US Express Mail In 1846

Hi

Recently acquired a stampless cover (letter) mailed in NY on 10/9/1846 to Providence, Rhode Island. Postmark on letter indicates Express Mail. My understanding of history of Express Mail in US was experimental in 1970 and permanent as a class of mail only as recently as 1977. Does anyone have information which could explain this postmark on a folded letter from 1846?

gettinold, please show the entire cover. A cropped postmark removes so much context for the community members to make meaningful feedback.

The Frajola Express Mail PDF is about a different service from the one in question. The marking illustrated at the beginning of this thread was used on a combination of railroad and steamboat routes in the Northeast, between NYC and and as far north as St. John's New Brunswick. The markings are found primarily on covers originating in either Boston or New York.

Remele notes the following:
The U. S. Express Mail postmarks had their origin in the attempts made by the Postoffice Department, beginning in 1842, to meet the competition of the private express carriers. The name "U. S. Express Mail" was intended to indicate more rapid service than by ordinary mail. In addition, the mail agents on some of the routes were authorized "to carry on their own account,money, packages, specie and other matter not mailable by law." The Remele book can be downloaded from the US Classics Society website.

There was an earlier "Express Mail" during the 1830's and it was designed to speed the shipment of mail from the Southern portion of the US, from as far West as New Orleans, to the commercial centers in the NorthEast. This service is the subject of a book by Milgram and can be downloaded at the Chicago Collectors Club website.

Thank you all for your replies. I've scanned front, back, and content of letter.







Last name on the letter appears to be Tiffany. Can't make out the first name. Penmanship leaves me guessing. Letter itself appears to be an order for goods on credit ASAP from Company name ending in Smith. Can't determine exactly what is being ordered. Again, penmanship leaves me guessing.


Thank you both for the links. Classics Society had info from Milgram showing similar stamp as Railroad Agent stamp. Wasn't an exact match but very similar. Will be spending more time on the Classics Society website.

The first name looks to be Hutchinson, so it's a company name, Hutchinson & Tiffany.

hy-brasil

Found records on the website of the Boston Public Library. Records date back to 1901 and were apparently funded by the founder of Tiffany & Co. Found a reference to the firm Hutchinson & Tiffany relating to one of the family named Francis A. Tiffany. The business closed around 1857.

THE TIFFANYS OF AMERICA. 9

b. February 8, 1809; 70 Edward Standish, b. February 10, 1870; 71 Sarah
Tiffany, b. December 1, 1872 ; d. May, 1873 ; 72 Dorcas Lock wood, b. May
19, 1874.

40. FRANCIS ALFONSO TIFFANY (3? Lyman, 30 James,
22 James, 5 James, 2 James, 1 Humphrey). Married, in New York, June
6, 1836, Mary Lydia Fox (b. in New York, March 15, 1816), dau. of
William W. Fox (b. September 26, 1783; d. March 1, 1861) and
Charlotte Lcggett (b. August 12, 1787 ; d. June 1, 1870).

Mr. Tiffany was educated at the Boston I^atin School and had a special
fondness for languages and literature. In 1835 he went to New York,
where he entered mercantile life, under the firm name of Hutchinson &
Tiffany, at 50 Exchange Place. During the panic of 1857, the firm
failed, and, after a short resumption, the business was closed out. From
that time on, Mr. Tiffany's business career was continued in Wall Street.
He possessed a well-cultivated mind and polished manners, and was much
respected by his associates.

I would like to pick up this thread with this new postmark. hope the members might fill in some of the additional information. It was sent to Kingston, NY and will post the contents of the letter. The postage appears to be 12 1/2 cents. Thank you.

Here is the entire unfolded