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Sale 1230 — U.S. and Hawaii Stamps and Postal History
Sale Date — Tuesday-Friday, 15-18 December, 2020
Category — Hale & Co: New Hampshire
Forwarded by A. Roberts & Co.'s Eastern Letter Express. Clearly struck double-line oval handstamp with manuscript "Paid 5" and conjunctive use of red "Hale & Co.'s Mail, Boston, Office 23 State Street" oval handstamp (Ty. F42) on docketed Sep. 9, 1844 folded cover from Concord N.H. to New York City, sender's notation "Robert's Express", Very Fine, a rare and exceptionally choice example of Roberts and Hale conjunctive service
Hale & Co., 5c Blue, Street Address Omitted (75L5). Third State Position 17 "Wail" instead of "Wall" variety, huge square margins showing parts of two adjoining stamps, affixed over "Forwarded by A. Roberts & Co.'s Eastern Letter Express" double-line oval handstamp and tied by "Forwarded through/Hale & Co.'s/Letter Office -- Boston" framed handstamp with "13 Court St." deleted (Ty. F15), "Hale & Co.'s Mail, Boston, Office 23 State Street" oval handstamp (Ty. F42), manuscript "Paid 5" on folded letter datelined at Concord N.H., Sep. 22, 1844, addressed to New York City with sender's directive "Roberts' Express", horizontal file fold thru stamp, which has a tiny margin tear, partly lifted to show Roberts handstamp underneathVERY FINE OVERALL CONDITION. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED ROBERTS EXPRESS COVER WITH A HALE & COMPANY STAMP. AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE OF INDEPENDENT MAIL CONJUNCTIVE SERVICE.
Andrew Roberts began advertising his "Cheap Independent Letter Express" in July 1844, providing service between Boston and points in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and upstate New York, and charging rates of 4c, 5c, 6c, 7c, 9c, 10c and 11c. Sammis records ten covers with the Roberts oval handstamp, ranging in dates from Aug. 19 to Oct. 25, 1844, all but one of which are stampless. The cover offered here is the only Roberts' Express cover with an adhesive stamp. In this case it appears that the stamp indicated payment for Hale's service from Boston to New York City, and it was probably applied by Roberts' office.
Illustrated in Independent Mails book. Ex Schwartz and Dr. Puliafito.
Hale & Co., 5c Blue, Street Address Omitted (75L5). Cut square margins, large on three sides, other slightly in, manuscript crossed-lines precancel, used on bluish Sep. 30, 1844 folded letter from Concord N.H. to New York City street address, manuscript "Paid 6" and a different "6" confirm use of stamp, file fold passes thru one corner, otherwise Fine, carried from Concord to Boston and then by Hale, it is not known which express carried it on the first leg (possibly Roberts), Gutman records four Hale covers originating in Concord
Hale & Co., 5c Blue, Street Address Omitted (75L5). Octagonal margins slightly in, brownish-red manuscript "P/NH" control marking and vertical line precancel, stamp cancelled by manuscript "3" and "8" (the significance of these numerals is not known), red "Forwarded by Hale & Co.'s Great Eastern Mail" oval handstamp (Ty. F41) and Collect box handstamp Ty. C4) on Oct. 18, 1844 folded letter from Portsmouth N.H. to New Haven Conn. street address (care of Yale president Atwater), pencil "2" local delivery fee, sender's "Paid" notation confirms presence of Hale stamp, Very Fine, the "P/NH" control markings are very rare on the 5c Blue (more so than the 5c Red)
Hale & Co., 5c Blue, Street Address Omitted (75L5). Octagonal margins slightly in, brownish-red manuscript "P/NH" control marking and vertical line precancel, stamp cancelled by red framed handstamp and tied by red "Forwarded by Hale & Co.'s Great Eastern Mail" oval handstamp (Ty. F41), additional red "Forwarded by Hale & Co. from Boston" oval handstamp (Ty. F4) on Aug. 16, 1844 bluish folded letter from Portsmouth N.H. to Philadelphia, sender's directive "Hale & Co Independent Mail", vertical file fold thru stamp, otherwise Very Fine, the "P/NH" control markings are very rare on the 5c Blue (more so than the 5c Red), the contemporary use of the term "Independent Mail" on a cover is also quite unusual
Hale & Co., 5c Blue, Street Address Omitted (75L5). Octagonal margins clear or touching, brownish-red manuscript "P/NH" control marking and vertical line precancel, used on Nov. 19, 1844 folded letter from Portsmouth N.H. to New London Conn., addressed in blue with sender's "Paid" notation confirming stamp's presence, slightly aged with minor splits and nicks along folds and right edge, otherwise Fine, very scarce control marking
Hale & Co., 5c Red on Bluish, Address Deleted in Manuscript (75L2 var -- Gutman Type D overprint). Pen line thru "13 Court St." address, manuscript "P" and "NH" control marking of Portsmouth N.H. office, crossed-lines precancel, octagonal margins touching or slightly in, used on Nathaniel March (publisher) printed advertising sheet with beautiful woodcut illustration of Sir Walter Scott (Scottish historical novelist, poet, playwright, and historian), with letter on other leaf datelined Portsmouth N.H. Mar. 4, 1845, addressed to James Harper (publisher and co-founder of Harper & Row), sender's notations "Paid" and "Hales Express", red "Forwarded by Hale & Co. from Boston" oval handstamp (Ty. F3)VERY FINE. A MAGNIFICENT HALE & COMPANY COVER -- ONE OF SEVEN RECORDED FULL COVERS WITH THE 5-CENT RED STAMP WITH TYPE D MANUSCRIPT ADDRESS CHANGE AND A REMARKABLE PUBLISHER'S ILLUSTRATED LETTERSHEET DESIGN.
By our count, there are 11 Red stamps with the Type D manuscript overprint, including 7 on full covers, one cover front, and a single off cover. One cover bears both Types B and D (Portsmouth, Jan. 16, 1845), which was the subject of an article by Dr. Hubert C. Skinner (Chronicle, May 1995). All Type D overprints have the initials "P/NH" and were used from Portsmouth N.H. (earliest Dec. 7, 1844; latest Mar. 26, 1845).
Hale & Co., 5c Red on Bluish, Address Deleted in Manuscript (75L2 var -- Gutman Type D overprint). Pen line thru "13 Court St." address, manuscript "P" and "NH" control marking of Portsmouth N.H. office, vertical pen-line precancel, octagonal margins touching or slightly in, used on Dec. 7, 1844 folded letter to Charlestown Mass., sender's manuscript "Paid" confirms use of stampVERY FINE. ONE OF SEVEN RECORDED FULL COVERS AND THE EARLIEST USE OF THE HALE & COMPANY RED STAMP WITH TYPE D MANUSCRIPT ADDRESS CHANGE.
By our count, there are 11 Red stamps with the Type D manuscript overprint, including 7 on full covers, one cover front, and a single off cover. One cover bears both Types B and D (Portsmouth, Jan. 16, 1845), which was the subject of an article by Dr. Hubert C. Skinner (Chronicle, May 1995). All Type D overprints have the initials "P/NH" and were used from Portsmouth N.H. (earliest Dec. 7, 1844; latest Mar. 26, 1845).
Hale & Co., 5c Blue, Street Address Omitted (75L5). Octagonal margins clear to slightly in, manuscript "P/NH" control marking and vertical line precancel, used on Feb. 18, 1845 folded letter from Portsmouth N.H. to Boston street address, sender's "Paid" notation confirming stamp's presence, sharp file fold far from stamp, Very Fine, scarce control marking
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