Lot
1610 E
American Post Card Co., New York, Forerunner Postal Card Essay (Unstated Value) Dark Green on Buff, Broken Frame, broken frame lower left, on manila paper facing folded over and gummed at bottom to a .0125" thick white wove card 127x77mm, patent information and company address at edges, F.-V.F. USPCC No. S1E-Ea var. $250.
A fascinating essay which attempted to combine an envelope and a letter sheet with flaps, the gummed flaps were designed to seal a message card underneath the facing paper. Garfield, who later became President, wanted this letter card since it provided security as shown in the Congressional Debates of April 9, 1872: "…I have also, since I made those remarks last year, had sent to me a number of proposed inventions. Here is one of them, where there are two side flaps, and an upper flap, which folds down over one side of the card, and on which the address may be written, while the side of the card so covered is reserved for the correspondence, which cannot be written until the flap is opened…".
Realized: $100