Number of results: 18
1520
| Sale number: 15 Postal Reform: 'The Post Circular, OR AN ADVOCATE FOR A CHEAP, SWIFT, AND SURE POSTAGE', edition number 4, dated Thursday April 5th 1839, a fascinating four page document including letters from Rowland Hill discussing the proposed reduction in postal rates, James Chalmers with illustrations of ''General Postage'' 1d. and 2d. essays and in which he discusses the importance of cancelling the stamps 'Again to prevent the possibility of these being used a second time, it should be made imperative on postmasters to put the Post-office town stamp across the slip or postage stamp', etc., with ''POST/CIRCULAR/ONE/PENNY/NEWSPAPER'' stamp in red on reverse, very fine. Photo. Price Realised £1500 |
1521
| Sale number: 15 Postal Reform: 'The Post Circular, OR AN ADVOCATE FOR A CHEAP, SWIFT, AND SURE POSTAGE', edition number 12, dated Tuesday April 30th 1839, a further fascinating four page document with the ''Report of the London Mercantile Committee for the Reduction of Postage' including the paragraph 'Your Sub-Committee are of opinion, and this opinion they express with much confidence, THAT THE SAFE PLAN FOR THE REVENUE, IS TO REDUCE POSTAGE AT ONCE AND UNIVERSALLY TO ONE PENNY; AND THAT ANY OTHER RATE CAN HARDLY BE VIEWED AS A FAIR TRIAL OF MR ROWLAND HILL'S PLAN', on the second page is the cartoon of the Edinburgh mail of 2nd March 1838 showing the vagaries of the system at that time, on the third page are examples of the ''POST OFFICE PERMIT'' essay in blue and the ''ONE POUND'' banknote printed by the Congreve process in black and pink, ''POST/CIRCULAR/ONE/PENNY/NEWSPAPER'' stamp in red on front, at some time the document has been damaged at the edges and expertly restored, the contents being unaffected, very fresh and rare. Photo. Price Realised UNSOLD |
1522
| Sale number: 15 Postal Reform: 1838 Mercantile Committee, the two propaganda letter sheets produced to graphically illustrate the need for postal reform, one a very large sheet measuring 35 x 22 inches folded to 111/2 x 81/4 inches, the other a sheet 4 x 21/2 inches folded to 23/4 x 11/4 inches, the latter with a second sheet of the same size enclosed with the legend ''POSTAGE CHARGES IN 1838/This Paper, 4 inches by 21/2 inches and its Cover of similar size, weighs 7 grains, or under the 60th part of an Ounce weight, and is charged DOUBLE Postage, whilst the accompanying Sheet, 35 inches by 23 inches, weighing just under One Ounce, is charged as a SINGLE Letter./N.B. In France, Germany, and throughout Europe, Postage is charged by weight'', a similar tract is printed on the inside of the larger sheet. The pair sent in July 1838 from Manningtree to 'A Pringle Esq M.P., London' with Crowned ''FREE/4JY4/1838'' datestamps, the larger sheet with some staining and folds as to be expected, quite remarkable, this and the following lot are the only postally used examples that we have seen. Photo. See 'England's Postal History' by R.M. Willcocks, page 125 Price Realised £2000 |
1523
| Sale number: 15 Postal Reform: 1839 Mercantile Committee, the two propaganda letter sheets produced to graphically illustrate the need for postal reform, one a very large sheet measuring 35 x 23 inches folded to 111/2 x 81/4 inches, the other a sheet 4 x 21/2 inches folded to 23/4 x 11/4 inches, the latter with a second sheet of the same size enclosed with the legend ''POSTAGE CHARGES IN 1839/This Paper, 4 inches by 21/2 inches and its Cover of similar size, weighs 7 grains, or under the 60th part of an Ounce weight, and is charged DOUBLE Postage, whilst the accompanying Sheet, 35 inches by 23 inches, weighing just under One Ounce, is charged as a SINGLE Letter./N.B. In France, Germany, and throughout Europe, Postage is charged by weight'' together with examples of postal ''ANOMALIES'', a similar tract is printed on the inside of the larger sheet . The pair addressed to 'C.W. Harvey Esq M.P., London, the large sheet sent on July 4th 1839 from Watford with Crowned ''FREE'' datestamp but rather defective and repaired with Scotch tape which has stained the cover, the small sheet also presumably posted but without postal markings and with a number of pinholes. Photo. Price Realised UNSOLD |
1524
| Sale number: 15 Postal Reform: 1839 Mercantile Committee, an unused example of the large propaganda letter sheet produced to graphically illustrate the need for postal reform, measuring 35 x 23 inches folded to 131/4 x 8 inches, printed inside with the legend ''POSTAGE CHARGES IN 1839/This Paper, 35 inches by 23 inches, weighing One Ounce, is charged as a SINGLE Letter, whilst the accompanying Letter, weighing 7 grains, or under the 60th part of an Ounce weight, is charged as a DOUBLE Letter/N.B. In France, Germany, and throughout Europe, Postage is charged by weight'' together with examples of postal ''ANOMALIES'', some faults but very scarce, an example of the insert for the small letter sheet and a ''DOUBLE LETTER'' slip. Price Realised UNSOLD |
218
| Sale number: 19 Postal Reform: 1840 (March), the 17 page article fromThe London and Westminster Review No. LXV., probably written by Sir Henry Cole, about the origins of Postage Stamps. Comments and descriptions are included of the Treasury essays, the 'new' Mulready design, on the novelties of prepayment of postage and assessment by weight substituted for the anomalous charging of pieces of paper, single usage of stamps and security against forgery. It takes the form of an open letter to the Right Hon. the Postmaster General. Argument in favour of reduction in cases of fraud against the Post-office though introduction of the penny letter rate was expected to yield an immediate profit for the Post-office. Charles Whiting's 'Go-frees' are mentioned, as are the attempts of the stationers to create a monopoly of the facility to 'stamp' paper for the public. This includes one of the first descriptions of the Mulready design and included among Appendices the blue Whiting essay, an example of which is included. Price Realised UNSOLD |
231
| Sale number: 22 Postal Reform: ''POST OFFICE REFORM; ITS IMPORTANCE AND PRACTICABILITY'' by Rowland Hill, third edition, 97 pages plus preface and including the 1d. letter sheet essay in yellow-buff by John Dickinson, binding removed but a fine and clean example of this scarce publication. Price Realised £480 |
232
| Sale number: 22 Postal Reform: 'The Post Circular, OR AN ADVOCATE FOR A CHEAP, SWIFT, AND SURE POSTAGE', edition number 12, dated Tuesday April 30th 1839, a further fascinating four page document with the ''Report of the London Mercantile Committee for the Reduction of Postage' including the paragraph 'Your Sub-Committee are of opinion, and this opinion they express with much confidence, THAT THE SAFE PLAN FOR THE REVENUE, IS TO REDUCE POSTAGE AT ONCE AND UNIVERSALLY TO ONE PENNY; AND THAT ANY OTHER RATE CAN HARDLY BE VIEWED AS A FAIR TRIAL OF MR ROWLAND HILL'S PLAN', on the second page is the cartoon of the Edinburgh mail of 2nd March 1838 showing the vagaries of the system at that time, on the third page are examples of the ''POST OFFICE PERMIT'' essay in blue and the ''ONE POUND'' banknote printed by the Congreve process in black and pink, ''POST/CIRCULAR/ONE/PENNY/NEWSPAPER'' stamp in red on front, at some time the document has been damaged at the edges and expertly restored, the contents being unaffected, very fresh and rare. Photo. Price Realised UNSOLD |
669
| Sale number: 24 Postal Reform: 1838 (March 26th) letter to Robert Wallace from a Birmingham businessman writing from Deal, describing some of the abuses that needed to be stamped out and the potential benefits - 'Seeing that you are at this present time engaged in an inquiry as to how far Mr. Hill's plan of a general rate of 1d. postage would affect the revenue and learning (thro' the papers) that you are anxious to collect information upon the subject, I shall without further apology proceed to lay a few facts before you shewing the effect the measure will be likely to produce in our own establishment, should you be so fortunate as to confer so great a boon upon the country'. Endorsed 'Postage' on reverse by Wallace. Price Realised £300 |
670
| Sale number: 24 Postal Reform: 1840 (March), the 17 page article from The London and Westminster Review No. LXV., probably written by Sir Henry Cole, about the origins of Postage Stamps. Comments and descriptions are included of the Treasury essays, the 'new' Mulready design, on the novelties of prepayment of postage and assessment by weight substituted for the anomalous charging of pieces of paper, single usage of stamps and security against forgery. It takes the form of an open letter to the Right Hon. the Postmaster General. Argument in favour of reduction in cases of fraud against the Post-office though introduction of the penny letter rate was expected to yield an immediate profit for the Post-office. Charles Whiting's 'Go-frees' are mentioned, as are the attempts of the stationers to create a monopoly of the facility to 'stamp' paper for the public. This includes one of the first descriptions of the Mulready design and included among Appendices the blue Whiting essay, an example of which is included. Price Realised UNSOLD |
671
| Sale number: 24 Postal Reform: 1840 (April 25th) edition of The Times, an important issue detailing over nearly half a full column full particulars of the Penny Black, Two Pence Blue and Mulready Covers, about to be introduced on May 6th 1840. Price Realised UNSOLD |
672
| Sale number: 24 Postal Reform: 1840 (May 2nd) edition of The Times including rather negative references to the Mulready envelope, four days before it was valid for postage - 'Sir - is it possible that the enclosed is not a joke? ... nonsensical buffonery', the editor's response 'Our correspondent sent us one of Mr. Mulready's envelopes. We really can scarcely ''believe our eyes'' as we contemplate this monstrous specimen of art run mad'. Price Realised £190 |
673
| Sale number: 24 Postal Reform: 1840 (May 4th) edition of The Times, an important issue, showing over nearly a full column a humorous report on the Mulready envelope and two letters on both the Mulready and 'the new postage stamps'. Price Realised UNSOLD |
674
| Sale number: 24 Postal Reform: A selection of six pamphlets incl. folio 64 from the Mercantile Committee papers mentioning 'glutinous wash', Rowland Hill's 1841 'Results of the New Postage Arrangements', 1843 'Requisites to the Completion of Mr. Rowland Hill's Plan of Post-Office Improvement' (2nd edition), 1844 'The State and Prospects of Penny Postage', and John Peace's 1841 satire attacking the prepayment of postage, the penny rate and use of envelopes 'An Eighteenpenny Descant on the Penny Postage' (2nd edition published by John Bohn), an interesting group. Price Realised UNSOLD |
675
| Sale number: 24 Postal Reform: Two documents from the Mercantile Papers, one a copy of a letter from George Moffat regarding obtaining 'an immediate meeting and a second petition..on the subject of the Uniform Penny Postage' and Rowland Hill's 1841 'Results of the New Postage Arrangements'. (3 items). Price Realised £300 |
406
| Sale number: 32 Postal Reform: 1839 Mercantile Committee ''UNIFORM PENNY POSTAGE/FORM OF A PETITION'' 'proof' of proposed petition to be placed in newspapers, ex the George Moffat set of Mercantile Papers and stated to be the only example in private hands. Photo. Price Realised UNSOLD |
407
| Sale number: 32 Postal Reform: 1839 Mercantile Committee, the larger of the two propaganda letter sheets produced to graphically illustrate the need for postal reform, measuring 35 x 23 inches folded to 111/2 x 81/4 inches, headed ''SPECIMEN OF POSTAGE CHARGES IN 1839/To be Preserved among the Curiosities of any Museum, &c'', weighing just under One Ounce, addressed to 'C.W. Harvey Esq M.P., London' and sent on July 4th 1839 from Watford with Crowned ''FREE'' datestamp but rather defective and repaired with adhesive tape which has stained the cover, never-the-less a very rare item. Price Realised £200 |
408
| Sale number: 32 Postal Reform: 1839 (July) ''UNIFORM PENNY POSTAGE/FACTS AND ESTIMATES AS TO THE INCREASE OF LETTERS'', by Rowland Hill, a two page article printed by Charles Whiting at Beaufort House. Price Realised £300 |