Lot
4326 E
Robert W. Mercer Paid Reply Card Essay, 1¢ + 1¢ on Wove, first style with two woodcut "stamps" at right, titled "U.S. Postage One Cent" with "Postal Card" between and "Address must be placed on this side - message on the other" printed at center, frameline around perimeter, mailed bearing two 2¢ red brown (210) singles, top tied by "Cincinnati O., Jul 14 '86" duplex addressed to Mann & Keudig at Altoona Pa., returned with second 2¢ tied by "Altoona Pa., Jul 21, 1886" duplex to R.W. Mercer at Cincinnati, Jul 23rd receiver, message from R.W. Mercer reads "How much will you pay for the loan of this card with an article in regard to the merits of this duplex post card. Reply on this card" and the response "We really cannot see that it would be an advantage to use to pay for the prestige of advertising this card. The P.O. Dept. will probably issue one before long as a bill has been introduced with that view."; slight aging, F.-V.F., a rare through-the-mails use of a postal card essay. USPCC No. MR1E-TA Estimate $750 - 1,000.
The postage on this card essay was of course not recognized as this was not issued by the Post Office, and therefore not a postal card. Mercer aggressively pursued acceptance of his cards with many letters to the Post Office Department. Apparently, the only reaction of the Department was to take exception to Mercer's use of "U.S. Postage in his design. This essay was discussed in a Postal Stationery (Jul.-Aug. 1962) article.
Realized: $1,050