July 2023 General Postal History

manuscript postmark with "Ship. 10 Cts" rate on June 29, 1792 folded letter from Lisbon, Portugal to Newbury Port, Massachusetts, vertical filefold and small fault at top, very fine appearance, the earliest recorded incoming ship letter to Marblehead under the Constitutional post

manuscript postmark and matching "Sh 22" ship rate on folded letter datelined "Port Spain, Trinidad 8th July 1801", endorsed "p Sloop Ranger, Cap't Bartlett" and addressed to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, very fine, 22c pays the 2c ship fee plus double rate inland postage

datestamp with matching grid tying 1861 3c Rose (65, perforation faults) to cover to Haverhill, Massachusetts, illustrated patriotic depicting "Jeff's Knave-y" with the caption "Seven wise men of Gotham went to sea in a bowl", Hoyt imprint, very fine and attractive design

datestamp on incoming July 9, 1878 cover from Blankenburg, Germany, franked with three 1gr Large Shield stamps, upon arrival in Marblehead the cover was forwarded to Bradford, Vermont, light edge wear, fine and attractive

two covers dated April 12, 1847 and May 24, 1847, first with "5" rate handstamp, second with straightline "Paid" and "10", very fine and scarce, Merrimack's post office was established August 19, 1846 and its name changed to Lawrence just nine months later on May 26, 1847, the May 24 cover is the latest recorded use of this datestamp

eight items including 1830 manuscript postmark, 1830 manuscript postmaster free frank, 1834 drop letter, 1834 red datestamp (32mm), 1836 red datestamp (28mm) with straightline "Paid", 1840 blue datestamp, and 1845 and 1847 red datestamps, generally fine to very fine

blue three-line handstamp (manuscript date) on cover to Sharon Springs, New York, matching "5" rate, original enclosure, very fine and scarce, ex-Knapp

docketing on folded lettersheet from Reverend Edward Bass in Newburyport to London, carried privately to Boston and then by the ship Boscawen to England, rated "7" due, "31 DE" Bishop's mark backstamp, fine, an early transatlantic cover

manuscript postmark and rate on large part folded letter datelined "Newbury Port Nov'r 6th 1772", addressed to Marblehead, professionally repaired, fine appearance, 1dwt 6gr paid the single letter rate to 60 miles

dateline on written authorization by Samuel Lancaster to have monies paid out of his wages to the selectmen of the town of Newburyport, addressed to Captain Ezra Lunt, fine, Lunt would go on to serve at Bunker Hill

manuscript postmark and rate on June 10, 1789 folded lettersheet from Newburyport to Philadelphia, converted to "1/5" (1sh 5p) local currency, horizontal filefold, otherwise very fine and attractive

black datestamp with manuscript "Sh_42" ship rate on incoming folded letter datelined "Rotterdam 8 avril 1802", endorsed "pr. the Five Sisters, Capt. Lunt, via Newburyport" and addressed to Philadelphia, very fine and attractive early Newburyport ship letter