Rare Stamps and Postal History of the World

1845 10c black on greenish, Type I, large margins all around, intense early shade and impression showing every detail with perfect clarity, fresh and bright paper, tied by "St. Louis Mo. Jan. 6" circular datestamp on 1846 outer folded letter from W. Nisbet & Co. (Jan 5 docketing) to Charnley & Whelen in Philadelphia, matching "Paid" handstamp, manuscript "10" rate, v.f. stamp on a colorful and fresh folded letter by only the red circular datestamp, without the pen cancel. Certainly, one of the best known St. Louis Bears, from the renowned Charnley & Whelen correspondence, signed by and accompanied by a 1973 Bolaffi certificate (a comparable cover, ex-Hall collection, realized $27,000 in a 2009 Siegel rarity sale)