£220 - £300
'LONDON GAZETTE' EXCEPTIONALLY SENT AT LETTER RATE WITH 2d BLUE +1d RED +1/- GREEN FOR THE 6oz-7oz RATE; 16 Sept. 1864 front/back pages of 'The London Gazette' (some stains etc., but attractive and with complete address, having v. fine red 1d Tax Stamp at foot of front page; folded to show Tax Stamp beside postal franking) to "Much Wenlock, Salop". Endorsed "Letter Rate" because the extra 1s-2d was necessary to speed up delivery (there is a 17 Sept. arrival cds) whereas the usual 2d newspaper rate (1d Red + the 1d Tax Stamp) would not have been nearly so rapid. Franked by 2d Blue (pl.9), 1d Red (pl.80?) and 1/- green (pl.1) all tied by fine London diamond "2" vertical ovals. It is very rare to find a newspaper fully stamped for the letter rate. [Ex Steph Stobbs; Cavendish July 1989, lot 579. Also ex Robert Johnson, Cavendish June 2006; lots 1222, realised £300+BP.] [Illustrated in BPPP, p.180.] Cross Reference: NEWSPAPER MAIL, NEWSPAPERS/NEWSPAPER STAMPS, SURFACE-PRINTED ISSUES
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