Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc.

EXTREMELY FINE. THE EARLIEST AND ONE OF THE FINEST OF THE FOURTEEN RECORDED COVERS BEARING THE PHILADELPHIA DESPATCH POST RED STAMP -- ALSO NOTEWORTHY AS AN AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED BY THE FAMOUS AMERICAN PORTRAIT ARTIST, REMBRANDT PEALE.

Our records of the Philadelphia Despatch Post (Robertson & Co.) Red stamp, 15L1, contain 14 covers (in chronological order): 1) Feb. 15, 1843 folded letter to Hollingsworth, stamp cancelled by dots in small circle, red "Phila. Despatch Post 10 A.M." timestamp with ms. "16" date, ex Caspary, 2) Apr. 19, 1843 folded letter to Ludlow, stamp cancelled by large "3" and tied by red Phila. Apr. 20 post office circular datestamp, no timestamp, ex Boker, 3) Jun. 13, 1843, stamp cut square (only one known) and just tied by large red "3" on folded letter to Fritz in Phila., red Phila. Jun. 13 post office circular datestamp, marked "Refused", ex Caspary, Boker, 4) Jun. 20, 1843 folded letter to McNamee, stamp cancelled by large red "3", red "Phila. Despatch Post -- P.M." timestamp, ex Lowe, offered in this sale as lot 492, 5) Jun. 27, 1843 folded letter to Fabriquettes, stamp cancelled by red circle of V's, red Phila. Jun. 27 post office circular datestamp, no timestamp, ex Ferrary, Caspary, Boker, 6) Jul. 28, 1843 folded letter to Lattin & Hamlin, stamp cancelled by "Paid" (two strikes) and "3" (two strikes), sender's ms. "Paid" notation, no timestamp or postmark, Sloane records, 7) Jul. 28, 1843 folded letter to Burlington N.J., stamp cancelled by small red outline "3", red Phila. Jul. 28 post office circular datestamp and ms. "6" rate, Siegel 1985 Rarities sale, 8) Oct. 10, 1843, torn stamp tied by red Phila. post office circular datestamp on folded letter to Mt. Pleasant O., ex Knapp (no photo), 9) Nov. 8, 1843 printed notice to Gilpin, stamp cancelled by small outline "3", red "Phila. Despatch Post -- P.M." timestamp, ex Gibson, Lowe, offered in this sale as lot 493, 10) undated folded cover to Richards, stamp cancelled by large red "3", red "Phila. Despatch Post 3 P.M." timestamp, Christies/Lowe Jun. 18, 1985 sale, 11) undated folded cover to Bache, stamp cancelled by large red "3", red "Phila. Despatch Post -- P.M." timestamp, unattributed photo source, 12) (Feb. 20, 1843?) folded letter to N. R. Pott, ms. "20" in "Phila. Despatch Post 3 P.M." timestamp, stamp cancelled by dots in small circle, "Paid" on cover, date unknown and markings assumed to be in red, unattributed photo source, 13) folded cover/letter (date unknown) to Charles Keen, stamp (assumed 15L1) cancelled by large "3", "Phila. Despatch Post 3 P.M." timestamp (markings assumed red), Tapling collection, British Library, and 14) undated folded cover to Carter & Scattergood, stamp cancelled by small outline "3", red "Phila. Despatch Post -- P.M." timestamp, P.F. records.

In addition to the Red stamp, we record three covers with the Black 15L2: 1) 1842 folded letter (undated, but must be December) to Treasurer American Sunday School Union, ex Caspary, lot 561, 2) Apr. 20, 1843 folded letter to Shrack & Co., stamp cancelled by small red outline "3", no timestamp or postmark, ex Gibson, Middendorf, and 3) May 19, 1843 folded letter to Booth, stamp cancelled by large red "3", red "Phila. Despatch Post 10 A.M." timestamp, discovery example (1889), ex Caspary, Boker.

The establishment of the Philadelphia Despatch Post is documented in an advertisement in the Philadelphia Public Ledger, Dec. 8, 1842, which is illustrated here from a photograph made by Frank A. Hollowbush. The 3c charge and availability of stamps (37-1/2 cents per dozen) are noted in the ad, as well as valuable-letter registration for 6-1/4 cents (no registered examples are known). The firm's address is 83 South Second Street, which also happens to be the 1843 City Directory address for James Halsey, a shoemaker who has been named as the manager of the post and the one from whom Blood purchased it in 1845. Published research by Robson Lowe, Edward T. Harvey, Norman Shachat, Steven M. Roth and Calvet M. Hahn has explored the vexing questions of ownership and transition from the predecessor posts to the successor, D. O. Blood & Co.

This cover is the earliest of the dated Red stamps (15L1). A 15L2 Black stamp is known on a folded letter or cover year-dated 1842, according to the Caspary catalogue description, if correctly year-dated, it must be December 1842, the earliest recorded use of any Philadelphia Despatch Post adhesive.

This stamp is obviously not on "Bluish" paper, as described in the Scott Catalogue. The paper is noticeably pinker (or more rose-colored) than the white paper and bluish white paper of the stamps in lots 492 and 493 in this sale. It is also somewhat thicker and more highly finished on the surface -- the smooth surface has an almost glazed quality. While we do not believe subtle paper differences among these rarities qualifies them for separate Scott Catalogue classification, the precise texture and color of the paper are important to note for the record. Robson Lowe also noticed the paper color and described it as yellowish in his Oct. 1974 catalogue that featured this item on the front cover.

Another distinctive feature of this 15L1 cover is the tiny fancy cancellation struck in red, almost centered on the stamp. Consisting of five dots in a small circle, the cancel indentation is strong enough to pass thru the stamp, the glue used to affix the stamp, and the lettersheet. We have never seen this noted or described before, and there is only one other example of it among the seventeen recorded 15L1-15L2 covers.

In the letter, Peale eloquently comments on the review of his students' drawings.

Ex Caspary and Lowe. With 1976 P.F. certificate. (Image)

VERY FINE. ONE OF FOURTEEN RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE PHILADELPHIA DESPATCH POST STAMP. A WONDERFUL "PRIMITIVE" AMONG PHILATELIC RARITIES.

As detailed in the previous description, only fourteen Red and three Black stamps (15L1-15L2) are recorded, each used on cover (one of the known stamps is damaged).

Signed Lowe. (Image)

VERY FINE. THE LATEST RECORDED USE OF ANY PHILADELPHIA DESPATCH POST CIRCULAR STAMP, OF WHICH ONLY FOURTEEN OF THE RED ARE KNOWN.

The lithographed Striding Messenger stamp (15L3) is first recorded on an October 10, 1843, cover. This cover shows overlapping use of the handstamped circular type, which indicates that enough supply had been produced and sold to allow for use at least one month after the lithographs were available.

Ex Gibson and Lowe. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF THE CHOICEST COVERS EXTANT WITH THE 1843 STRIDING MESSENGER -- THE WORLD'S FIRST PICTORIAL STAMP.

Ex Judd. (Image)