Earliest Alaska Cover
I
have published several notes on early Alaska
cover to learn the earliest date of any cover, in the hands of a
collector,
used out of the territory after its acquisition by the United
States.
The United States acquired Alaska from Russia, under the Treaty of
March
30, 1867, formal transfer taking place at Sitka, October 18,
1867.
The earliest cover I could report was mailed from Sitka, January 24,
1868,
but I now have report of another cover much earlier. Warner
McLaughlin
advises that he has a cover with the U.S. 3¢ 1861, postmarked "Sitka,
Alaska T. Nov. 6," in a circle, in black. On the back of the
cover
is a pencilled notation "Nov. 1867," only a few months [sic] following
formal possession by the U. S. Previous notes in columns:
July 16,
1938, October 14, 1944, April 2, 1949, and May 14, 1949.
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George B. Sloane
Sloane's Column Stamps October 1, 1949 Posted August 5, 1999 Index of 508 Notes from the Past Note: If the link isn't returned the first try, try again. Comments? Send me an e-mail |