Lot 2155
1838 Baltimore Railroad Folded Letter, 25c "Ch"arged
Very Early Usage of the "Baltimore Railroad" Marking
Openingsbod: $360
schatting: $700 - $800
From the George Kramer Exhibit
Red "Baltimore Rail Road" handstamp with manuscript "ch 25" on Baltimore to Massachusetts folded letter, datelined November 15, 1838. Rated for over 400 miles rate.
The small notation "ch"is uncommon; it signified that addressee had an account with the Post Office, and that this letter did not have to be paid upon receipt.
On July 7, 1838, Congress passed an act providing "that each and every railroad within the limits of the United States which now is or hereafter be completed, shall be a post route, and the PMG shall cause the mail to be transported thereon". "RAILROAD" type markings were struck on mail which did not originate in a post office.
According to Remele, the railroad contracted to carry mail from Baltimore to Philadelphia, and from all intermediate Post Offices on the line, did not cross into Philadelphia until November 1838 when the Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore Railroad Bridge was completed. This letter is datelined November 15, 1838.
Herkomst
Ex George Kramer United States Domestic Mails Exhibit, 2014
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Sale 28: U.S. & Worldwide Stampless Postal History, and 18th Century American Historical Documents — Friday, June 26, 2026 | 3pm EST, 12pm PST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
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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.