Help With Stamp And Year On Trenton, KY Cover (1800-S)

I recently acquired this cover and am looking for help in identifying both the scott number of the stamp and the year of mailing (if possible to identify). I'd also love to hear anything else someone can share about the cover, addressee, etc. Thanks

Your stamp is likely a Scott #158 from the years 1873-75. but a more clear & close-up image would better help to see if it has the secret marks or not?

Trenton, KY. - Trenton is a sixth class city in Todd County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 419 at the 2000 census. Settled as Lewisburg in 1796, the city was renamed after Trenton, New Jersey in 1819.

Thanks for the help. Based on my analysis, it appears to have the secret mark.

On a side note, any idea on the name of the addressee? I'm having trouble deciding what the last name is. My best guess is Heluc, but that isn't turning up any results so I could be wrong.

I believe the last name in "Helm". The first initials is what could be throwing us off. Is it "L.W." or "Q.W." or perhaps "J.W."? The "Helm" name fits because there are a number of "Helm" families that resided in Kentucky at the time, several in Sugar Grove, Kentucky, too, but I can't seem to match the first name.

What I did find out is that Sugar Grove, KY was/is in Butler County. Reference to anyone living in "Sugar Grove" is recited as "Sugar Grove P.O." (post office) and is only shown on Census data from 1860 and 1870. Based on the 1900 Census, there is a "J.W. Helm" residing in Woodbury Village (1st District), which is said to be less than 5 miles from Morgantown, KY, although I haven't been able to identify exactly where "Sugar Grove" was or is in relation to those communities, even though the "J.W. Helm" name fits.

Thanks for the info wt1, but if the name is indeed "Helm," why do the letters at the end of the name open upward more like a "u"? Still not an expert on manuscript writing. And in person, the first name appears to be JW

Isn't this the actual cover? The seller suggests "L.W. Helm", but I'm more inclined to think "J.W. Helm" is the name:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Trenton-Ken...557#viTabs_0

It appears to be the same cover. I'm with you though, still thinking JW. Thanks!

From http://www.cumberland.org/hfcpc/min...r/Porter.htm

Further confirmation here:

http://www.gencircles.com/users/sgi.../1/data/2877

Thanks to both of you for your great help! Next question, is there any real way to narrow down the year it was sent?

Not really. Based on the stamp, the earliest possible year with a January dated postmark would have been 1874. The domestic letter rate (per 1/2 oz.) was reduced to 2-cents on October 1, 1883. Therefore, it stands to reason the cover would have been mailed sometime in the nine (9) year period between 1874 and 1883.

Thanks! That is the only way I knew of to date it as well.