Savory & Co.'s Salem and
Boston Express. Gold on black label with manuscript "10 cts" rate
and tied by "Paid" straightline, used with Hale & Co., (5c) Light
Blue (75L1), full margins to touching, ms. cancel, filing crease ties
stamp on folded cover (with part of contents) to New York City street
address, docketing indicates Salem Jun. 20 origin, probably 1844, based on
use of Hale's stamp with 13 Court St. addressVERY FINE. EXTREMELY RARE CONJUNCTIVE USE BETWEEN SAVORY & CO.'S SALEM EXPRESS AND HALE & CO. FROM BOSTON TO NEW YORK CITY.
According to an accompanying note from Harry Spring, Savory & Co. charged 10c to carry a letter from Salem to Boston and applied a Hale & Co. 5c stamp to prepay the rate from Boston to New York City. The addressee, Reuben W. Ropes, was a commission merchant and owner of the Commercial Line of Packets from Salem to Pier 6, East River. Ropes resided in Salem. Spring notes: "It seems that Savory & Co. handled quite a lot of mail owing to the fact that they used a cancelling device "PAID", tieing [sic] the label to the cover. The fee for a letter was 10c, written in manuscript sometimes on the letter and sometimes on the their stamp." The Savory & Co. label was probably not a receipt of prepayment -- in other words, not a stamp -- but it is very rare and unusual in combination with the Hale's stamp.
Sloane notes accompany. (Image)