Lot 32065 – 1847, ONE OF THE FINEST KNOWN CANADA-USA MIXED FRANKINGS

1847, ONE OF THE FINEST KNOWN CANADA-USA MIXED FRANKINGS: US, 1847 5 cents, two singles, left stamp with ample to mostly large margins and with light vertical file fold, right stamp with large to huge margins all around, both with fresh colour, tied by blue manuscript stroke on 1850 folded letter from the Kennedy correspondence from Montreal to New York City, bold red crowned circle « Paid at Quebec. L.C. » handstamp and matching « Quebec L.C., FE 23 1850 » datestamp with red manuscript « 11¢ » (d) rating, endorsed « pd. to the lines », red « Montreal L.C., FE 25 1850 » backstamp. Extremely Fine and attractive example of this rare mixed franking, of which ONLY 6 ARE RECORDED, THIS BEING ONE OF THE FINEST. A cover of similar quality from the same correspondence sold in 1998 as part of the Sevenoaks collection for 21.500 USD (+ fees). Until May of 1849 Canadian postage could only be paid to the border (11 1/2d postage for a distance of 201 to 300 miles to the US border). Postage for delivery in the U.S. could not be prepaid in cash. Therefore, the only way to avoid postage due charges to the recipient was to apply U.S. stamps prior to mailing. Two 5¢ stamps paid the U.S. rate for over 300 miles.

Expertise: 2012 Vincent Greene Foundation Certificate.

Provenance: Greene, Craveri. Illustrated in Boggs The Postage Stamps and Postal History of Canada on page 73, figure 27.