Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc.

FINE APPEARANCE. THE DISCOVERY COPY AND TO DATE THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE CITY EXPRESS POST TYPESET STAMP. A UNIQUE LOCAL POST ISSUE.

Robson Lowe attributed the City Express Post to Calvin Tyson and claimed that D. O. Blood bought the business on November 26, 1846. Subsequent research by Steven M. Roth has failed to find the source documentation to substantiate (or refute) Lowe's statements. In fact, little is known about this post, except that it existed from 1844 to 1846 and issued stamps in 1846, this much is known from the surviving covers with handstamped markings and adhesives.

The stamp on this cover is photographed in the Ferrary sale catalogue (10th sale, lot 106), and it appears from the photo that the stamp was off cover. It is offered here with a 1990 P.F. certificate stating "genuinely used on cover", which was obtained by Richard Frajola at the time of the Middendorf private treaty offering. Other than the Ferrary photo, we have no reason to dispute the P.F.'s opinion, but we guarantee only the genuineness of this stamp, not the usage on this cover.

Ex Ferrary, Gibson (acquired from Perry), Lilly and Middendorf. With 1990 P.F. certificate. (Image)

FRESH AND VERY FINE. ONE OF SIX RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE CITY EXPRESS POST STAMP ON PINK PAPER, OF WHICH FIVE ARE KNOWN ON COVERS. ONE OF THE RAREST AND MOST DISTINCTIVELY-DESIGNED LOCAL POST STAMPS EXTANT.

Our records concur with Steven M. Roth's census of City Express Post stamps published in The Penny Post (Oct. 1993). There are six confirmed examples of 44L2 (Roth A-F numbered 1-6 as follows, with date corrections): 1) uncancelled on Jan. 5, 1846 printed circular to Burlington N.J., Jan. 8 datestamp and "2", ex Gibson, Ward, Middendorf, offered in the following lot, 2) uncancelled, tied by filing crease on Apr. 27, 1846 folded letter to NYC (Estes correspondence), Apr. 28 datestamp, "Paid" and "5", ex Emerson, Knapp, Mason, Hollowbush, the cover offered in this lot, 3) uncancelled, tied by filing crease on May 4, 1846 folded letter to NYC (Estes correspondence), May 4 datestamp, "Paid" and "5", ex Chapman, Caspary, Boker, Lilly, 4) uncancelled, on undated cover to Miss E. L. Townsend, Philadelphia, ex Ferrary, Caspary, 5) uncancelled, used on folded cover/letter to Wm. H. Richards, NYC, blue Jul. 19 (1846?) datestamp and "Paid", ex Boker, and 6) uncancelled, on piece with part Jul. 30 datestamp, ex Lilly, Boker, realized $9,000 hammer in our 1997 Rarities sale. In addition to these six stamps, an uncancelled copy was listed in the Worthington sale, but has not been seen since.

Ex Emerson, Knapp, Mason and Hollowbush. (Image)

FRESH AND VERY FINE. ONLY SIX EXAMPLES OF THE CITY EXPRESS POST STAMP ON PINK PAPER ARE RECORDED, INCLUDING FIVE COVERS (NONE CANCELLED). THIS IS THE ONLY CIRCULAR-RATE USAGE.

The printed circular announces the opening of a dry goods store in Philadelphia and invites the addressee in New Jersey to "an early call when you next visit the City." The notice is dated January 5, but it was not postmarked until January 8, a three-day delay. The wording makes it clear that the circulars were intended for recipients outside of Philadelphia, and the bulk of them were probably brought to the post office for mailing on January 5 or the day after. This one was probably addressed and sent after the initial mailing, and the City Express Post was used to bring it to the post office. The three-day lapse between the notice date and day of mailing actually lend credence to the use of a local-post stamp for delivery of a circular to the post office, which is a very uncommon usage.

Ex Souren, Gibson and Middendorf. (Image)

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THE UNIQUE PHILADELPHIA CITY EXPRESS POST RED ON YELLOW STAMP. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LOCAL-POST COVERS IN EXISTENCE AND ONE OF THE WORLD'S RAREST STAMPS.

Although some of the letter is readable on the inside of this cover, there is no date, nor is the Philadelphia datestamp clear enough to determine the month of mailing. Steven M. Roth reported the Type C-62 datestamp as used in 1846-47, which falls into the City Express Post period. As noted in the description for lot 972, there are six recorded examples of the Dove stamp in Black on Pink. The Dove stamp in Red on Yellow is unique. It was purchased in the 1957 Caspary sale by Elliott Perry for $2,100 and later sold to Josiah K. Lilly through the Weills of New Orleans (their handstamp is on back). At the Lilly sale held by our firm in 1967, the cover sold for $1,900. It was acquired by Ambassador J. William Middendorf II and sold on his behalf at Christie's Robson Lowe in 1991 for $15,400 (including premium) to Mr. Golden.

Ex Caspary, Perry, Lilly and Middendorf. Scott value of $15,000 based on 1991 auction sale. (Image)