Lot 2145
Erie Canal, 1825 Stampless Canal Boat Letter to Niagara Falls, Two Strikes of Blue "FREE" in Ornate Box, Manuscript "18 3/4" Rate
Listing Copy for "FREE" Handstamp
Openingsbod: $200
schatting: $400 - $600
Stampless folded letter datelined "Canal Boat near Lyons" July 23, 1825. This two page letter is addressed to Augustus Porter, Esq., Postmaster at Niagara Falls, New York, and was written by his son while traveling on the Erie Canal. Blue circular UTICA N.Y. JUL/25 postmark, applied after Young Porter apparently stepped off to mail this at Utica and managed to persuade the postmaster there to mark free after initial rating of 18 3/4c rate.
Content includes "Dear Father, I arrived yesterday at Rochester in order to see Mr. Kennedy… I find Mr. Kennedy as expected, poor and I presume never can pay for the farm… he thinks he can sell it before the time limited and he believes for a higher price than the amount now due… He has a snug barn and there are about 50 or 60 acres improved, his house is of no value."
"Mr. Beckwith had not arrived when I left Rochester but I requested Mr. Bolossom to say to him that Mr. Kennedy could not give a position and to answer as to what he should do…"
"I am getting on very pleasantly, My love to all, Yours affectionately, A. H. Porter."
Herkomst
Ex Hahn
Veilinginformatie
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Sale 28: U.S. & Worldwide Stampless Postal History, and 18th Century American Historical Documents — Friday, June 26, 2026 | 3pm EST, 12pm PST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.