12c Black, Diagonal Half Used as 6c (17a). Position 61L1, upper right half, well-tied across the cut by "San Francisco Cal. Oct. 1" (1853) circular datestamp on buff cover to Samuel B. Morse in Germantown Pa., "10" handstamp for unpaid postage, top left corner of stamp with light crease

VERY FINE APPEARING BISECT OF THE 12-CENT 1851 ISSUE, NOT ACCEPTED FOR THE 6-CENT TRANSCONTINENTAL RATE AND CHARGED THE 10-CENT UNPAID RATE.

Post Office Department regulations of September 1853 formally disallowed the use of partial stamps for the mail. The bisect on this cover was rejected on arrival at the Philadelphia post office, which applied the 10c due marking.

Illustrated in 1851 Sesquicentennial book (p. 256). With 1984 P.F. certificate

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