Description:

Dealer's Lot of Early American Politicians & Military, PSA/DNA Grades NM 7 - MINT 9, 8 Pcs Total

A dealer's lot of highly collectible autographs from Early American statesmen and military commanders, including, in alphabetical order: Tench Coxe; Mahlon Dickerson; John Forsyth; Return J. Meigs, Jr.; Halbert E. Paine; William Wilkins; Henry A. Wise; and Levi Woodbury. The free franked postal covers and envelopes are all encapsulated and PSA/DNA certified and graded, with grades ranging from NM 7 to Mint 9. Individual issues are elaborated below; please also refer to catalog photos for additional information related to condition.The largest slab measures 12.5" x 5.5."

The lot consists of, in alphabetical order:

1. Tench Coxe PSA NM 7 FF

A transmittal wrapper signed by Tench Coxe (1755-1824) as "Tench Coxe" in the postage section at upper right. Encapsulated and PSA/DNA graded NM 7. N.d., n.p. Inscribed in a secretarial hand to "William Tuck Esqr. / Collector of the Customs / Gloucester / Massachusetts." Bearing a partial black round stamp and a "Free" stamp near the center above Coxe's free frank. Expected wear including toning and paper folds. The red wax seal is a little desiccated but present verso, else very good to near fine. The wrapper measures 5.875" x 3.25" while the slab measures 9.625" x 4.625."

A Pennsylvania delegate to the Continental Congress in the late 1780s, as well as a dedicated Federalist, Tench Coxe served as the Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Treasury between September 1789 and June 1792 under Alexander Hamilton. Coxe was later appointed by 1st U.S. President George Washington to serve as Revenue Commissioner of the U.S. Treasury, a role which he fulfilled between 1792 to around 1797 (Coxe was dismissed by the Adams administration.) Coxe's correspondent William Tuck (1741-1826) served as the Washington appointed second Collector of Customs of Gloucester, Massachusetts between April 1795 and August 1802. A physician, state politician, and former Revolutionary War privateer, William Tuck also had 22 children with four different wives.

2. Mahlon Dickerson to John A. Dahlgren, PSA Mint 9 FF

A transmittal panel signed by U.S. Secretary of the Navy Mahlon Dickerson (1770-1853), as "M Dickerson" in the postage section, and clerically addressed to "Passd. Midn. [Passed Midshipman rank] John A. Dahlgren / U.S. Navy / Coast Survey Service / Care of H.R. Napler Esqr / New York." Encapsulated and PSA/DNA graded Mint 9. With "FREE" stamped in red above Dickerson's frank, and a brown circular datestamp postmarked in Washington, D.C. on September 24, [1836]. Remnants of the red wax seal are found verso. Expected wear including toning, scattered foxing, and a docket inscription found along the left edge, else near fine, the folded cover measuring 8.125" x 3.5." The slab measures 12.5" x 5.5."

Mahlon Dickerson served as U.S. Secretary of the Navy between July 1834 and June 1838.
Dickerson's correspondent, John A. Dahlgren (1809-1870), had joined the U.S. Navy as a midshipman in 1826 and received his warrant of Passed Midshipman in 1832. Between 1834-1837, Dahlgren worked for the U.S. Coast Survey. In 1836--in a letter possibly contained under this very cover, but no longer present--Dahlgren was offered an appointment as Sailing Master of the "U.S.S. Macedonian," the flagship of an upcoming expedition to the South Seas. Dahlgren later founded the U.S. Navy's Ordnance Department and developed a safer and more accurate muzzle-loading mounted ship's cannon called the Dahlgren gun.

3. John Forsyth to Nicholas Biddle, PSA NM 7 FF

An envelope signed by U.S. Secretary of State John Forsyth (1780-1841), as "John Forsyth" in the postage section. Encapsulated and PSA/DNA graded NM 7. Secretarially addressed to "Nicholas Biddle Esquire, / President of the Bank of the United States, / Philadelphia." Stamped "Free" just below Forsyth's frank, and with a red circular datestamp postmarked from Washington, D.C. The philatelic date is not legible, but the docket along the left edge of the envelope provides us with a date of January 15, 1836. A handsome embossed red wax seal is found verso. Expected wear including toning, else near fine. The envelope measures 8.25" x 3.625." The slab measures 12.25" x 5.5."

John Forsyth served as 13th U.S. Secretary of State between July 1834 and March 1841, during the Jackson and Van Buren administrations. Forsyth's correspondent Nicholas Biddle (1786-1844) served as the third and last President of the Second Bank of the United States before the financial institution was privately corporatized and eventually liquidated. Biddle's term, which he had begun in January 1823, would conclude less than two months later, in March 1836.

4. Return J. Meigs, Jr. PSA MINT 9 FF

A postal cover free franked by Ohio politician Return J. Meigs, Jr. (1764-1825), as "Free R Meigs Jr" in the postage section at upper right. Meigs has also engrossed the cover as: "David Putnam Esquire / Marietta / Ohio -." N.d., but possibly 1808 since a former collector has pencil-inscribed the date 1808 beneath Meigs's free frank. N.p. Encapsulated and PSA/DNA certified and graded MINT 9. Bearing the remnants of a red wax seal verso. Expected minor folds and isolated loss corresponding to the wax seal verso, else near fine. The cover measures 5.875" x 3.25" while the slab measures 9.5" x 4.625."

Return J. Meigs, Jr. served as a representative in the Northwest Territory before being elected as a U.S. Senator from Ohio in 1808. He served as the 4th Governor of Ohio from 1810-1814, and as the 5th U.S. Postmaster General from 1814-1823. Meigs, Jr. sent this free franked cover to David Putnam, Sr. (1769-1856), a Yale University graduate, teacher, lawyer, banker, postmaster, and longtime resident of Marietta, Ohio. Putnam had close family ties to the military dynasty of the Massachusetts Putnams: Israel Putnam (1718-1790) of "don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" legend was David Putnam's grandfather, and fellow Revolutionary War commander Rufus Putnam (1738-1824) was another relative. David Putnam, Sr.'s son Daniel Putnam, Jr. (1808-1892) later became one of Marietta's most prominent abolitionists, and served as an Underground Railroad stationmaster.

5. Halbert E. Paine PSA NM-MT 8 FF

An envelope measuring 8.25" x 3.5", Washington, D.C., dated April 22, [no year]. Signed "H.E. Paine MC" at the upper right corner. Addressed in a secretarial hand to Hon. Joseph S. Wilson at the General Land Office. With a black circular datestamp postmarked on April 22, [n.y.]. The envelope itself is decorated with patriotic motifs and "40th Congress/House of Representatives." Light soiling as well as mounting residue on verso. Boldly signed. Encapsulated and PSA/DNA graded NM-MT 8. The slab measures 12.375" x 5.5".

Halbert Eleazer Paine (1826-1905) served as a brigadier general in the Union Army during the Civil War, seeing action at Vicksburg, New Orleans, and Baton Rouge. He was wounded at the Battle of Port Hudson, which required the amputation of his leg, but continued to serve until May 15, 1865. After the war, Paine was elected to the House of Representatives, representing Wisconsin and serving from 1865-1871.

6. William Wilkins PSA NM-MT 8 FF

A postal cover free franked by Pennsylvania politician William Wilkins (1779-1865), as "Wm Wilkins / U.S. Senate" above "FREE" stamped in the postage section at upper right. Wilkins has also engrossed the cover as: "Matthew [sic] Carey Esqr. / Philadelphia." Postmarked from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on October 9, [n.y.], but a former collector has pencil-inscribed the date "1831" near the philatelic hand-stamp. Encapsulated and PSA/DNA certified and graded NM-MT 8. Expected wear. A small area verso (once corresponding to the red wax seal, now absent) has been excised. Else near fine. The cover measures 6.125" x 3.25" while the slab measures 9.5" x 4.625."

William Wilkins served in various roles over his 40+ years as a politician, including as a U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania from 1831-1834; as the U.S. Minister to Russia from 1834-1835; and as the U.S. Secretary of War from 1844-1845. Wilkins's correspondent was almost certainly Mathew Carey (1760-1839), the Irish-born political refugee who became Benjamin Franklin's publishing protégé in early 1780s Paris. Carey immigrated to Philadelphia soon after, where he began publishing newspapers, writing essays and news articles, and becoming increasingly politically involved.

7. Henry A. Wise PSA NM-MT 8 FF & Endorsed Envelope

An integral address leaf signed and endorsed by politician Henry A. Wise (1806-1876), as "Free / Henry A. Wise / Hon: Tristam Burgess / Providence / R. Island." Encapsulated and PSA/DNA graded NM-MT 8. With a red round datestamp postmarked from Washington, D.C. on March 23, [n.y.]. "Free" is also stamped in red below Wise's frank at upper right. The original seal is found verso. Expected wear including paper folds, and scattered former collector's inscriptions, else near fine. The leaf measures 6" x 3.125." The slab measures 9.5" x 4.5."

Henry A. Wise had a remarkable political career as a U.S. Congressman (1833-1844), Governor of Virginia (1856-1860), and U.S. Minister of Brazil (1844-1847). He is perhaps best known, however, as being a Confederate brigadier general during the Civil War. Wise's correspondent Tristam Burgess (alternately spelled "Burges") (1770-1853), served as a U.S. Congressman representing Rhode Island's at-large district between March 1825 and March 1835. We speculate that this piece of correspondence probably dates from ca. 1833-1835, the one period of overlap when both Wise and Burgess sat in the U.S. Congress; Wise represented Virginia's 8th district between March 1833 and March 1843.

8. Levi Woodbury PSA NM-MT 8 FF & Endorsed Envelope

A transmittal wrapper signed by American jurist and politician Levi Woodbury (1789-1851), as "Free / Levi Woodbury" in the postage section at upper right, and also inscribed in his hand with the name and address of his correspondent as "Joseph B. Boyd Esqu / Cincinnati / - Ohio -." Encapsulated and PSA/DNA graded NM-MT 8. June 6, [n.y.]. Postmarked from Washington, D.C. Bearing a red round stamp and a "Free" stamp found underneath Woodbury's free frank. The red wax seal is still present verso. Expected wear including paper folds, and a former collector's scattered partially erased pencil inscriptions, else near fine. The wrapper measures 6.375" x 3.125" while the slab measures 9.5" x 4.625."

During a lifelong career of public service, Levi Woodbury's most prestigious roles included serving as Secretary of the U.S. Treasury between 1834-1841, and as Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court between 1845-1851. Prior to holding these positions, Woodbury served as Governor of New Hampshire in the 1820s and as Secretary of the U.S. Navy in the early 1830s.
Woodbury's correspondent Joseph B. Boyd may be the amateur autograph collector Joseph B. Boyd (1820-1854), who lived in Cincinnati, Ohio between ca. 1837-1847. Boyd was a New York City transplant who worked under a silversmith and later became a watchmaker, all the while collecting autographs from U.S. Presidents, Declaration Signers, and famous artists and authors like Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, James Fenimore Cooper, and Lydia Sigourney. It is not unlikely that Boyd had requested Woodbury's autograph for his collection.

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This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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