Hey, Did You Get That At Baskin Robbins Or Ebay?

The 63 replaced these. The statement was made about using demonetized stamps; that does not seem a likely probability as a reason for your original statement.

I got you now. I could look for the exact date but I am pretty sure the old stamps were valid for quite a while after 8/22 in Iowa.

I expect that they were.

Those imperfs (with the inverted transfer) had been sitting in some drawer for years. It is entirely plausible that news of impending demonetization prompted their use. And a nice perforated stamp too, plate 4? or 11 or 12? Good stuff!

The imperf type IV's are positions 71 & 72L1L,

Iowa

Impending demonetization might well have caused them to be used, my point was only that impending demonetization was not the reason that the cover was posted to begin with. It's much more interesting then that.

The imperf pair is 71-72L1L (triple transfer). The plate 1 Late came in May 1852.

The first stamp is a plate 12 (EKU Jan 25,1861) or a top row plate 11 (EKU Jan 12,1861).

Date is fake or stamps were more likely added. None of them look "tied" to the cover.
The only plate that would have been on that cover would have been plate 1 early, probably a strip of three.
EKU for plate 1 Early is July 1, 1851.

NOTE: The cover is dated Aug 22, 1851. Not 1861.

It looks like 1851 to me too, I just assumed I was reading it incorrectly and that it was really 1861. I don't know exact dates, but I know that these stamps could not have existed in 1851.

Jaxom, do you know how rare 1851 year-dated postmarks are? Chase listed two in his 3c book and neither of them are anywhere close to Iowa. The double circle postmark is exactly the kind of postmark you would expect to see used in many many towns in the 1860-61 period. The cancel is 8/22/1861.

It is most definitely a "5".

The dates on these double circle postmarks are notoriously difficult to read. The letter inside is datelined: Dubuque August 17th 1861.

Resembles 46L12

I'm too tired to look it up though.

Couldn't be though since you already had your find of a life.

Every day brings new opportunities!