CB1-30

This folded letter cover, dated January 11, 1811, was sent from Columbus, Ohio, as indicated by the red circular postmark reading COLUMBUS, JAN 11. It is addressed to The Sheriff of Erie County, Sandusky City, Ohio, highlighting its official nature, likely involving legal or administrative correspondence. The handwritten “3” in the top-right corner represents the 3-cent postage rate, which was standard for letters traveling up to 40 miles under the Postal Act of 1792, a regulation that governed early U.S. postal operations. At this time, adhesive postage stamps were not yet in use; instead, postage was marked manually. Columbus was a fledgling town in 1811, as it was formally established only a year later, adding historical significance to this early artifact from the region. Similarly, Sandusky was emerging as an important hub in northern Ohio near Lake Erie. This cover reflects the simplicity and practicality of early 19th-century U.S. postal practices, offering insights into official correspondence, postal rates, and the communication infrastructure of the time.