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City Despatch Post

1st February 1842

  US local 1 arrow

CitDesp
  City Despatch Post Scott 6LB?  

Printed by Rawdon, Wright and Hatch (which became the American Banknote Company).

Description Paper   Scott SG Mi Y&T
City Despatch Post
1842 Engraved
3c black
grayish
   6LB1 1    
United States City Despatch Post
1842-5 Unsurfaced paper, Colored through, Engraved
3c black
rosy buff
   6LB2 2    
3c black
light blue
   6LB3 3    
3c black
green
   6LB4 4    
1842-5 Glazed paper, Colored through, Engraved
3c black
blue green (shades)
   6LB5 5-7    

James Mackay in Classic Stamps [1] writes, "The honour of having produced the world's second stamps must be given to the United States which, although delaying the government use of postage stamps till 1845, witnessed the issue of stamps by various private despatch companies and semi-official carriers much earlier."

Cit Desp1
United States City Despatch Post cover

The service was originated by "an English genteman, Henry Thomas Windsor, who lived in Hoboken, New Jersey, from May 1841 till the autumn of 1842 ... he formed a partnership with an American businessman, Alexander M. Greig" and the service was known as "Greig's Post". It was taken over by the Postmaster General in August 1842 as the United States City Despatch Post.

Sources:
[1] James Mackay, The World of Classic Stamps, 1972
Gibbons Pt.22, 5th edn., 2000
Scott Classic, 10th edn., 2003

Image from Mackay.

FI ref: 2 Page credit: NB

Page created 15 Dec 2015 Page updated 25-May-2017