CROSBY 1 S CITY POST. The stamps were designed, engraved and printed by stamp dealer J. W. Scott. After the post closed,

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1 CROSBY 1 S CITY POST Oliver H. Crosby operated his local post in New York City from 1870 to Du.ring his time in business, his post delivered letters and circulars. The stamps were designed, engraved and printed by stamp dealer J. W. Scott. After the post closed, Scott reprinted the stamps for sale to collectors. lt can be d!fficu.lt to identify the reprints from the original stamps. 2 CARMINE FULL SHEET OF TWENTY-FIVE WITH IMPRINT

2 54Ll 2 CARMINE (SHADE> FULL SHEET OF TWENTY-FIVE WITH IMPRINT

3 t!j i, r,;;:::~~:::j ~ -: it ~ ~ ~==== 54Ll FULL SHEET OF TWENTY-FIVE WITH IMPRINT

4 Unused Crosby's City Post stamps are common, making them some of the easiest local post stamps to acquired genuine copies of Because used copies are less common and more valuable, fake cancels are known applied to otherwise genuine stamps. Only one handstamp cancel, a double oval, is confirmed as genuine. POSITION4 POSITION20 FAKE PERFORATIO POSITION3 CANCEL POSITION9 CANCEL POSITION20 CANCEL While a "PAlD" handstamp, like the one on the first example, may have been used by the post, it is not known as a genuine usage on any of the known Crosby's City Post covers. The cancel on the following two stamps appears to be the known double oval handstamp with "19 WLlliam St" in three lines in the center. However, because the known cancellations on cover are mostly indistinct imprints, it is d@cu.lt to compare the handstamps accurately.

5 CROSBY'S CITY POST Because the stamps were both printed and reprinted by Scott, possibly within. a short period, it can be very different to determine which stamps are origin.al and which are reprints. To complicate thin.gs even. more, it is likely that Scott also sold remainders - stamps printed as originals that were sold after the dose of the posl Gummed stamps that can. be plated by position. are most likely to be genuine. Un.gLlmmed, plateable stamps could be genuine or remainders. Stamps with addition.al jlaws or color differences can. be easily iden.tif'i.ed as reprints. 2 CARMINE ( 54Ll > 2 REDBROWN ON BUFF lt is possible Scott had addition.al di.es of this stamp. The illustrations in. his catalogltes and the stamps featltred below do n.ot share identifying marks with any plate position.. The cataloglle illustrations have a break in. the bottom frame line under the "19", while the stamps have two breaks in. the bottom frame line under the "S". These stamps are also printed on. a thicker cream paper, which is often. associated with Scott's forgeries. ALBUM CUT 24! ALBUM CUT 24! 2 CARMINE ( SHADE ) 2 CARMINE (SHADE>

6 S. Allan Taylor made two d!lferen.t forgeries and a bogus design. of the "Crosby's City Post" stamps. This first design. is the only one dose to the genuine stamps, but still has various d!lferen.ces. For instance: the bottom comer om.amen.ts are not much more than triangles, and the apostrophe in "CROSBY'S" does not cut through the ribbon border. FORM 5 2 RED ( 54Ll > - FORM 5 2 RED ONYELLOWSC FORM 5 2 RED ON GRAY VIOLET SC (54Ll > FORM 8 2.iYELLOW FORM 8 2 PURPLE FORM 8 2 PURPLE ONYELLOW FORM 8 2 YELLOW ONPURPLE - FORM 18 2 YELLOW ORANGE FORM 18 2.i ORANGE - FORM 18 2 ISH BROWN FORM 18 2.i ON ORANGE BUFF FORM 18 2, ON VIOLET BLUE FORM RANGE ON VIOLET BLUE

7 CROSBY'S CITY POST - FORM AAl6 2 GRAYISH BLUE - FORM AAl6 2 REDBROWN - FORM AAl6 2 VIOLET BROWN - FORM AAl6 2 BROWN PURPLE - FORM AB3 2 LIGHT BROWN ON DULL YELLOW 2 BURGUNDY W/ BROWN QUILTED PATI'ERN OVERPRINT 2 VIOLET ON LAVENDER 2ti DARK VIOLET 2 VIOLET -PORGERYA 2 RED VIOLET ON PINKISH 2 ' ~WMi' H~D 2 BRIGHT PINK 2 PINK 2 LIGHT PINK

8 CROSBY'S CITY POST 2 BLUISH GRAY (54Ll > 2 BLUEGREE 2eGREEN Taylor's other forgery should probably he called a bogus. The design 1ASed for this stamp is that of the "Browne & Co's City Post" 2 stamp, hut with the text at the top and bottom altered to represent it as a "Crosby's City Post" stamp. - FORM 18 2 B~iKI~~fOWN - FORM 18 2 YE~¾-0~?,MNGE - FORM 18 2 ORANGE - FORM 18 2 ORANGE ON VIOLET BLUE - FORM 18 2; ON ORANGE BUFF - FORM 18 2 ON GRAY GREEN 2 BROWN 2!!BLUE

9 Taylor designed an additional bogus stamp using the "Crosby's" name, but in which he changed it to say "Crosby's Special Message Post", and altered the 2:!E!;:!~n}~::~.:=~~.:~ [_-~ :~-~J PHOTOCOPY OF GALVESTON FORM C DULL RED FORM C RED ON PALE PINK H LAID FORM C ONYELLOW FORM C ON GREEN SC ~ -~~ FORM CC3 DIAG. RIBBED W/ GOLD CLOVER OVERPRINT FORM CC3 ON LIGHT VIOLET SC FORM CC3 ON GRAY VIOLET SC