Civil War Era Joint Address Mr and Mrs Hammond Pioneer Family
OVERVIEW
Offered is an authentic Civil War era United States postal cover franked with a 1 cent blue Benjamin Franklin stamp.
Uniquely addressed to both Mr and Mrs James Hammond in Ontario, Knox County, Illinois, this piece is a documented artifact of the Hammond Powell pioneer family.
The joint address is a notable social history detail for 1860s correspondence, typically indicating personal or family wide communications.
FRANKING & POSTAL HISTORY
The cover is franked with a United States 1 cent blue Benjamin Franklin stamp, cataloged as Scott 63 from the 1861 issue. This stamp features characteristic coarse gauge 12 perforations and National Bank Note Company engraving on wove paper.
The stamp is tied by a distinct manuscript pen kill cancellation consisting of two bold parallel diagonal strokes applied in dark iron gall ink, representing a classic rural postal application.
Under the mid century rate structures, the 1 cent denomination prepaid only drop letters or unsealed printed matter.
The absence of postage due markings strongly favors a drop letter scenario where the correspondence was deposited and collected directly at the Ontario post office.
CONTEXT & COLLECTOR APPEAL
This cover transcends its value as a standard Scott 63 usage due to its documented connection to the Hammond family, who were among the early pioneer settlers of Knox County.
Addressed jointly to both James and Susan Hammond, the cover preserves an uncommon example of Civil War era family correspondence and nineteenth century social etiquette.
The manuscript parallel diagonal pen cancellation adds another desirable postal history element, representing a classic hand applied obliteration frequently encountered in smaller communities and rural postal systems. The combination of Scott 63 franking, pioneer family provenance, joint address social history, and manuscript postal markings creates a compelling artifact for collectors of genealogy, Illinois history, and Americana.
ITEM SPECIFICS
Country: United States
Year: 1861
Type: Postal Cover
Topic: Civil War Pioneer Family Joint Correspondence Illinois
Theme: Illinois Regional Genealogy
Subject: Mr and Mrs James Hammond
Era: Civil War 1861 to 1865
Region: Ontario Knox County Illinois
Stamp Color: Blue
Stamp Denomination: 1 Cent
Perforation Size: 12
Printing Method: Engraved
Paper Type: Wove Envelope
Cancellation Type: Parallel Diagonal Manuscript Pen Kill
Scott Number: 63
Features: Joint Address Manuscript Cancel Pioneer History
Custom SKU: US-1861-ONTARIO-KNOX-63-JOINT
CONDITION
This original postal cover is in vintage used condition.
The Scott 63 1 cent Franklin stamp is well tied by the parallel diagonal manuscript strokes. The envelope shows characteristic 19th century moisture staining at the left and lower edges, with some minor edge loss at the lower left.
The joint address remains fully legible and bold.
The reverse shows standard envelope flap wear consistent with period handling.
Please review photographs carefully to determine exact condition.