"THE RAREST COVER IN THE WORLD" (Lot 655 in our not to be missed 25th January 2012 auction)

The Earliest Recorded Usage of a Postage Stamp, 25th July 1839. Charles Whiting's "Post Office Permit/½ ounce 1d" black and red essay used on the Mercantile Committee "fears of the paper-makers..." propaganda letter-sheet & sent free from London to Worthing by Rowland Hill's supporter "Joseph Hume", M.P. Prior to the Treasury Competition (announced on 23rd Aug. 1839) only two types of Essay for the first adhesive Postage Stamp had been produced; the primitive ‘square’ designs of James Chalmers (illustrated in the ‘Post Circular’ No.4 of 5th April 1838) and the sophisticated Charles Whiting 1d Black & Red “POST OFFICE PERMIT” labels (circulated around April 1839 on the reverse of a printed ‘Mercantile Papers’ circular). No examples of the Chalmers square design are thought to have been produced as separate labels, or used in any way, prior to the Treasury Competition (for which Chalmers entered his circular designs cancelled on 30th Sept. & 7th Oct. 1839). The Whiting design won prizes both for him and for Henry Cole in the Competition. Until very recently no examples of Whiting’s first Postage Stamp Essays had been recorded on cover, but this extraordinary letter (dated 25th July 1839 and franked by the famous pro-Postal Reform M.P. “Joseph Hume”) is a Unique example of a Postage Stamp Essay used on cover before the Treasury Competition had even been announced.

The Importance of this cover (which is in excellent overall condition with minor dusting of the address-panel and some weakening to the folds) cannot be over-emphasised; it was posted by Hume while he was up in London busily taking part in Commons debates on the Penny Postage Bill* and others, and it seems that his wife had left for their holiday rental in Worthing ahead of the end of the Parliamentary session, so Hume sent her an example of what letters might look like when the franking privilege (including his and that of all Postal Reformers) had been done away with. This letter is an example of the c.April 1839 printed ‘Mercantile Paper’ entitled “THE FEARS OF THE PAPER-MAKERS AND STATIONERS ABOUT COLLECTING POSTAGE BY MEANS OF STAMPS ALLAYED”, the second paragraph of which reads; “It is proposed that these stamps or labels should be about the size of the specimen attached to this letter, and prepared with a glutinous wash on the back”.

No other used examples, not even a front, have been recorded, whereas about a dozen unused examples are known in private hands and the 4 examples in the British Library and Victoria & Albert Museum sets. All have the same Whiting 1d Black & Red label Essay as this cover, placed on the blank address-sheet of the folded paper, and all with very narrow margins and almost in exactly the same position at the top left of the space where an address could be written. Joseph Hume is the only person known to have posted one as a letter; the example offered here. [The similar c.April 1839 ‘Mercantile Papers’ “POST OFFICE PERMIT” Essay for a 1d Postal Stationery wrapper - also printed by Charles Whiting - with a printed text on the reverse about the plans for wrappers and labels, has been found postally used, but almost always as a free front. We have recorded three such fronts and one complete wrapper, all dated 11th or 27th (3) May 1839, and all franked (by M.P.s; Joseph Hume, Robert Wallace, Thomas Bewes or John Fort). In addition there is one other complete example, but without postal markings, addressed and signed by Rowland Hill - but sent at the specific request of Joseph Hume - which is now in the National Postal Museum.] Further details of the relevant research into Hume's handwriting, the origin of these "FEARS OF THE PAPER-MAKERS..."  Circulars in the 1839 sets of Mercantile Papers, etc. are available on application in advance of the auction. *The Penny Postage Bill was introduced in the Commons on Thursday 18th July 1839; its 2nd reading took place on Monday 22nd July 1839, and it passed its 3rd and final reading on Monday 29th July 1839.

The above letter was therefore sent in the very eye of the political storm surrounding the birth of Penny Postage.