1863 Civilian Letter – Alfred Mace, Superior Court Clerk, Baltimore, Maryland

Description

1863 Civilian Letter – Alfred Mace, Superior Court Clerk, Baltimore, Maryland
Offered for your consideration is a manuscript note, written in 1863, discussing a planned visit to Buffalo, New York, with a side trip to Niagara Falls. The note is headlined “
MAYOR’S OFFICE
,” and was penned at “
Baltimore,
” on “
May 26
th
186
3
”. A vignette at the upper left features a representation of the seal of the city of Baltimore, the center of which depicts the Battle Monument, flanked by “
CITY OF
/
BALTIMORE
” and above “
INCORPORATED
/
1797
”. A wreath, tied with a bow at the bottom, encircles the lower portion. The body of the note, addressed to an un-legible recipient, states that “
The Mayor & City Council of Baltimore have accepted an invitation to visit Buffalo & the Falls starting on Monday June 8
th
/
As we are expecting a visit from you & friends about the 1
st
of June I have deemed it proper to advise you of our contemplated absense from home between the 8
th
and 15
th
/
Can you arrange matters to call on us previous to the 8
th
or will we have to wait untill after the 15
th
/
We will be most happy to hear from you on the subject and still more so to see you
/
Please remember me to others and believe me
/
Your friend
/
Alford Mace
”. The back page of the note bears a filing notation which reads “
Alford Mace
/
Balto
/
Md
.”, as well as what appears to be a much later retail price in pencil. It is interesting to note that Mace’s first name is written twice on this letter as Alford, though a cursory Internet search shows his name as Alfred (the reason for this is unknown to the seller). This search indicates that Mace served as a Superior Court Clerk of Baltimore (the rest of the story can surely be added by a local historian). A great research project.
The presently offered letter exhibits signs of expected period use, followed by many years of less than ideal storage. Toning is noted across the entire surface, imparting to the paper a tan to light brown appearance. This toning is slightly darker at the edges and along the postal / storage folds. Some of these folds have adversely affected the integrity of the paper, with several separations noted (principally at the edges). One of these separations bisects some of the text on both pages, though no paper has been lost to any of these separations and all could be repaired easily with archival tape. The contrast is sharp and bold, though the penmanship can be difficult to decipher. Ink corrosion can be seen, though at this time, it has not significantly affected the integrity of the paper. The edges appear straight, though the corners are slightly rounded. Measuring approximately 5 x 8 inches when folded and 8 x 10 inches when opened, this piece would make an interesting addition to any Civil War or Baltimore letter collection. As noted earlier, this would make an interesting research project for the local historian. If you have any additional questions regarding this item, please ask before purchasing.
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A .00 charge will be added to any item picked up in person at our physical location.
If you have any questions regarding this item, please ask before purchasing.
Buy or Bid with Confidence – American Coins & Collectibles President Richie Self has worked 6 years as a paper money grader/authenticator. He has contributed to numerous reference books within the industry, as well as being a co-author of “The Comprehensive Catalog and History of Confederate Bonds, 2
nd
Edition” with Douglas B. Ball, Ph.D., Henry F. Simmons, M.D., Ph.D. and James R. Desabaye. Mr. Self is a life member of the American Numismatic Association, the Society of Paper Money Collectors, as well as numerous regional numismatic associations. He is an authorized submitter to NGC, PCGS, and PMG, a diamond founding member of Coin Dealers Helping Coin Dealers and a supporter of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets. American Coins and Collectibles can be found at many of the state and local coin shows.
American Coins and Collectibles
Shreveport, LA