£200 - £250
1848 Entire letter from Bedale to East Witton, "not known" endorsements for both East and West Witton so returned to the sender, undated circles of "THORNTON-WATLASS" and "WEST-WITTON" in blue, with red crowned "The Party to whom this letter / is Addressed cannot be FOUND / 8 FE 1848". Also an 1850 stampless cover from London to Paris endorsed "Refuse", returned with similar red crowned "This letter has been REFUSED / 8 JU 1850", the strike a little doubled. These explanatory handstamps introduced in 1847 when the law changed as a result of the activities of fraudster Joseph Ady, compelling senders of unpaid returned letters to pay the postage. (2).
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