THE MULREADY: 1d and 2d Letter Sheets and Envelopes

1d Letter Sheet from WILLIAM WORDSWORTH Sunday May 24th 1840

153861

A very fine 1d Mulready Letter Sheet, A63, Forme 3, written by William Wordsworth, with a Sunday May 24^th 1840 date stamp on reverse. It is cancelled by a Maroon Cross and is offered with a Brandon Cert confirming the colour of the cross and the Sunday May date. Gibbons does not list a maroon cross on any Mulready.

After obtaining this item we arranged to see the Curator at the Wordsworth Museum in Grasmere. We spent almost an hour with him looking at letters written by Wordsworth during the period 1839-1842: Wordsworth signature showed variations during this time. However, the Curator concluded that there were enough elements of similarity between the address on the Mulready and letterings in his letters, to have a high degree of certainty that the Mulready was addressed by Wordsworth.  Wordsworth had a son named William and presumably it was written to him by his father.

In the September/October 2011 Edition of The GB Journal of the Great Britain Philatelic Society, an advert appeared offering a 1d Mulready to the same addressee as the item offered here. It was clearly written by the same person as seen in the scanned images. It was offered with a letter from the Curator of Rydal Mount, authenticating the handwriting as that of William Wordsworth. This indirectly further confirms the authenticity of the item we are offering. A large black wax seal obscured the stereo number; there was no date on the reverse and the MX was in mixed inks: black and red. A scan of this item is offered with this rarity.  It was priced at £3,500 some 13 years ago.

This is an opportunity to own an item, handled and written by one of the, if not the, most famous poets ever to have lived.

A superb and memorable Exhibition item.  Price:  £4,175

NB:  The browning is a trick of the scanner: the front has some, albeit slight, on the top edge and the reverse has NONE. 

It is in very fine condition and finer than the scan.

As indicated on the Homepage, we offer interest-free Deferred Terms on any reserved item

1d Mulready, displaced srereo A11, May 12th 1840, SLEAFORD Crimson MX

153853.

A superb 1d Mulready, A11, letter sheet, from SLEAFORD to Kidlington,

with the listed variety, ME1d, ‘Displaced stereo from Forme 1.

Britannia has been cancelled by a superb MX in CRIMSON ink and

on the front, in the same shade of ink, is a Sleaford date stamp for MAY 12^th 1840.

Crimson is an unlisted shade by Gibbons on any Mulready but lists the Maltese Cross in Pink, SG Spec ME1vj.

Rockoff and Jackson Volume 3 have a 30 page Section listing ‘Maltese Crosses of Unusual Colour’.

They list some 1250 plus examples in various shades from more than 400 locations in GB and Ireland.

They list only three locations, including Sleaford, with a Crimson MX., they are

  Sleaford: 1d black on small piece May 7^th 1840; Tring: no details except Robson Lowe 1975, (an Auction?)

and Bath, 1d black on cover, June 3^rd 1840.

From our researches we have not found another example of a Crimson cross on a Mulready.

The rarity of this item is enhanced by it having a May 1840 date. 

Gibbons prices a Pink MX on a 1d Mulready at £2,500;

it does not list a usage with a crimson MX which is clearly rarer

and would be priced by Gibbons in excess of a Pink Cross. 

A May 1840  date of usage on a 1d Mulready is priced by Gibbons: FROM £1,200. 

A unique example with a very rare combination of features

making this a remarkable and superb EXHIBITION Item. 

Difficult to see how a better strike of the crimson Sleaford Cross could be found.

NB: This cross being struck on a Mulready rather than on a 1d black allows this unusual

shade of ink to be seen to advantage.

Research into the addressee and address may be useful.

Price: £1,385.00 

1d Mulready Letter Sheet Forme 6: Halifax Red and Black Crosses

153042. 

1d Mulready Letter Sheet, A239, Forme 6, sent from HALIFAX to Bradford Yorks.  

The address has been crossed out in black but the Bradford date stamp is visible for May 4^th 1841. 

On the reverse top flap is a fine Halifax date stamp in red for May 4^th 1841.  

The letter sheet has been cancelled first of all by a fine RED Maltese Cross,

in the same shade of red ink as the Halifax date stamp on the reverse,

and overstruck by a Maltese Cross in BLACK.

The initial red MX was struck in error as red ink had been replaced by black in February 1841.

The mistake appears to have been corrected by the application of the fine black MX. 

Inside is a printed ADVERT for Clerical, Medical and General Life Assurance Company, SG Spec M113j,

with the name of William Craven solicitor, Agent, Halifax at the bottom right.  

 Gibbons, in the latest QV Volume 1, lists only two other Yorkshire Agents for this Life Assurance Company

ie John Knapp, Bradford and William Gillot, Sheffield, Spec MA112g  and Spec MA113n respectively. 

Gibbons lists, for the first time in QV Volume 1, a 1d Mulready used with Red and Black crosses as Spec ME1vk. 

It is priced at £12,000. 

The example offered here is the only one we have seen or, from our researches, can trace

used with Red and Black Maltese crosses. 

The Gibbons price in our experience is on the low side.

 When the additional listed features of the Halifax example ie the scarcer Forme 6, Gibbons ME1l, £775, 

and with printed advert, ME1n, £850, the Gibbons price rises to in excess of £20,000.

The item is tired with faults and with the ink from the crossing out of the name and address coming through.

Despite the faults this is an extremely rare item and more than likely to have a unique combination of listed features. 

An Exhibition rarity: a unique Yorkshire item.

Price:  £2,375.00

NB: Rockoff does not list the Halifax cross.

2d Mulready Letter Sheet

153040. 

2d Mulready mint Letter Sheet, a104. 

Some creasing including a central vertical one and a couple of hinges strengthening a fold,

but a collectable example.

Gibbons prices this at £425.   

Price: £67.00 

NB: the browning is far fainter than the scan suggests.

Maltese Cross struck Contrary to Regulations

152529v. 

1d letter sheet, A9, Forme 1 (First Series): some slight wrinkling but an overall fine example from London to Aberdeen. 

The black cross has been struck well to the right of Britannian and Contrary to Post Office Regulations. 

Unusual to see a MX applied in London contrary to regulations.

On the reverse is a Lombard Street date stamp for December 16th 1842; an Edinburgh cds for December 18th 1842

and an exceptional upright strike of an Aberdeen cds also for December 18th 1842. 

The Edinburgh and Aberdeen date stamps are for a SUNDAY and

it is very unusual to have the same Sunday date for two different locations.

In fact we cannot recall previously seeing this on a Mulready. 

On the front is a closed filing hole.  Gibbons prices a 1d letter sheet at £550.

An attractive item with a very scarce set of features and it would make a fine display page.

Price:  £200.00

NB: the condition of the item is far finer than the scan suggests with NONE of the

overall browning and an apparent vertical white area is not present.

Oxford Cross October 1840

152156.  1d Mulready Letter Sheet, Stereo A25, no side flaps, from OXFORD to London. 

The Oxford MX only just touches the Lion and is clear of Britannia which was Contrary to Post Office Regulations. 

Rockoff and Jackson in their book on Maltese Cross cancellations, Volume 2, records only two 1d Mureadies

with the Oxford cross: one for June 16th 1840 and the second for April 29th 1841.

From the various illustrations, the example offered here is the Type1 (early cross) and is a very fine/fine strike.

Very scarce item.  

Price:  £180.00  

Rare Penny Post Cancellation

152099.  1d Mulready front mounted on card for display: addressed to Leeds with a Leeds date stamp for September 16th 1841.

Very fine black cross and a HOLLINGSGREEN PENNY POST in black. 

This is a rare Penny Post cancellation which was unknown except in GPO records before January 10th 1840. 

The County Catalogue lists this strike as LA 523, only recorded used in 1844 and then in RED.

Hollingsgreen is a very small village near WARRINGTON: it is likely the MX was applied in Warrington. 

This cross is unlisted by Rockoff and Jackson.

A rare combination of cancels which display well.

Price: £60.00

NB: the overall bowning is a trick of the scanner.

Rare usage with 1d red: Salisbury Crosses

1204.  1d Mulready letter sheet, stereo obscured by wax seal, uprated by an almost 4-margined 1d red imperf. 

From Salisbury to Pontefract, three strikes of the black Salisbury cross: 

two on the 1d red Contrary to Regulations. 

Salisbury date stamp for November 11^th 1842 and a receiving Pontefract cds for SUNDAY November 13^th 1842.  

Rockoff and Jackson in ‘The Maltese Cross Cancellations of GB and Ireland’,

record only one other Salisbury cross on a Mulready and that not uprated with a 1d red. 

We cannot recall seeing another such Mulready with date stamps of the place of origin and destination on the front.  

Some creasing but an attractive and rare example; priced by Gibbons at £12,500. 

Exhibition item. 

Price: £1,695.00  

Rare May 1840 usage of the 2d Letter Sheet




 
15139:  2d Mulready Letter Sheet, a104, NEWCASTLE uner LYNE to Bradfield Rectory, Reading,

The last number in the date stamp on the reverse is partially unclear and is for MAY 23rd 1840 or MAY 28th 1840.

Superb dark red cross and a pen notation: ‘Stamp belongs to the Bradfield Rectory Collection’. 

Some creasing and light wrinkling but overall in fine condition for such a considerable rarity. 

Jackson in his book on May 1840 usages, lists only 50 examples of the

2d Mulready used in May 1840 and this total figure includes both Letter Sheets and Envelopes. 

His detailed list does NOT include an example for May 28th 1840. 

NO example sent from Newcastle under Lyne is listed for ANY May 1840 date.

The number of examples he lists used between May 6th and May 22nd 1840 is only 35,

and only 41 examples used before May 28th 1840.

He records 86 examples of First Day 1d black usages on May 6th 1840

which emphasises the rarity of this May 1840 2d Mulready. 

Some internal strengthening of the folds but Gibbons prices

this May 1840 usage from £17,000.  

An extremely rare item; few Collections contain an example.      

Price:  £3,250.00

NB: Gibbons were offering an example, used from London to Kent,

on May 26th 1840 and priced at £17,000, which is the example listed by Jackson for that date. 

Unrecorded usage of a MAY 9th 1840 1d Wrapper

151319.  1d Mulready wrapper, stereo obscured, London to Carlisle

with fine London cds on reverse for MAY 9th 1840. 

Cancelled by a very light red MX with some signs of 'tiredness'

but a RARE early date of usage which is unrecorded by Jackson. 

The May 9th 1840 cds is of the London Chief Office - Evening Duty. 

Gibbons prices this from £2,200. 

The browning on the front and reverse side is a trick of the scanner.

A  collectable example of a very early usage. 

Price:  £480.00

Number 2 in Cross on a Front



 
15136:  1d Mulready front, London to Bridgenorth then possibly redirected to Shiffnal,

Bridgenorth September 29th 1843 date stamp and m/s ‘1’ in black.

In the 1996 ‘Daisy’ Sale, Lot 37 was a complete 1d Mulready, similarly cancelled with the TP Piccadilly,

and the Number 2 in cross applied in almost the same position – to the right of Britannia Contrary to Regulations

and sent on September 28th 1843.  The handwriting is the same.

The front offered here was very probably sent on this same date as it was received in Bridgenorth the following day.

A remarkable item – Number 2 in Cross priced by Gibbons on a complete Mulready from £2,400.  

Price:  £455.00

WELSHPOOL Solid Centre Cross MAY 11th 1840

    SOLD

A17 Forme 2

1d Letter sheet, A17 Forme 2:

fine example used from London, January 15th 1842, to HAMPTON COURT. 

Superb black London Cross. 

Price:  £195.00

NB: The Mulready is much brighter than the scan suggests.

A242 Forme 5

151233.  1d Mulready wrapper, A242, Forme 5, SG SpecME1kn with advert inside for the

Family, Annuity, Life Assurance and Reversionary Interest Society, printed in BLUE, SG MA126a.

Sent from Rickmansworth to London with written message inside dated 25^th May 1841,

Rickmansworth same date stamp on reverse and a London receiver for the following day; cancelled

by a very fine/fine black cross of Rickmansworth unrecorded by Rockoff.   Surface fault and faults

on the reverse flap as per the scan but an extremely fresh and bright example.

This item is from the scarcer Forme 5 and is especially scarce with a printed Advert. 

An estimated Gibbons price allowing for these factors is in excess of £1,300. 

An opportunity to obtain an overall fine example with this very scarce/rare combination of features.       

Price:  £235.00

Gloucester Double Line Cross





15140:  2d Mulready Letter Sheet, a97, Gloucester to Salisbury, August 11th 1840 with

a Salisbury receiver for August 13th 1840:

perhaps the Post Office was closed for the ‘Glorious 12th activities?

Some creasing and a fault on one of the inside flaps but it is cancelled

by a very fine Gloucester cross which shows a double-line effect. 

This effect is noted by Rockoff and Jackson, Volume 1, page 117. 

They illustrate an example of it for August 7th 1840,

just a few days earlier than the example offered here, and note another example for November 2^nd 1840.

May 11th 1840: Birmingham Cross

 
15088. 

1d Mulready Letter Sheet, A17 Forme 2, Birmingham to London, MAY 11th 1840. 

The MX is as noted by Rockoff, Volume 1,

typically oily and characteristic of Birmingham in this early period of the Maltese cross usage. 

This would have been caused by excessive oil in making up the red ink.

All the Post Offices, large and small, were still getting used to the ink recipe

that had been sent by the General Post Office.

Only FOUR earlier examples than the one offered here are recorded by Rockoff .

Some faults on the reverse as per the scan but fine for such an early use.

Gibbons prices FROM £1,200  for a May 1840 usage. 

It is addressed unusually to Old Red Cross, a pub in Smithfield and to the Publican Wm Stogdell.

Details are available on the internet of this well known pub.

Price:  £485.00

MAY 16th 1840: Stafford Cross





15089. 

1d Mulready Letter Sheet, Stafford to Liverpool, MAY 16th 1840, Stafford date stamp on the front. 

Stereo obscured by sealing wax but on the reverse is a Liverpool receiver for MAY 16^th

of a type usually applied on all mail going overseas from Liverpool.

We have not seen this date stamp used before on a Mulready.

Rockoff and Jackson do not record the STAFFORD CROSS.  

Priced by Gibbons from £1,200 for a May 1840 usage.  

Price:  £395.00

SUNDAY May 24th 1840: Sidney Sussex College Cambridge

290. 1840 1d Mulready Letter Sheet A25 BATH to a Cambridge College ,

used on MAY 24 1840, the third SUNDAY after its official issue.    

Some creasing and faults on reverse but a rare and attractive example

which displays the Bath upright date when the rear flap is raised. 

 Gibbons price a May1840 date from £1,200

but no price is quoted for a SUNDAY May 1840  usage.

It is certainly as rare or rarer than a used 2d Mulready: Gibbons price £2,400. 

Price:  £475.00

SUNDAY Usage: Tavistock Cross

15090.  1d Mulready Letter Sheet, A25, Forme 2, commercial hand written letter from Tavistock to Penzance.  

Reference is made to the last letter he sent, ‘the runner could not be depended on’, 

hence presumably he was using this very new means of communication.

Tavistock cds in red on the reverse for June 14th 1840 – a rare SUNDAY usage

and the 6th Sunday after the Mulready was issued.

 The letter sheet has been printed in an unusually deep black ink

allowing the finest of detail in the design to be clearly seen. 

Attractive example and very scarce sent to a Cornish destination.   

Price:  £375.00


Unusual folding and application of date stamps.






15093. 

1d Mulready Letter Sheet, A18, Forme 2, Wolverhampton to London, December 19th 1840, superb orange/red cross.
 
The letter sheet has been folded so that only the address

is visible with the side flaps now on the back of the letter.

Hence the well-struck transit date stamps are cancelling parts of the sheet that are usually inside!

We have never seen a Mulready used in this way. 

Some creasing but inside is a printed ADVERT in black

for the Atlas Insurance Company with a printed date of 21st December 1839.

 This confirms it as SG MA103a, the very FIRST TYPE of this

 Company’s eleven types of Advert listed by SG  and priced at £850.

The combination of features certainly makes this a unique Mulready.   

Price: £335.00

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