Lot 2014
1760 Stampless Folded Letter, Boston to Scarborough, Maine, "pr Capt Milliken"
Addressed to Father of Rufus King, Signer of the Constitution
פתיחה: $260
הערכה: $500 - $750
Stampless folded letter datelined Boston, November 8, 1760, addressed to "Mr. Richd. King, Mercht. In Scarborough" with manuscript carriage endorsement at lower left indicating delivery by Capt. Milliken. Retained file copy of Richard King's reply of December 23, 1760, written on a separate sheet.
The outbound letter is from Boston merchant Thomas Greene, acknowledging receipt of money carried by Edward Milliken Jr., noting that two of the Joannes gold coins were six grains light, and crediting King £66.17.8¾ Massachusetts lawful money. Greene presses for a larger remittance and encloses a writ of execution against a Mr. Hunnewell. King's reply returns the execution unserved, explaining that the writ was directed only to the Sheriff of York County and bore a date prior to the recent division creating Cumberland County, which became effective November 1, 1760, one week before Greene's letter. King declines to amend the writ, noting that to do so would be "too great a freedom with a matter of Record."
The recipient, Richard King (1718 to 1775), was the largest exporter of lumber from the District of Maine and the father of Rufus King, signer of the United States Constitution, and William King, first Governor of Maine.
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The Philatelic Icons Sale 2026 | June 26-28
Sale 28: U.S. & Worldwide Stampless Postal History, and 18th Century American Historical Documents — Friday, June 26, 2026 | 3pm EST, 12pm PST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.