Little Rock Shields

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19th Century > Arkansas Territory Covers > Little Rock Shields

Covers containing the Little Rock Shield

Date Mailed	Rate	Destination	Comment	Cover Image & Source
1830-09-09	18.75	Saint Louis, Missouri	Unique example of Shield Type I on cover front.	9-9-1830 Shield Type 1 SRumsey_Sale39_Lot 5.jpg
1830-09-30	25 (due)	Saint Louis, Missouri	Only Shield impressed with red ink
1830-10-07	12.5 (Due)	Washington, Arkansas	To Chester Ashley, later Senator from Arkansas	1830-10-7 RChamplain 8-14-11.jpg
1831-02-17	25 (due)	Basonville, Missouri	18.75 rate changed to 25	RSiegel_Sale906_Lot1315 Feb171831.jpg
1831-02-23	12.5 (due)	Batesville, Arkansas	Superb Strike	jkaufmann_sale87_lot374 lrs 2-23-1.jpg
1831-03-10	50 (marked Double, regular rate 25)	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Faded strike	1831-3-10 shreve_sale6-6-97_lot586 mar.jpg
1831-05-05	25 (due)	New York, New York	One of three Shield covers known mailed on May 5, 1831. One of the best strikes	5-5-1831 to New York City SRumsey_Sale39_Lot6.jpg
1831-05-05	25 (due)	Techumseh, Michigan Territory	One of 3 Shield covers known mailed 5-5-1831	RSiegel_Sale906_Lot1314 May51831.jpg
1831-05-05	25 (due)	Braintree, Massachusetts	One of 3 Shield covers known mailed 5-5-1831	srumsey_sale17_lot888 may51831.jpg
1831-05-19	25 (due)	Cincinnati, Ohio		1831-5-19 Due 25 to Cincinnati JMilgarm Collection 5-8-11.jpg
1831-06-13	FREE	Washington, DC		RSiegel_Sale_927_Lot_1212.jpg
1831-07-07	25 (due)	Latarius, Mississippi	Considered the finest strike	Shuyler_Rumsey_Sale4_Lot675 Jul71831.jpg
1831-07-21			Cut Square, so no rate or destination known	lrshieldcutsquare_jul211831.jpg
1831-07-28	PAID 50		Not seen since 1954, John Fox sale 3/5/1954-1 of 2 PAID covers	1831-07-28 paid 50 JFox_Sale3-5-1954_Lot14.jpg
1831-08-25	Free	Washington, DC	Only cover with two strikes of the Shield	lrshield_aug251831.jpg
1831-09-08	50 (due) + 25 due for forwarding	Fayetteville, North Carolina forwarded to Charlotte, NC		RSiegel_Sale906_Lot1316 Sep81831.jpg
1831-09-22	50 (due)	Lincolnton, North Carolina		amphilatelicbroakers_sale25_lot65 lr shield 9-22-1831 50 cents due.jpg
1831-09-29	50 (Due)	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania		rfrajola_sale32_lot40 sep291831.jpg
1831-11-24	Free	Washington, DC	to Senator Johnson of Iowa	rfrajola_sale26_lot1049.jpg
1831-12-22	25 (Due)	New York, New York	One of the finest strikes	1831-12-22 LR Shield SRumsey_Sale12_Lot118.jpg
1832-01-05	Free	Washington, DC	To the War Department	1832-1-5 RSiegel_Sale906_Lot1312.jpg
1832-03-22	25 (due) + 10 (due) for forwarding	Frankfort, Kentucky forwarded to Long Ridge, Kentucky		venturastampconetsale1988 mar221832.jpg
1832-04-12	25 (due)	Chapel Hill, North Carolina		RSiegel_Sale_927_Lot_1213.jpg
1832-05-10	25 (due)	Albany, New York	Last sold in 1956. This Image from the Smithsonian Collection	smithsonian_may101832.jpg
1832-05-10	25 (Due)	Cincinnati, Ohio		1832-05-10 to Cincy OH RSiegel_Sale960_Lot2136.jpg
1832-05-24	50 Paid	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	One of two PAID Shield covers. To the Mint in Philadlephia	1832-5-24 PAID 50 to Philadelphia AZimmerman_Sale44_Lot27.jpg
1832-06-21	25 (Due)	New York, New York	The Last Reported Shield Usage.	rkaufmann_sale60_lot_1137.jpg

Little Rock Shield 7-21-1831

The Little Rock Shield townmark and date stamp, 1830-1832

The Little Rock Shield was first used in September, 1830. Examples are known used until June, 1832.

The Postmaster at the time was Dr. John T. Fulton, He was appointed February 8, 1830 and served until December, 1831. He was appointed again in August, 1835.

The 27 reported examples of the Little Rock Shield are as follows. Illustrations have been collected from auction catalogs, exhbits, and covers scanned directly. The first usage, on September 9, 1830, is the "Type 1" with the shield contained in a square "box". Either the results were not pleasing to Dr. Fulton, or the device broke. After Sept 9, all usages are missing the upper square. All strikes are in black except for the use on Sept 30, 1830 which was done with red ink.

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Updated 5/6/2011