EXTREMELY FINE. A COLORFUL AND EXTREMELY RARE TRIPLE CONJUNCTIVE USAGE, INVOLVING POMEROY'S LETTER EXPRESS (WITH ADHESIVE FRANKING), HALE & COMPANY, AND H. T. CROFOOT.
This beautiful cover demonstrates one of the most interesting aspects of the Independent Mail system in 1844-45: the cooperation among different firms to provide service between two distant locations. It was carried by Pomeroy's Letter Express from Geneva to Albany, where it was handed over to Hale & Co. for the eastbound trip to Boston and from there to Newburyport. Hosea T. Crofoot, a bookbinder and expressman, had an agreement with Hale to carry mail between Boston and Newburyport. The pair of Pomeroy's Letter Express stamps included their fee (one stamp) and the fee charged by Hale. Presumably Crofoot was compensated for his services out of the postage Hale received.
Very few covers exist that show three Independent Mail companies' service -- so-called triple conjunctive usage -- and this cover with the Pomeroy's Letter Express pair is regarded as one of the most beautiful. A similar Pomeroy/Hale/Crofoot cover, except stamped with both Pomeroy and Hale adhesives, was sold for $23,000 hammer in our sale of the Dr. Carmen A. Puliafito collection (Sale 1214, lot 270).
Ex Stephen A. Brown, Frank A. Hollowbush, Pitt Petri ("Buffalo" collection) and David L. Jarrett. Illustrated in Independent Mails book (pp. 88 and 230).
EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF THE EARLIEST COVERS SHOWING GENUINE USE OF POMEROY'S LETTER EXPRESS STAMP AND WITHOUT QUESTION ONE OF THE FINEST POMEROY COVERS WE HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED -- PERFECTION..
It appears that Pomeroy's Letter Express introduced stamps immediately upon announcing service on June 26, 1844. The earliest recorded cover is datelined Albany, June 27, 1844 (ex Hollowbush, John A. Fox sale, Jan. 4-5, 1966, lot 1407, illustrated in Independent Mails book), followed by covers dated June 28, July 1 and 3. This July 3rd cover is a first-week use of the new stamps.
Ex Emerson and Hall. With 2001 P.F. certificate