Summer 2025 | July 18-20, 2025

OG, Never hinged

This is a very rare Boyd's issue with only 6-7 examples known. No Gum, with a horizontal crease at top and thinning along the right side. 

After Boyd's City Express was shut down by the U.S. Government in 1883, Fitz A. Boyd, the founder’s grandson, relocated to Australia. Around 1888, he joined forces with S. Hayling, manager of the Express Messenger Company in Melbourne. By 1894, Fitz had become managing director and renamed the firm Express Messenger (City) Co Ltd. This post continued operating well into the 1900s.

Original gum.

No gum

The cover has is struck with a portion of a blue Philadelphia 5cts datestamp, with a local stamp removed at the front at top left.

Hinge remnant and a tiny thin at bottom left.

Original gum with paper hinge remnant and a vertical crease.

No gum as issued.

"BROWN'S DESPATCH/PAID" circular handstamp. SCV $500 Tied on Cover

Figure 8, in Lyon's Articles, California City Letter Express The Three Types and the Variations

Used, with light manuscript cancel. Repairs including a repaired tear and added margins at top and bottom. Fine to very fine appearance.

Lyons records that the two recorded red Type 3 design, 33L7 stamps both have the word "office" at the end of line eight and both have a comma after "delivered" and a period after "Street." This example has an error in the seventh line, where the word "House" seemingly has an "n" instead of a "u".

No Gum, creases affecting 11 stamps.

No gum with a couple creases,.

Docketed DEC. 17 1849. The stamp with a long tear at left.

Letter docketed May 7, 1850, with black "G. CARTER'S/90 N. FIFTH ST/2 Cts./DESPATCH" handstamp at top left. This marking substitutes “2 Cts.” in lieu of “Paid”, and is the last reported use of the handstamp. Addressed to Chas. Schrack, Varnish Store, 4 S. below Race St., Philadelphia.

Addressed to J. E. Richardson, No. 9 Church Alley, Phila., with no contents or date.

Addressed to Rev. Ward, a known correspondence which includes copies on bluish paper. Dated June 15 (1850). Philadelphia 5cts blue circular datestamp (Clarke 73a). The stamp shows a deliberate obliteration of the word "DESPATCH" The pen strike tears a hole in the stamp, the cover with light stains.

July 15, 1849 folded letter addressed to Charles Lippincott in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Stamp tied by pen cancel, with large blue "Philadelphia, Pa. Jul. 15" (Clarke 74a) datestamp.

July 6, 1850 folded letter addressed to Philip Ripley in Hartford with blue "Philadelphia 5 cts." circular datestamp.

The stamp shows a deliberate scratching out of the word "DESPATCH," an alteration Sloane believed may have been intentional, though he gave no reason for its purpose. This variety is confirmed on at least four other examples.

From Troy, NY, May 27, 1842 the letter was privately carried to Howard's Hotel, and then given to Greig's City Despatch Post for local delivery. The hotel was a station of the government carrier service, who applied the red 'U.S. City Despatch Post May 28 ,9 o'cIock" datestamp,

Thin at lower bottom margin.

Stamp with vertical crease at top and two tiny punctures at bottom left. SCV $750 on Cover