Lot
2 
Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.P.O. Despatch, 1855, 1¢ black, rectangular margins, tied by circular grid cancel, matching partial "Philadelphia Pa. Jul" cds on small cover to Florence Heights N.J., original enclosed letter accompanies; a stamp has been removed from upper left where cds struck, Very Fine appearance, ex-Hessel, Golden; with 2000 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 7LB16 Estimate $5,000 - 7,500.
ONE OF THE WORLD'S RAREST STAMPS, WHICH WAS MADE BY APPLYING THE U.S.P.O. EAGLE HANDSTAMP TO THE MARGINS OF 1¢ 1851 SHEETS. ONLY FIVE EXAMPLES OF THE 7LB16 ARE RECORDED.
The Philadelphia carrier stamps printed on the sheet selvage of imperforate 1¢ 1851 stamps hold a unique position in United States philately. Elsewhere in the world there are very few instances in which sheet selvage was used to produce adhesive stamps -- the Emory Va. Confederate provisional another example. Two handstamps were used to create the Philadelphia carrier stamps: the Eagle oval (Scott type C31), which produced 7LB16, and the large oval (type C32), from which 7LB18 was made. Both are rare, but 7LB16 is considerably rarer.
The five recorded examples:
1) rectangular margins, on cover with 3¢ 1851 removed, ex-Hessel, the cover offered here
2) rectangular margins, used on cover with strip of three 1¢ 1851, ex-Caspary
3) diamond-shaped margins, on piece with one 1¢ 1851 intact, ex-Caspary, Boker
4) rectangular margins showing part of imprint, used on cover to San Francisco with 10¢ 1855
5) irregular but mostly rectangular margins, grid cancel.
Realized: $4,750