American Letter Mail Company

First Day Service From Baltimore

The American Letter Mail Company was founded by Lysander Spooner in January, 1844 to operate a cheap letter express between Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston and New York. The American Letter Mail Company's first adhesive was the earliest adhesive postage stamp intended to prepay letters between cities in the United States. Handstamped markings were not utilized by the Company until June, 1844. Prior to that date all correspondence had to be prepaid with their adhesive postage stamps. The "small eagle" adhesive type was the first used.

Spooner announced in the January 25, 1844 edition of the Boston Courier as well as the New York City Tribune issue of January 20, 1844 that:

“The American letter Mail Company have established post offices in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Boston, and will transmit letters daily, from each city to the other. Twice a day between New York and Philadelphia. Postage 6 ¼ cents for each half ounce, payable always in advance. Stamps, twenty for a dollar. “

The same advertisement also announces that:

"Mails will commence running from New-York to Boston and Philadelphia on Tuesday, the 23d. instant, P.M., from Boston on Wednesday, from Baltimore on Thursday."

Note that service from Baltimore to New York commenced on Thursday, January 25, 1844. The cover below was carried on that first day of service.

Earliest Reported Usage Of Any Independent Mail Company Adhesive

Earliest Reported Usage Of A Stamp Issued To Prepay Intercity Postage

The dateline of the letter, a memorandum of sale, is January 25, 1844 but without place of origin denoted. The docket, shown below, indicates that the letter was from "Tiffany, Ward Co." and confirms the January 25th date and indicates that it was answered on the 29th.

Determining where Tiffany, Ward & Co. was located would have been difficult without the internet. However an internet search turned up a group of letters in the Southern Historical Collection at Chapel Hill, North Carolina that references letters addressed to Tiffany, Ward and Co. in Baltimore at this period.

This letter is the cornerstone piece to any collection of the 1844 Independent Mails or United States postal history. Price is $25,000, subject unsold.