An Interesting Black Jack Cover

The cover below is a recent purchase while I was at the Southeastern Stamp Show in Atlanta about a month ago. What initially caught my eye was the 2 Black Jacks, then the 2 cancellations each with a different date. I don't remember what I paid for it but it wasn't that much. However, what really makes this cover interesting is that one stamp is a #73 and the other a #93 and then why 4 cents postage for a local letter? No contents, no markings on the back. The cancel looks the same on both stamps.

Art

Could it have just been franked with whatever was handy in the drawer and perhaps the C.D.S. and cork was separate from each other. Maybe the original post office struck both stamps with just the cork. Then it arrives at destination and the receiving mark is struck on the front out of haste. I cant explain any possible reason for the 4 cent rate however. I love it though great score and very interesting to look at! Great pick up man!

I also think that the Boston CDS's might be receiving marks. If it was mailed from outside of Boston to Boston then the 4¢ rate is correct, 3¢ paid the city to city and 1¢ paid the delivery fee. The cover has an address so the delivery fee was prepaid. Many covers of this era are seen with 3¢ + 1¢ as the 1¢ fee was applied at the destination Post Office. The 2 segmented cork cancels are probably from the senders Post Office.

Just a guess.....

It is a forwarded cover. That is why the original address was crossed out and re-addressed. The two cent drop letter rate was paid twice.

Very cool cover!

Edit: Technically, it may not be a forwarded cover but it was certainly not deliverable the first time out.

And I thought the dashes were simply part of the penmanship. So used to seeing a strike through.

Brilliant! I didn't even see the address correction and a quick period rate check makes both Stallzer's and Sinclair's hypothesis' correct so dealers choice I suppose! Best of luck!

There aren't any carrier fees at play here. The carrier fee system was abolished in 1863 before the 2c 1861 was issued. The drop letter rate was in turn increased to two cents and the Blackjack was issued.

As far as carrier fees go, delivery fees could not be prepaid on mail that traveled between two cities. Also, carrier delivery fees were paid with cash not stamps.

There is not choice in the rates paid - it is a 2c local or drop letter that was remailed the next day to the new address (still within Boston) at the same 2c rate.

It still is a very cool cover - there are not a lot of 2c + 2c covers like it.

The stamp cancelled on the 23rd is the #93.

So, the cover was mailed on the 23rd, received on the same or next day and then mailed again on the 24th to a different address? That is one explanation but that's also a pretty fast turn around.

Q: They had to pay an additional rate for a forwarded cover?

Art

A: yes to the timeline, yes to the 2nd fee for remailing or forwarding.

Until the mid 20th century, there were often 2-4 mail deliveries per day.