1851 / 1857 (Mostly) 5 Or More Rate Covers

Multiple rate covers from the 1850s and 1860s are rare. Double, triple and quadruple rate covers aren't that hard to find, but covers paying 5 or more rates are rare. William K. McDaniel published a census of 1851 and 1857 issue covers with 3¢ stamps in the USPCS Sesquicentennial book and he recorded just 47 covers. The covers are not popular with collectors because they tend to be hard to display, be in poor condition, and are often courthouse covers that may have been "liberated" from government offices.



Here is an example of a 5 times rate cover from Harroldsburg, KY

Here is a 7 times rate cover from Covington, LA

Here is an 8 times rate cover from Richmond, VA

Not an 1851 / 1857 cover, but a 14 times rate cover from Washington, DC franked with the 3¢ 1861 issue.

This is a 27 times rate (81¢) with a block of 8 of the 10¢ type V, from Boonsville, MD.

Good topic.

I will always associate 5X or larger domestic rates with Bill McDaniel. I recall contributing several to his census way back.

For this thread - domestic only or also foreign?
I don't off-hand recall if I have any domestics this large at the moment but I'll check.

I have some quadruple rate foreign covers, but nothing paying more than the quadruple rate. If you have anything feel free to add it.

I looked around and I do have one nice domestic 6x rate cover.



This is a 12c imperforate #17, together with a pair of 3c Ty I, #25, used to make up the 6 times rate for an overweight letter from Philadelphia to Providence RI.

This was mailed in October 1857, while perforated stamps were coming out en-masse now, but there were still some lingering imperforates.

This cover is neat because of the mixed issue usage, and the fact that the 3c stamps are "not" the more common #26's/Ty III.

I agree that there does appear to be an exponential rarity increase starting around 5x rates both domestic and foreign.

Here is a foreign 6-times 10c steamship rate to Mexico, franked with 3 vertical pairs of the 10c #35 making up a 60c rate.

This is from New Orleans, to Vera Cruz, Mexico.

I was actually surprised how many foreign mail covers there are, with lots of stamps on them, that don't add up to at least a 5x rate. This is because foreign mail typically costs more, and takes more stamps/money to make up just a single rate often.

I have numerous 4x foreign rate usages, but this was the only one so far I've found with 5x or greater.

Off topic, but since you said "mostly", I'll just link to my 1847 issue 5-6x rate cover, which would qualify.

https://goscf.com/t/74487&whichpage=4#670535

TX - both very nice covers. I had forgotten about the elimination of odd rate increments in 1849. I assume they were reintroduced with the 1851 rate changes.

Another rate oddity was before the 1845 rate reductions, when there was a rate payable for each sheet of paper, if there were 4 or more sheets, the letter was rated by weight, with each ¼ oz. representing a rate.


This cover is rated "1¼ oz" (5 quarter ounces) for a total due of 85¢ (5 times 17¢)

I should add for anyone following along without posting, that McDaniel's census was published in the USPCS Sesquicentennial book - the book is available for free download on the USPCS webapge here - https://www.uspcs.org/resource-cent...nic-library/ The census starts on page 133.

The book's full title is "The 1851 Issue of United States Stamps: a Sesquicentennial Retrospective" and the download link is about 1/2 down the page.