd's City Dispatch, 1 Park Place" oval datestamp, local street addresses, one (yellow envelope) slightly dicolored, still Very Fine, these appear to be unlisted prepaid handstamped entires

E. 100-150

716

Boyd's City Express Post, Oct. 2(8). Partly readable oval datestamp with "Paid/J.T.B." in frame, red "Broadway Post Office Oct. 27" double-circle datestamp struck once, overstruck by same marking with Oct. 28 date, matching "Paid" in wide arc on blue folded cover (undated) to Park Place address, Very Fine, the Broadway Post Office double-circle is an extremely rare marking -- beginning in late 1859 and into 1860 examples are found used in conjunction with Boyd's markings, which has led to speculation that an arrangement existed between Lockwood's Broadway and Chatham Square posts and Boyd's, whereby letters would be received at the former offices and delivered by the latter -- the rarity of such items leaves many unanswered questions -- this cover is noted in Abt's CCP series (Vol. 29, No. 4, p. 230) (Image)

E. 750-1,000

717

Boyd's City Express Post, Sep. 6 4. Oval datestamp with "Paid/J.T.B" in frame, partly readable red "Broadway Post Office Sep. 6" double-circle datestamp and "Paid" in wide arc on small cover to 795 Broadway, markings applied over remnants and gum residue of stamps peeled off before mailing -- another example of conjunctive markings of Lockwood's Broadway Post Office and Boyd's City Express -- ex Abt and illustrated in his CCP series (Vol. 29, No. 4, p. 231) (Image)

E. 500-750

718

Boyd's City Express, New York N.Y., 1c Black on Green (20L15). Three large margins, in at bottom, tied by "Paid/J.T.B." two-line handstamp, "Boyd's City Express Post, Jul. 18 4" oval datestamp, partly readable strike of red "Chatham Square P.O. N.Y." double-circle datestamp on cover to William St., 1860 receipt docketing, minor flap tear, Very Fine, extremely rare use of Chatham Square double-circle on cover with Boyd's stamp -- see lot 716 for background to this cover -- ex Abt, discussed and illustrated in his CCP series (Vol. 29, No. 4, p. 227) (Image)

E. 750-1,000

719

Boyd's City Express Post, Jan. 10 2. Oval datestamp with "Paid/J.T.B." in frame, red "Chatham Square P.O. N.Y. Jan. 10" double-circle datestamp and "Paid" straightline on small blue cover to Broadway address, tattered and flap missing, clear strikes and worth restoring for exhibition, these are extremely rare conjunctive markings (see lot 719 for background) (Image)

E. 200-300

720

Boyd's City Express Post, Oct. 6 9. Oval datestamp clearly struck with "Paid/J.T.B." two-line handstamp, blue "Gregory's/Express Office./San Francisco." three-line handstamp with matching "Paid" in oval on brown cover to New York City street address, pressed to smooth out edge wrinkles, some light toning, Very Fine, scarce example of Boyd's delivery of express mail from California (Image)

E. 400-500

721

Boyd's City Express Post, Nov. 17 4. Oval datestamp, red "Wells, Fargo & Co. Express, San Francisco" double-line oval with matching "Paid" in oval on Oct. 19, 1852 folded letter to New York City street address, file folds, Very Fine, attractive and scarce conjunctive use of California express and Boyd's (Image)

E. 400-500

722

Boyd's Dispatch, 39 Fulton St. Oct. 20, 1867. Circular datestamp and "Paid" in circle on 3c Pink entire to New York City street address, Holladay Overland Mail and Express Company printed frank, blue "Wells, Fargo & Co. Helena, Montana, Sep. 4, 1867" double-circle datestamp, very slight wear, still Very Fine, rare combination of Holladay express frank and Boyd's delivery (Image)

E. 750-1,000

723

Boyd's City Post, 39 Fulton St. Nov. 23. Circular datestamp on 3c Pink entire to Metropolitan Hotel in New York City, Wells, Fargo & Co. printed frank, blue "Wells, Fargo & Co. San Francisco, Oct. 12" oval datestamp, small tear at top right corner, Very Fine, attractive and scarce California express usage (Image)

E. 500-750

724

Boyd's Dispatch, 39 Fulton St. Jun. 6. Circular datestamp and "Paid" straightline on 3c Pink entire to New York City street address, Wells, Fargo & Co. printed frank, Very Fine (Image)

E. 300-400

725

Boyd's Stampless Markings. Collection of 56 covers, two advertising pieces and 10c Banknote stamp with Boyd's handstamp, mounted on pages, many from the Abt collection, includes red ovals (16), black ovals (23), circular datestamps (7), later oval types (7), 1899-1903 advertising covers (3), small card announcing reopening of post in mid-December 1860 and a later circular advertising services, some more unusual usages such as bootlegged mail, comic Valentine, printed circulars, advertising covers, many choice strikes, the ideal lot for expansion and study

E. 750-1,000

Part II - LOCALS A - G continued...