UNITED STATES LOCALS, American Letter Mail to Blizzard Mail

Return To Catalogue - United States locals overview - Adam's to American Express Company - D.O Blood & Co - United States

Note: on my website many of the pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the cd's;
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ATTENTION: many of the local stamps of the United States are reprints or forgeries.

Adam's to American Express Company

AMERICAN LETTER MAIL Co

American Letter Mail Co 20 for a dollar (1844)

American Letter Mail Co. Established in1844 by Lysander Spooner and running to and from New York, Philadelphia and Boston.


(Genuine stamp)

The only genuine colour is black (see picture above), this stamp was issued in 1844. I've also seen a genuine stamp with a red 'PAID' cancel. Reprints exist in various colours:


(exists in brown, orange, yellow, blue, green and red)

There are also forgeries of these stamps:

Forgery!
(Forgery!)

The above forgery has the '2' of '20' different, furthermore the tail of the eagle is not as pointed as in the genuine stamps. I have been told that this forgery was made by Thomas Woods (or Wood) for Hussey. I've also seen this forgery in the color green. Furthermore I've seen the above forgery with a cancel consisting of a pattern of red squares. I've also seen a red color forgery with a cancel consisting of an ellipse with horizontal lines.


Forgery; made from a photograph.

I've also seen a '1974 facsimile' (marked as such on the backside):


'Facsimile 1974'


Another very primitive forgery (or cut from a catalogue?). I've also seen this forgery with a cancel consisting of 4 parallel black bars.

A second type with inscription 'THE AMERICAN LETTER MAIL Co.' was also issued in 1844. This stamp was issued in black or blue:

Genuine, image obtained from a Siegel auction


(Genuine)


(Genuine stamps, obtained from a Siegel auction)


Forgery, the design is slightly different and the stamp doesn't appear to be engraved. There is a worm in the eagle's mouth and the text "Engraved by W.S. Ormsby" is missing at the bottom.


AUNER'S DESPATCH POST

A.W. Auner's Despatch Post

Only two of these stamps are known to exist: one off cover and one on cover (according to a Siegel auction http://www.siegelauctions.com/1999/817/yf81773.htm#85 ). Images of both of them:


(genuine, image obtained from a Siegel auction)


(On cover, genuine, image obtained from a Siegel auction)


BAKERS CITY EXPRESS POST

Bakers City Express Post (man on horse)


(Genuine, image obtained from a Siegel auction)

Issued in 1849, these stamps are very rare, the colour is black on pink.


Some forgeries, 'Bakers City Express' and 'J.O.Neills' Express' printed together.


BALDWIN'S RAILROAD POSTAGE (Bogus)

'BALDWIN'S RAILROAD POSTAGE' (with image of train) or 'BALDWIN'S R.R. POSTAGE' (with 'PAID TWO PENCE' in an ellipse)

These labels are forgeries made by (or inspired by) Allan Taylor in or before 1865 with the help of Craig and Melvin (both stamp dealers in Canada). The train design exists in a number of colors (red, blue, brown, black) and on colored paper. A sub-type seems to have a blotch in the frameline next to the bottom left '2'. The design with 'PAID' in the ellipse seems also to exist in the colors 2 p black on red and 2 p black on green.

More pictures acan be found at: http://alphabetilately.com/US-trains-00.html.

The following text was found in the Stamp Collector's Monthly Magazine of 1866 (Vol.1, No. 10) of St.John, New Brunswick by George Steward Jr. concerning the Baldwin stamps:

A TIMBROPHILIC BUBBLE BURST!

STAMP COLLECTORS BEWARE!!

AN EXPOSE!!!

BALDWINS RAILROAD POSTAGE : an obsolete local of considerable rarity"-as it is impudently termed by dealers interested in its sale-is attracting some attention at present in Philatelic Circles. Of course the venders of these stamps affirm stoutly that they are genuine ; but we beg to assure buyers that this is not the case. The "Baldwin" is a forgery and the Boston dealer who now advertises it as genuine knows that it was made to sell only. For the information of our readers we submit a brief historical sketch-gleaned from authentic sources - of this stamp.
In the month of May last two young gentlemen belonging to this city entered into copartnership - which for distinction sake we shall call Messrs "A. and B., Stamp and Coin dealers.'' They had been in business but a short time when it occurred to them that they might "get up" a stamp. Others had done so with some degree of success, why could not they? Only represent it to their correspondent as a genuine "local" issued and used in the province of New Brunswick, and by its sale they might easily replenish their coffers, and increase their business many fold. Having hit upon this "happy thought " the next thing wanted was a name and date. The latter was easily settled ; it should be an obsolete local, for this would sell best and be least liable to detection. But the name, -what should it be? This was a puzzler ! It could not be "Turner's " -or the " Eastern'' Express, for both of these companies had agents in almost every city, town and village of the Union, as well as in the British Provinces, an application to either of whom might ''spoil their leetle game." After much grave thought and consideration it was remembered that a Mr. H. Baldwin had had some years before, an express office on the European and North American Railway, which runs from St. John to the Shediac oyster beds. Why not therefore call the "obsolete local" BALDWIN'S RAILROAD POSTAGE
Nothing could be more favourable and the name was at once adopted. After sketching a rough design of the projected "obsolete," the honourable firm went next in search of an engraver whom they soon found in the person of a Mr. Gregory of this city. Mr. Gregory being an adept in his art soon furnished a block or cut of the new stamp, which was taken to the printing establishment of Messrs J. & A. McM..... of St.John, and shortly after our enterprising young gents had the satisfaction of gazing upon the fruit of their own ingenuity-or in other words upon fifteen hundred of the "BALDWIN'S RAILROAD POSTAGE LABELS" in the following colours: viz, red on white, blue on ditto., black on ditto., red on grey, blue on ditto, black on ditto, red on green, blue on ditto, black on ditto, red on yellow, blue on ditto, black on ditto, red on blue, blue on ditto., black on ditto. That such stamps should be rare-very rare indeed- no one can doubt, for they could only be had from the makers. We do not know that the manufacturers are to blame altogether for saying that these stamps were of "considerable rarity" -seeing they could only be obtained from themselves, -but every honest man will say that they were very much to blame for stating that they were NEW BRUNSWICK LOCALS. But further, we have it on good authority, that of these " gems, "four hundred were sold to S. Allan Taylor of Boston - as stamps that never existed, but were issued to sell only. Mr. Taylor knows all this, but does he denounce the imposition? oh no! On the contrary, he tries to bolster it up by "a change of base," and mendaciously says in his paper, " that the New Brunswick to which these bogus "obsolete locals'' belong is New Brunswick - New Jersey!!! Could anything be more audacious? Can he tell us or his readers when these TWO PENNY locals were issued and used in New Jersey? and why it is that no mention is made in any of the NewY ork Price Lists or American Catalogues of the U. S. local stamps? We hope that our readers will make a note of what we have said and avoid the Bogus " Baldwin's."


Advertisment of Edward A.Craig & Robert J.Melvin in the Stamp Collector's Monthly Gazette (Vol. 1, No 1. 1865, page 4) stating that they are 'sole agents for the sale of BALWIN'S RAILROAD POSTAGE, an obsolete local of considerable rarity'. They sold the set of 15 varieties for $1.50 N.B. currency


BARNARDS CARIBOO EXPRESS

Barnard's Cariboo Express

Genuine


Most likely a forgery with different lettering.


BARNARD'S CITY LETTER EXPRESS

Barnard's City Letter Express 17 Cambridge St.


(Reduced size, genuine, image obtained from a Siegel auction)

A black on yellow and a red stamp were issued in 1845.


BARR'S PENNY DISPATCH

Barr's Penny Dispatch

Issued in 1855 in the colours red and black on green. The black on green is the more common one.


(Genuine stamps)


(Reduced size, genuine, image obtained from a Siegel auction)

With "point" behind DISPATCH

Without "point" behind DISPATCH
Forgeries.


Forgery or reprint in the wrong color blue.

I presume the next design is a bogus issue for 'Barr's Penny Despatch Paid':


Barr's Penny Despatch Paid, I've also seen this stamp in black, violet, blue and black on blue.

The Lancaster Club made some reprints of these stamps in 1935, example:


(Reduced sizes)


BAYONNE CITY DISPATCH

Bayonne City Dispatch


(Reduce size, image obtained from a Siegel auction)

This stamp was issued in 1883 in black.

I've seen this stamp in the color black on dark blue (probably a forgery).


BENTLEY'S DISPATCH NEW-YORK

Bentley's Despatch New York or Madison Sq.


(Genuine stamps, obtained from a Siegel auction)

Both stamps are printed in gold colour (probably issued somewhere in 1857-59). These stamps are extremely rare: only two of the 'New York' stamp exist and only 6 of the 'Madison Sq.' are known (see http://www.siegelauctions.com/1999/817/yf81782.htm#94 for more details).


Forgery in a bogus design. All the above types are different: "DISPATCH" vs. "DESPATCH", "Madison Square" in italic or normal text and a dot behind "Square" or not.


BERFORD & CO's

Berford & Co's Express to California No.2 Astor House N.Y. (1851)


images obtained from a Siegel auction


Letter, image obtained from a Siegel auction.


I'm not certain if this stamp is genuine.


(Reduced size)

  3 c black
  6 c green
  10 c lilac
  25 c red

At least one type of forgeries exists of the 3 c and 25 c made by Casey (described in the Lyon's book as forgery A). He offered them as reprints. The full story about Casey's 'reprints' can be found in 'Philatelic Forgers, their Lives and Works' by V.E.Tyler. After discovering the truth and being exposed by S.Allan Taylor, Casey was removed from his editorship of 'The American Journal of Philately' by the publisher, J.W.Scott. It is amusing that both Taylor and Scott are also listed in V.E.Tyler's book on philatelic forgers..... The following text can be found in 'The United States Locals' book by Coster on this matter:
"One original set of the Berford stamps is said to exist, in the collection of an individual who, perhaps, appreciating their rarity and desiring that the semblance of the reality should be within the reach of all, caused photo-lithographic " reproductions " to be made a couple of years ago. These imitations (or "reprints" as they were called by the individual already referred to) have been fully ventilated in the columns of the Philatelic press."

A forgery in the wrong colour:


3 c in red and black! I've also seen this forgery in green. The 'R' of 'ASTOR' has a very short tail.


Highly dubious 6 c green stamp.


Very dubious items


BICYCLE MAIL ROUTE FRESNO AND SAN FRANCISCO

Bicycle Mail Route, Fresno and San Francisco 1894


Note the white diagonal lines across the design.

Exists in brown as well.

Some modern reproductions:


(Blue and red stamps, modern reproductions, reduced sizes)


BLIZZARD MAIL

Blizzard Mail To N.Y.P.O.


(Genuine, image obtained from a Siegel auction)

This stamp was issued in 1888 and is very rare.


For stamps of D.O Blood & Co click here.


Copyright by Evert Klaseboer