American Letter Mail Co.,
(5c) Black on Gray (5L2). Block of twelve, Positions 5-8/9-12/13-16,
small part original gum, mostly full to large margins, just barely in at
bottom left, vertical and horizontal creases are hardly
noticeableVERY FINE. THE LARGEST RECORDED BLOCK OF THE AMERICAN LETTER MAIL COMPANY LARGE EAGLE STAMP -- FIVE BLOCKS AND A STRIP OF FOUR ARE THE ONLY KNOWN MULTIPLES.
The Large Eagle stamp, issued in Blue and Black, was probably printed soon after Lysander Spooner left American Letter Mail Company in July 1844. It is reasonably scarce on cover, and multiples in any form are very rare. We record the following five blocks and one strip of four: 1) Pos. 5-8/9-12/13-16, block of twelve, part original gum, ex Worthington, Needham, Hollowbush and Golden (realized $26,000 hammer), the block offered here, 2) Pos. 1-2/5-6, original gum, part of rejoined block of eight with No. 3 in this list, Puliafito collection, 3) Pos. 3-4/7-8, original gum, part of rejoined block of eight with No. 2 in this list, Puliafito collection, 4) Pos. 1-2/5-6 (ex Hall, realized $5,500),and pair Pos. 9-10, rejoined block of six, Puliafito collection, 5) Pos. 15-16/19-20, ex Lilly, Schwartz, offered in this sale as lot ??, and 6) Pos. 8/12/16/20, vertical strip of four with "ESS" watermark, ex Hall (realized $2,800 hammer), Puliafito collection.
Ex Worthington, Needham (exhibited at The Collectors Club, Feb. 18, 1925, reported in CCP Apr. 1925) and Golden (realized $26,000 hammer). (Image)
American Letter Mail Co.,
(5c) Black on Gray (5L2). Positions 15-16/19-20, block of four with
bottom right corner sheet margins, original gum, creases between stamps and
faint diagonal crease at left, tiny pinhole at center and faint
toningEXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF FIVE RECORDED BLOCKS OF THE AMERICAN LETTER MAIL LARGE EAGLE ISSUE.
A complete census of multiples is provided in the description of lot ??.
Ex Lilly and Schwartz. Scott Retail $4,000.00. (Image)
American Letter Mail Co.,
(5c) Black on Gray (5L2). Position 4, top right corner sheet margins
and large margins all around, original gum, Extremely Fine Gem (Image)
American Letter Mail Co.,
(5c) Black on Gray, Papermaker's Watermark (5L2 var). Two, one with
letters "SUP", large margins, ms. "X" cancel, tiny wrinkle, other with
"ES", ample margins to cut in, blue ms. "X" cancel, very rare varieties
that deserve Scott recognition, ex Schwartz
(Image)
American Letter Mail Co.,
(5c) Black on Thick White Wove Paper (5L2 var). Position 15, very
distinctive proof-like impression on stout bright white paper, ample
margins, ms. "X" cancel and traces of red, Very Fine and choice, an
intriguing stamp that points to separate printing on different paper, ex
Schwartz (Image)
American Letter Mail Co.,
(5c) Blue on Gray (5L3). Position 13, ample margins to mostly clear at
right, tied by ms. "DB" cancel on Jun. 7, 1845 folded letter from
Philadelphia to New York, red "Forwarded By American Mail Co. No. 101
Chestnut St. Philada." in circle with matching "Paid" straightline
handstampEXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF TWO TIED EXAMPLES AMONG THE TWELVE RECORDED COVERS BEARING THE RARE BLUE EAGLE STAMP OF AMERICAN LETTER MAIL COMPANY.
This use of the rare Blue Eagle stamp probably occurred soon before the independent mail firms were effectively abolished by the government. On July 1, 1845, the postage rate for distances under 300 miles was reduced to 5c per half-ounce. By the same Act of Congress, Federal law prohibited the carrying of letters by private companies between cities where the Post Office Department offered inter-city mail service. American Letter Mail Company, which had aroused popular support for cheaper domestic postage, was a catalyst for the 1845 legislation. However, it could no longer sustain its fight with the government over mail routes and closed on June 30, 1845.
The Large Eagle stamp in Blue is recorded on covers dated from August 1844 through June 1845, with about half of the reported covers addressed to Hopkins & Weston in New York. The Blue and Black color scheme for the American Letter Mail Co. Large Eagle stamps, which lack a denomination (unlike their predecessor issue, the Small Eagle), may have been modeled upon Great Britain's 1840 Penny Black and Two-Pence Blue. The Blue stamp was used for the single rate, but its original purpose might have been to pay a double rate.
Ex Perry and Schwartz. (Image)
American Letter Mail Co.,
(5c) Blue on Gray (5L3). Ample margins except barely shaved along top
frameline, unusually sharp proof-like impression on bright paper (see lot
2093), ms. "#" cancel (on small piece), Very Fine and rare (Image)
American Letter Mail Co.,
(5c) Blue on Gray (5L3). Ample margins to barely in at top, ms. "#"
cancel, Very Fine and rare (Image)