Lot
4309 E
S.C. Hopkins, Boston Mass. Paid Reply Postal Card Essay, Typographed on 260 x 76 mm dull v. faint y-o-yellow card in deep red and black, folded in center to 130 x 76 mm, the back or inside edge of the beveled end (Half B) is gummed, Very Fine. USPCC No. MR1E-B $3,500.
THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE S.C. HOPKINS PAID REPLY POSTAL CARD ESSAY.
This is probably the earliest suggestion utilizing the idea of a double postal card to prepay postage having been advanced by Mr. S.C. Hopkins probably in 1875 or 1876, although the date cannot be proved. Mr. Hopkins did not attempt to patent his idea, which consisted of a double card, hinged at one end, and with the two outside corners of the return half beveled. Printed in black on the back or inside of "Half A" was a rather complete summation of the advantages claimed for the card.
Realized: $1,500
Lot
4310 E
Charles K. Marshall, Vicksburg Miss., Paid Reply Postal Card Essay, 1¢ + 1¢ Black, first design style with "Patented July 10th, 1877" printed in tiny type outside left star on larger 148 x 88 mm dim vivid yellow card, has been addressed and with message ordering for Roemer's Polyglot Reader; some edge wear, F.-V.F. and rare. USPCC No. MR1E-CBa $500.
Realized: $250
Lot
4311
Charles K. Marshall, Vicksburg Miss., Paid Reply Postal Card Essay, 1¢ + 1¢ Red Orange, from the Second Marshall essays, on 131 x 76 mm dull v. faint o-yellow card, Very Fine. USPCC No. MR1E-Da $800.
This second Marshall essay having stamp representations in diagonally opposite corners.
Lot
4312
Charles K. Marshall, Vicksburg Miss., Paid Reply Postal Card and Envelope Essays, 1¢ + 1¢ & 3¢ + 3¢ Red Orange, four items from the second Marshall essays, first is 1¢ + 1¢ reply card, 3¢ +3¢ envelope paid reply essays in the same style, one 161 x 90mm size (E801a) and one 240 x 103mm larger size (E802a), and one 161 x 90mm design with same printed instructions but without stamp impressions (E801b), F.-V.F. USPCC No. MR1E-Da, E801a, E801b, E802a $1,550.
Realized: $525
Lot
4313
Franklin W. Brooks, New York, 2c Black on Dark Buff, Paid Reply Card Essay, style with single stamp, card backed with white card glued above and below rows of perforations, clear strike of blue "Office of the Postmaster General Washington D.C. Jan. 25, 1878" oval handstamp, Very Fine and rare, ex-Knapp. USPCC No. MR1E-Ea var. Estimate $500 - 750.
The large number of Brooks essays that follow were part of an intense multi-year campaign by Franklin W. Brooks to change the postal laws to allow the issuance of paid reply or "return" postal cards, and to profit from the anticipated change by patenting various designs that might be adopted by the Post Office Department, the law was indeed overhauled to allow paid reply cards, but the act of March 3, 1879 forbid the use of any patented postal cards and prohibited the payment of royalties, as such Brooks made no money from his efforts, but he left a legacy of fascinating collectibles for essay and proof enthusiasts (see UPSS catalog p. 269 for a detailed discussion).
Realized: $500
Lot
4314 E
Franklin W. Brooks, New York, 1¢ + 1¢ Black, Paid Reply Card Essays, group of 5 different colors: pink, light violet, buff, style with two stamps, card backed with white card glued above and below rows of perforations, with arced "U.S. Return Postal Card." moved to vertical orientation at left, address lines omitted, no oval handstamp, Very Fine group. USPCC No. MR1E-GA $1,500.
Realized: $650
Lot
4315 E
Franklin W. Brooks, New York, 1¢ + 1¢ Black on Buff, Paid Reply Card Essay, Three cards, style with two stamps and arced "U.S. Return Postal Card." in vertical orientation at left, address lines omitted and no oval handstamp, two GBa, one folded and one unfolded with no perforations, other is GBd with perforations, Very Fine and rare. USPCC No. MR1E-GBa, d $900.
Realized: $375
Lot
4316 E
Franklin W. Brooks, New York, 1¢ + 1¢ Black on White Wove, Paid Reply Card Model Essay, Model card on white wove paper (with paste-on of same), the lower sheet being 134 x 165mm overall, including a 15mm strip outside a row of perforations on which is printed "Tear off communication and write replay on back on enclosed card", the paste-on portion, similarly printed, but without the portion outside the perforations, was applied tete-beche, so that when folded the card is 75mm in height, except for the strip outside the perforations, which was intended to be folded again, and sealed across the bottom of the opposite card, penciled corrections of the printing on this strip change the word "TEAR" to "Detach", and "ENCLOSED" to "Remaining", Very Fine and unique. USPCC No. MR1E-Ha $2,000.
THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THIS BROOKS PAID REPLY CARD MODEL ESSAY.
Realized: $950
Lot
4317 E
Franklin W. Brooks, New York, 1¢ + 1¢ Black on White Card, Paid Reply Card Model Essay, Model card on 132 x 152mm white card, with paste-on of 130 x 75mm white wove paper, folded at top to produce a 132 x 76mm double card, sewing machine perforations across bottom of exposed card (not on paste-on), but accompanying instruction line omitted, with pencil markings., Very Fine and unique. USPCC No. MR1E-Hb $2,000.
THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THIS BROOKS PAID REPLY CARD MODEL ESSAY.
Realized: $750
Lot
4318 E
Franklin W. Brooks, New York, 1¢ + 1¢ Black on White, Paid Reply Card Essay, Style with one printed card enclosed in printed folded white wove sheath, perforated at bottom thru all three layers with "Tear off communication, and write reply on back of enclosed card." printed below perforations, Very Fine and rare. USPCC No. MR1E-Ib $1,000.
Realized: $500