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design, which presents an outer rim of rosettes surrounding a smaller ring of text: "ALEXANDRIA "* POST OFFICE. *"; and, at the stamp’s center, the horizontal word "PAID" with the numeral "5" below it. However, while Type I has forty rosettes, only thirty-nine appear on Type II—which, moreover, differs from Type I in its spacing of letters and asterisks. The provisionals' two-at-a-time production indicates that at least one Type II Blue Boy must have once existed.
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There is only one known specimen of the
Alexandria "Blue Boy." It remains attached to the envelope on which it was originally mailed, canceled with a "PAID" handstamp. The envelope is addressed to Jannett Hooff Brown and was sent by her second cousin James Wallace Hooff on November 24, 1847. Hoof was
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The Act of March 3, 1845, Ch 43, 2 Stat. 732 standardized postal rates in the United States. However, Congress failed to authorize the United States Post office to issue postage stamps to pre-pay these rates. In response, local postmasters in eleven municipalities issued their own stamps between 1845
179:
The provisionals were printed in pairs from a typeset form that produced two not-quite-identical images, classified by philatelic experts as Type I and Type II. The Blue Boy is one of the four surviving Type I stamps; only three Type II examples are known. Both types conform to same general circular
119:) in 1847. There are seven known examples of Alexandria provisionals, however, the Blue Boy is the only specimen printed on blue paper. The other six are printed on buff paper. The Blue Boy remains affixed to its original envelope, and sold for $ 1.18 million in 2019, which is
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Given that the Blue Boy was a provisional and local—rather than regular and national—issue, there is room for disagreement over whether it fully merits placement in the elite category of one-of-a-kind stamps alongside the
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notable collector George H. Worthington reportedly acquired the envelope for $ 3,000. The letter remained among the family papers. Since then, the cover has changed hands several times, and its owners have
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Although the use of provisional stamps was officially prohibited after the introduction of a national stamp system on July 1, 1847, it continued sporadically, as in the case of the Blue Boy.
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listing of the Blue Boy, a dash appears in the value column instead of a number: an indication that "information is lacking or insufficient for establishing a usable catalogue value."
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108:
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secretly courting Brown and, at the bottom of the letter, had instructed her to “Burn as usual.” The pair eventually married and had three children.
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The cover's last recorded sale took place in 2019. It was auctioned through H.R. Harmer and fetched $ 1.18 million.
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During the
Alexandria provisionals' period of use, the city was in the process of being
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Campbell Jr, James I. "15. A brief history of the United States postal monopoly law."
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The
Alexandria provisionals were issued under the guidance of the city's postmaster,
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The One-cent
Magenta: Inside the Quest to Own the Most Valuable Stamp in the World
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In 1981, a private collector acquired the cover through the philatelic auctioneer
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511:"The Frelinghuysen Collection: Census of United States Postmasters' Provisionals"
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409:"Cost of US Stamps Scott # 1X1 - 5c 1846 Alexandria Postmasters Provisional"
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The stamp was rediscovered by the pair's daughter in 1907. That same year
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563:"The Erivan Haub collection | Sale 1, Lot 1: The Alexandria "Blue Boy""
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613:
Scott
Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers 2013
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28:
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659:
1094:
Postage stamps and postal history of the
Confederate States
520:. Siegel Auction Galleries. 28 March 2012. pp. 140–143
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A Gallery of U. S. Postmasters' Provisional Stamps, 1845-47
434:"Alexandria 'Blue Boy' cover auctioned for $ 1.18 million"
161:
Type II (39 rosettes instead of the 40 on the "Blue Boy").
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among the highest known prices paid for a philatelic item.
1089:
List of people on the postage stamps of the United States
1079:
Commemoration of the
American Civil War on postage stamps
1099:
Presidents of the United States on U.S. postage stamps
170:. The stamps were likely printed with equipment from
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1340:Higgins & Gage World Postal Stationery Catalog
325:"A Rare Stamp Reunited With Its Lost Love Story"
294:"A Rare Stamp Reunited With Its Lost Love Story"
221:for one million dollars, a record at the time.
730:Alexandria "Blue Boy" Postmaster's Provisional
1114:U.S. space exploration history on U.S. stamps
671:
648:The "Primitives": USA Postmaster Provisionals
8:
735:United States postmasters provisional stamps
1378:
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1109:Territories of the United States on stamps
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148:, a process finalized on March 13, 1847.
812:All Aboard! 20th Century American Trains
1537:Provisional stamps of the United States
1074:Artworks on stamps of the United States
471:"Postmasters' Provisionals (1845-1847)"
284:
253:List of most expensive philatelic items
54:Alexandria County, District of Columbia
1240:History of United States postage rates
937:Washington Bicentennial stamps of 1932
144:from the District of Columbia to the
7:
1440:American Philatelic Research Library
1311:United States Post Office Department
1250:Pneumatic tube mail in New York City
1018:List of United States airmail stamps
615:. Scott Publishing Co. p. 18A.
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131:and 1847. These stamps are known as
1542:Postal history of the United States
1501:Revenue stamps of the United States
1174:Cardinal Spellman Philatelic Museum
458:Handbook of Worldwide Postal Reform
1230:Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee
922:U.S. Parcel Post stamps of 1912–13
14:
1450:Rocky Mountain Philatelic Library
1235:Express mail in the United States
1003:1918 Curtiss Jenny airmail stamps
740:New York Postmaster's Provisional
497:. Algonquin Books, 2017. p. 171.
1511:United States Postmaster General
1460:U.S. Philatelic Classics Society
1455:United Postal Stationery Society
1410:Bureau of Engraving and Printing
1215:Apollo 15 postage stamp incident
27:
1552:History of Alexandria, Virginia
1306:San Antonio–San Diego Mail Line
980:Statue of Liberty Forever stamp
974:Raising the Flag at Ground Zero
292:Vargas, Theresa (25 May 2006).
241:British Guiana one cent magenta
193:The Alexandria "Blue Boy" cover
109:Postmasters' Provisionals stamp
985:2017 Total Solar Eclipse stamp
958:Distinguished Americans series
927:US Regular Issues of 1922–1931
687:Philately of the United States
258:List of notable postage stamps
75:
1:
1084:History of Virginia on stamps
1316:United States Postal Service
1291:American Letter Mail Company
832:Breast cancer research stamp
1465:United States Stamp Society
1445:American Philatelic Society
1415:Homer Lee Bank Note Company
963:Elvis Presley Forever stamp
611:Snee, Charles, ed. (2012).
263:US provisional issue stamps
34:Alexandria "Blue Boy" stamp
16:Rare American postage stamp
1578:
1516:United States Post Offices
1506:United States postal notes
1405:American Bank Note Company
1184:National Philatelic Museum
1169:Benjamin Miller Collection
1145:Earliest reported postmark
942:Washington–Franklin Issues
902:Prominent Americans series
133:Postmasters' Provisionals.
1496:Postal Reorganization Act
1435:American Air Mail Society
1296:Butterfield Overland Mail
1131:
1008:1930 Graf Zeppelin stamps
887:Oklahoma Statehood Stamps
882:Norse-American Centennial
714:
543:www.museumofphilately.com
26:
1389:American stamp designers
1333:The American Philatelist
1255:Postal history of Oregon
1225:Boat Railway Post Office
892:Overrun Countries series
385:"An Incriminating Cover"
176:, the local newspaper.
146:commonwealth of Virginia
117:the District of Columbia
45:United States of America
1041:Dag Hammarskjöld invert
912:Special handling stamps
857:Five cents John Kennedy
791:Western Cattle in Storm
786:Trans-Mississippi Issue
1189:National Postal Museum
867:Great Americans series
822:Antarctic Treaty issue
589:. 2013. Archived from
357:"History of Arlington"
195:
173:The Alexandria Gazette
163:
97:$ 1,000,000 (in 1981)
51:Location of production
1562:Unique postage stamps
1481:American philatelists
1275:U.S. Special Delivery
1179:Florida Postal Museum
1104:Puerto Rico on stamps
837:Celebrate the Century
776:Hawaiian Missionaries
539:"Museum of Philately"
191:
159:
105:Alexandria "Blue Boy"
41:Country of production
22:Alexandria "Blue Boy"
1486:American postmasters
1260:Railway Mail Service
1205:Air Mail Act of 1925
917:Transportation coils
847:Elvis Presley single
842:Comic Strip Classics
761:1869 Pictorial Issue
706:Henry Thomas Windsor
383:admin (2020-10-06).
213:Josiah K. Lilly, Jr.
113:Alexandria, Virginia
1265:Rural Free Delivery
1056:Pan-American invert
862:Fourth Bureau issue
827:Bicentennial Series
475:postalmuseum.si.edu
299:The Washington Post
1491:Postal Service Act
1119:Women on US stamps
932:War savings stamps
897:Presidential Issue
852:Federal Duck Stamp
361:www.arlingtonva.us
239:of Sweden and the
237:Treskilling Yellow
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59:Date of production
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968:Nature of America
209:Alfred H. Caspary
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1353:Minkus catalogue
1220:Barefoot mailman
1210:Air Mail scandal
1159:Collections and
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781:Lost Continental
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593:on 2013-11-05
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1036:CIA invert
766:Black Jack
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568:2024-02-08
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366:2024-02-10
342:2024-02-08
305:2013-11-03
279:References
152:Production
142:retroceded
126:Background
107:is a rare
86:Face value
1398:Companies
1382:Designers
1137:Postmarks
694:Pre-stamp
631:781677423
518:Sale 1020
337:0190-8286
184:The cover
1066:Topicals
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796:Z Grill
89:5 cents
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