Lot 1105
American Letter Mail Company, Philadelphia, "PAID" (ALM-PHL-P05) and "COLLECT" (ALM-PHL-C10) Cartouche Handstamps on 1844 Folded Letter to Springfield, Massachusetts
Only Recorded Usage of Both Philadelphia Handstamps on a Single Cover
Mise à prix: $250
Estimation: $500 - $600
Folded business letter datelined Philadelphia, July 15, 1844, addressed to the well-known booksellers G. & C. Merriam at Springfield, Massachusetts. Struck with the American Letter Mail Company Philadelphia "COLLECT" cartouche handstamp (ALM-PHL-C10) and overstruck with the matching "PAID" cartouche handstamp (ALM-PHL-P05), reflecting the accepting clerk's reversal of the original collect instruction. Carried by the American Letter Mail Company only as far as New York City, where it was handed to the Post Office Department on July 16 and tied by a red New York circular datestamp; rated manuscript "12½", collected at Springfield on July 19. Endorsed manuscript "Single" at lower left.
The two Philadelphia cartouche handstamps were used for only a brief window in the summer of 1844: the C10 from June 1 through July 18, and the P05 from July 9 through July 18. Census data records eight or nine examples of the C10 and only three of the P05, making this the only recorded cover with both handstamps together.
Informations sur la vente
The Philatelic Icons Sale 2026 | June 26-28
Sale 27: Carriers and Independent Mails — Friday, June 26, 2026 | 12pm EST, 9am PST
We are honored to present The Philatelic Icons Sale, the largest and most significant auction Americana Stamps has ever offered.
America's history lives in the letters that crossed goldfields and battle lines, in express covers that linked frontier towns to the outside world, and in the stamps that mark how a young country built its postal system from scratch. This sale brings together more than 1,500 lots that trace that story, including philatelic icons seldom offered to the public.
This auction is a natural fit for 2026, the 250th year of the United States, and for the Boston 2026 World Expo (May 23 to 30, Booth 141), the once-per-decade international exhibition where we are proud to open the sale. More than 750 lots are accompanied by Philatelic Foundation certifications, the largest concentration of certified material we have ever offered in a single sale.
As always, the sale is designed to serve both the collector and the researcher. Whenever available, you can expect:
✔ High-resolution imagery of all aspects of the item
✔ Links to reference articles and supporting research
✔ Links to philatelic certifications
✔ Census data and population insights
✔ Provenance details to trace notable histories
Whether you are pursuing a long-sought rarity or simply enjoy the chance to study material of this caliber, we invite you to explore the Philatelic Icons Sale and join us in Boston for our largest in-person preview to date.