Postal History, Stampless Covers And What Determines Their Value

Thanks! I skipped right past it, looked like a normal ad.

Chipshot,

You would likely find a rate chart useful. It will explain the major rate changes in 1845 and 1851, distances, sheets/weights, etc.

You note several as "high rates", which are often a combination of sheets and distance.

The Walworth NY to Kingston NY cover (not Mississippi) is a double-rate cover, rated at 18-3/4 cent for 150-400 miles.

This cover which you sold on ebay several months ago was a prepaid 4x rate for the 6 cent rate for not over 30 miles. Someone snapped it up via BIN quickly as 4x covers are less common, especially prepaid. I wish I had seen it in time. All I could do was save your images.

Interestingly I did not know what you advise above and I thought the value in the cover was the person to whom it was addressed , Col Beckwith. I pretty much agree with
.

This is a 30 cent rate and may be in the 5 X rate, not sure. 5 x 6 cents in 1842.
Wish the group was in better condition, but am happy to share here with the community, not decided yet if I will put this out on eBay.

Thank you John Becker.
Here are a few more that I do intend to put out there on eBay.

Kingston to Malden is about 15 miles, so I would agree it seems to be a 5x rate cover. The contents should provide a clue as to enclosures. It should have had 4.

The broader point to retail value ... it depends on the sender, recipient, contents, postmark & rate (and whether they are handstamps or manuscript), the destination, overall condition and appearance, etc. It is often an art taking in all the factors, rather than a science. The Stampless Cover Catalog listings serve as an initial guide to build upward or downward..

John, you are helping me fill in the History and I appreciate your contributions. I have had these in a folder for these many years and feel that I should distribute them to collectors who might appreciate them more than I. I like history and have an appreciation for the Hudson River Valley and the commerce of that day. It certainly was the center of the universe as our US expansion to the west was only getting started and this area was thriving at the time.

Here is a unique 5 for 5 cents paid postage on a folded stampless cover.

I have the 3 cent cover listed on eBay, https://www.ebay.com/itm/175330680893
Because of its' condition with a low starting price.

On the Malden cover I saw postmark reveal offered in another thread and decided to give it a try. I was suprised at how many images were available and think the program is quite remarkable.

Here is a cover with what I believe is a 37 1/2 cent rate from Walworth, NY to Kingston, NY from 1845.


This apparently had a document enclosed and had the higher postage for both weight and distance.

I am adding the last two items to my eBay sales with the relatively low start price of $3.45. EBay costs are so high it is hard to justify the effort of using them to sell items. But I don't think there is an alternative market where the items could be offered.

I have listed a number of these postal history items for sale on my eBay account with relatively low starting prices of $4.45 if anyone would be interested. Thank you for the interest in this thread and for those sales it has generated.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/175568004103