Hale & Co., 5c Blue, Street Address Omitted (75L5). Octagonal margins all around, uncancelled, clear strike of red "PENNY POSTAGE PAID" straightline handstamp (Ty. PP1) on bluish Feb. 7, 1845 folded letter from Boston to Newburyport Mass., manuscript "Paid delivered" at top, small sealed tear in the cover just affects the "D" of the straightline, Very Fine and extremely rare, one of only two examples of this Hale straightline recorded by Gutman

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Hale & Co., 5c Blue, Street Address Omitted (75L5). Square margins just barely in, dark shade, with crossed-lines precancel, "Hale & Co.'s Mail, Boston, Office 23 State Street" oval handstamp (Ty. F42) on Oct. 4, 1844 folded letter to New York City, manuscript "Paid" and "PPPaid" (Penny Post Paid) notation for prepaid local delivery, slight wear along file fold clear of stamp, Very Fine, ex Hall

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Hale & Co., 5c Blue, Street Address Omitted (75L5). With crossed-lines precancel, square margins to touching design on two sides, clear strike of "Forwarded by Hale & Co. from Boston" oval handstamp (Ty. F3) on Aug. 24, 1844 folded letter to Springfield Mass., manuscript "Penny post paid" indicating that local delivery in Springfield was prepaid, stamp with diagonal crease and cover and stamp with slight overall toning, appears Very Fine, the earliest precancel in the world

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Hale & Co., 5c Blue, Street Address Omitted (75L5). Cut to shape, rich color, cancelled by manuscript "B" and by pen, "Hale & Co.’s Mail/Paid at Boston" wavy-line frame handstamp (Ty. P1) on Nov. 8, 1844 docketed folded cover to New York City, manuscript "P.P.Paid" (Penny Post Paid) for prepaid local delivery and "L.B. Jr." (presumably the clerk's initials), minor soiling, Very Fine

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Hale & Co., 5c Blue, Street Address Omitted, Red "23 State St." Manuscript Overprint (75L5 var). Neatly cut to shape, red manuscript "23 State St." written across center and tied by red "Forwarded Through/Hale & Co.'s/Letter Office 13/Court St. Boston" four-line framed handstamp (Ty. F14) on June 5, 1844 folded letter to New York City, light file fold thru stamp, fresh and Very Fine, Hale moved offices from 13 Court Street to 23 State Street in May 1844, this is an early use of the 75L5 adhesive and very rare with the new office address manuscript overprint, which can be considered a precursor to the unique handstamped overprint No. 75L6 (offered in lot 546), Gutman records only two examples of this manuscript overprint from Boston (this example illustrated on p. 113), for the history of the change-of-address overprints -- handstamped and handwritten -- including images of the various types, see http://siegelauctions.com/2016/1124/halecoa.pdf .

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Hale & Co., 5c Blue, Street Address Omitted (75L5). Square margins to just in, tied by clear strike of "Forwarded by Hale & Co. from Boston" oval handstamp (Ty. F3) with second strike at left on blue Aug. 14, 1844 folded letter to New York City, stamp with small corner crease at bottom right, Very Fine

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Hale & Co., 5c Blue, Street Address Omitted (75L5). Square margins full to touched, manuscript "X" cancel with matching tiny "2" on Mar. 29, 1845 folded letter from Boston to Portsmouth N.H., back of letter sealed with small Peace propaganda label reading "War is full of misery and suffering. It butchers men by the thousands and buries them like dogs.", label torn from opening but is fully intact, Very Fine, only a small handful of Hale letters are known to Portsmouth

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Hale & Co., 5c Blue, Street Address Omitted (75L5). Position 17 "Wail" instead of "Wall" variety, Second State of plate (undamaged), large octagonal margins, cancelled by light strike of red "Forwarded Through/Hale & Co.'s/Letter Office 13/Court St. Boston" four-line framed handstamp (Ty. F14) on folded letter to Miss Emma Smallwood in New York City, letter is a story entitled "Auful Calamity", with a wonderful horse-and-rider illustration with banner reading "The Rover Extra", dated July 13 (1844), Very Fine, a fantastic artistic letter, three similar letters to Emma Smallwood are known (see lot 550 for an example with illustration of a family and a dog)

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Hale & Co., 5c Blue, Street Address Omitted (75L5). Vertical pair, die cut with margins full to barely touching on a couple sides, fresh color, tied by two strikes of red "Forwarded Through/Hale & Co.'s/Letter Office/Boston" four-line framed handstamp (Ty. F15 with "13 Court Street" removed) on Jul. 26, 1844 folded letter to New York City, manuscript "Hale & Co." at bottom, Very Fine, multiples are scarce, especially vertical pairs

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Hale & Co., 5c Blue, Street Address Omitted (75L5). Two, mostly clear octagonal margins, tied together and to cover by red "Forwarded Through/Hale & Co.'s/Letter Office/Boston" four-line framed handstamp (Ty. F15 with "13 Court Street" removed) on July 16, 1844 folded letter to New York City, fresh and Very Fine

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