Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

CARRIERS continued...

**Williams' City Post**
Lot	Sym.	Lot Description
112		Williams' City Post, Cincinnati O., 2c Brown (9LB1). Large margins all around, lightly-inked red cancel ("Paid"?) with impression tying thru paper, additional ms. "X" cancel, used on small cover to Susie M. Merrill, 8th St. below Carr EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF SIX RECORDED COVERS BEARING THE RARE WILLIAMS' CITY POST CARRIER STAMP. Beginning in late October 1854, C. C. Williams was appointed as superintendent of Cincinnati's carrier department, which had functioned sporadically since 1837 (in fact, there was no carrier service from October 1845 to February 1848). The earliest advertisements for Williams' City Post specified carrier fees for city delivery (2c) or delivery to the mails (1c). The announcements specifically required that carrier fees be prepaid with carrier stamps, that is, the official Eagle Carrier (LO1) or semi-official Williams' City Post (9LB1) stamps issued for this purpose. Research by Elliott Perry establishes that Williams left the carrier department and joined the post office as a clerk on April 1, 1855. However, the 9LB1 stamp remained in use, as evidenced by two genuine covers dated in May 1855 and June 1855. The Williams 9LB1 stamp is extremely rare, with one unused pair and perhaps seven or eight singles known off cover (or added to covers). Our census of covers, revised since the Golden sale, contains just six that are now believed to be genuine: 1) 1854 docketing, tied by blue "City Post" in circle as found on Browne & Co. local post covers, to 112 Clinton St., ex Knapp, 2) May 29, 1855 (contents), tied by red square target, to 294 Plum St., ex Caspary, Middendorf, 3) Jun. 18 blue circular datestamp, 1855 content, tied by red square target, with 1c 1851 on printed circular to NYC, ex Meyersburg, 4) 1855?, tied by ms. lines, to Maj. Schley, no street designation, the cover offered in Golden sale, which the P.F. rejected but we still believe is genuine, 5) No date, ms. "X" cancel (not tied), to Susie M. Merrill, 8th St. below Carr, Costales photo files (same correspondence as the cover offered here), and 6) No date, red cancel ("Paid"?) and ms. "X", to Susie M. Merrill, 8th St. below Carr, the cover offered here (same correspondence as No. 5). The cover listed in Golden as No. 6 is offered in the following lot, but now having had the opportunity to examine it, we feel certain that the carrier stamp did not originate. The Williams' City Post carrier stamp is exceedingly rare and somewhat underrated in the market. Please see lots 639-640 for Frazer & Co. carrier usages (Image)	E. 5,000-7,500
113		Williams' City Post, Cincinnati O., 2c Brown (9LB1). Three huge margins showing part of adjoining stamp below, just in at left, red squared target cancel, affixed to blue folded cover with 3c 1851 but did not originate, Very Fine appearing stamp, extremely rare, Scott value $3,000.00 off cover (Image)	E. 1,000-1,500

Williams' City Post

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

112

Williams' City Post, Cincinnati O., 2c Brown (9LB1). Large margins all around, lightly-inked red cancel ("Paid"?) with impression tying thru paper, additional ms. "X" cancel, used on small cover to Susie M. Merrill, 8th St. below Carr

EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF SIX RECORDED COVERS BEARING THE RARE WILLIAMS' CITY POST CARRIER STAMP.

Beginning in late October 1854, C. C. Williams was appointed as superintendent of Cincinnati's carrier department, which had functioned sporadically since 1837 (in fact, there was no carrier service from October 1845 to February 1848). The earliest advertisements for Williams' City Post specified carrier fees for city delivery (2c) or delivery to the mails (1c). The announcements specifically required that carrier fees be prepaid with carrier stamps, that is, the official Eagle Carrier (LO1) or semi-official Williams' City Post (9LB1) stamps issued for this purpose. Research by Elliott Perry establishes that Williams left the carrier department and joined the post office as a clerk on April 1, 1855. However, the 9LB1 stamp remained in use, as evidenced by two genuine covers dated in May 1855 and June 1855.

The Williams 9LB1 stamp is extremely rare, with one unused pair and perhaps seven or eight singles known off cover (or added to covers). Our census of covers, revised since the Golden sale, contains just six that are now believed to be genuine: 1) 1854 docketing, tied by blue "City Post" in circle as found on Browne & Co. local post covers, to 112 Clinton St., ex Knapp, 2) May 29, 1855 (contents), tied by red square target, to 294 Plum St., ex Caspary, Middendorf, 3) Jun. 18 blue circular datestamp, 1855 content, tied by red square target, with 1c 1851 on printed circular to NYC, ex Meyersburg, 4) 1855?, tied by ms. lines, to Maj. Schley, no street designation, the cover offered in Golden sale, which the P.F. rejected but we still believe is genuine, 5) No date, ms. "X" cancel (not tied), to Susie M. Merrill, 8th St. below Carr, Costales photo files (same correspondence as the cover offered here), and 6) No date, red cancel ("Paid"?) and ms. "X", to Susie M. Merrill, 8th St. below Carr, the cover offered here (same correspondence as No. 5). The cover listed in Golden as No. 6 is offered in the following lot, but now having had the opportunity to examine it, we feel certain that the carrier stamp did not originate.

The Williams' City Post carrier stamp is exceedingly rare and somewhat underrated in the market. Please see lots 639-640 for Frazer & Co. carrier usages (Image)

E. 5,000-7,500

113

Williams' City Post, Cincinnati O., 2c Brown (9LB1). Three huge margins showing part of adjoining stamp below, just in at left, red squared target cancel, affixed to blue folded cover with 3c 1851 but did not originate, Very Fine appearing stamp, extremely rare, Scott value $3,000.00 off cover (Image)

E. 1,000-1,500