Lot
339 
Envelope, 1853, 3¢ red, die 1, Horizontal Laid Lines and Horizontal Watermark, red "G. Nesbitt N.Y." seal on backflap, entire cancelled by two strikes of "Way" handstamps, red "New Orleans La Nov 25" cds to Messrs. Hardie & Co., New Orleans La.; sealed tear at top from opening, otherwise Very Fine. UPSS No. 2a. Scott No. U1 var. Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
A RARE EARLY FIRST-ISSUE NESBITT ENTIRE WITH HORIZONTAL WATERMARK AND NESBITT SEAL, BEFORE PRODUCTION WAS CHANGED TO DIAGONAL LAYOUT.
In a Feb. 18th 2002 Linn's article by Richard B. Graham, he states that this variety "is really the first U.S. stamped envelope" as it precedes issuance of the diagonally watermarked entires. The paper from which envelopes were cut had watermarked laid lines and the watermark horizontally across the sheet. The first few printings permitted 12 envelopes to be cut from a single sheet of paper, with the watermarks running horizontally across the face of the envelopes. George Nesbitt soon realized that if the envelopes were laid out in 45 degree angles from the top left to bottom right of the sheet of paper, 15 envelopes per sheet would result. However, the watermark's in this configuration showed diagonally across the face of an envelope.
Realized: $1,100