Scotts 9X US stamps, New York Provisional

New York, NY Provisional (9X)

The MMJr signature (9x1c)

The stamps were only available at the New York City Post Office. As a further step in security each stamp was signed, on issuance, at the post office. The post master Robert H. Morris signed but a few as RHM, the majority were signed by his brother in law Alonzo Castle Monson as ACM. There was one further signer, that of Alonzo's older brother Marcena Monson Jr, who signed MMJr. The latter is the rarest with a value in excess of $10,000 each.

Notable Sales

Enlarge Image

9X1, 1845-46 5c Black, Signed "ACM" connected. Position 15, cancelled by red "Paid" in arc and small framed "US" of the US City Despatch, "Paid" repeated at left, red "Washington City D.C. Dec 5" date stamp and "5" rate, on 1845 incoming folded letter to New York City street address (for carrier delivery)

Sold January 2023 for $10,000

Explore H.R. Harmer's Auctions

Forgeries

Sperati Forgery
Sperati added the ACM initials to his forgeries

The Story Behind the Stamp

City Local Dispatch Post of New York (6LB5b)

City Local Dispatch Post of New York (6LB5b) and a New York Provisional (9x1d) on the same cover

Prior to the introduction of this stamp recipients of mail paid the postage fee. It was not until Congress standardized the postal rates that is became feasible to produce prepaid stamps, whereby the sender paid the postage fee. This became the first pre-paid stamp in the United States. The first pre paid stamp in the world was the Penny Black.

The NY Postmaster, Robert H. Morris, saw no need to issue 10¢ and 20¢ denominations as allowed by congress. This because the 5¢ rate paid for mail up to 300 miles, whilst St Louis issued stamps up to 20¢ as quite a few of its mails went to long distance destinations.

The stamps were produced in sheets of 8 x 5 (40) and were printed by the local printer Rawdon, Wright and Hatch. This is by far the most professionally produced provisional, due to the fact that the printer had experience in security printing such as bonds and banknotes.

A few of these stamps were distributed to nearby cities, such as Boston, where they were treated as unpaid on dispatch and prepaid on arrival. Covers with these stamps sell for a substantial premium.

Unlike the St Louis provisionals this stamp gained immediate public acceptance. This may be in part due to the fact that three years earlier they had seen an image of George Washington on the stamp shown above.

The stamps were so well produced that, in1847 the printers were selected to print the first United Sates Postage stamps, #1 and #2