Schenectady to New York City Magenta Backstamp
OVERVIEW
Offered is an original 1948 United States postal history cover mailed from Schenectady, New York, to Mr. Charles G. Riess, care of General Delivery, New York City.
The cover is franked with the 5-cent Swedish Pioneer Centennial commemorative and bears both a Schenectady origin circular datestamp and a vivid magenta Church Street Station General Delivery receiving backstamp.
This cover is elevated by three linked features: the named philatelic addressee, the New York City General Delivery handling, and the clear Church Street Station backstamp with auxiliary clerk marking.
FRANKING & POSTAL HISTORY
The cover is franked with a single United States 5-cent Swedish Pioneer Centennial commemorative, definitively cataloged as Scott 958.
The physical attributes include a denomination of 5 cents, deep blue ink, rotary press printing, perforation 11 by 10.5, and unwatermarked paper.
The stamp is used here as a single-stamp franking on an addressed domestic cover and is tied by a Schenectady, New York circular datestamp dated September 26, 1948.
The reverse carries a strong magenta receiving backstamp from New York, N.Y., Church Street Station, dated September 27, 1948, and marked for General Delivery handling.
Also present is a magenta circled "14" auxiliary clerk routing mark, documenting internal postal handling after arrival in New York City.
CONTEXT & COLLECTOR APPEAL
The addressee, Charles G. Riess, is a known name in American aerophilatelic circles, especially in connection with contract air mail route research and collecting.
That association gives the cover added collector interest beyond the stamp itself, placing it within the wider network of mid-20th-century philatelic correspondence. The Church Street Station backstamp is the strongest postal-history feature.
General Delivery mail depended on poste restante-style holding and internal station handling rather than direct street delivery. The clear magenta backstamp and circled clerk mark provide visible evidence of that process, making this a useful New York City postal-station and General Delivery study piece.
ITEM SPECIFICS
Year: 1948
Country: United States
Type: Postal History Cover
Theme: General Delivery Postal History
Subject: Charles G. Riess Philatelic Correspondence
Era: Postwar United States
Occasion: General Delivery Holding
Region: New York
Origin: Schenectady New York
Destination: General Delivery New York City
Stamp Color: Deep Blue
Denomination: 5 Cents
Currency: US Dollar
Scott Number: 958
Topic: Charles Riess General Delivery Church Street Backstamp Cover
Cancellation Type: Circular Datestamp with Receiving Backstamp
Cancellation Date: 26 September 1948
Postmark Location: Schenectady New York
Backstamp: Church Street Station General Delivery Receiving Backstamp
Auxiliary Marking: Magenta Circled 14 Clerk Routing Mark
Addressee: Charles G. Riess
Features: Named Philatelic Addressee NYC General Delivery Backstamp
Custom SKU: USA-1948-SCHENECTADY-RIESS-GD-958
CONDITION
Original postally used 1948 cover in clean collectible condition.
The envelope shows light toning and normal handling wear consistent with age and postal transit.
The Scott 958 Swedish Pioneer Centennial stamp remains firmly affixed and tied by the Schenectady circular datestamp.
The Church Street Station General Delivery receiving backstamp and magenta circled auxiliary marking remain clear and highly legible.
No major tears or structural faults are observed from the provided images.
Please review all high-resolution photographs carefully for exact condition assessment.