C & W Bridge Despatch Bogus Post Local Stamp Period Lyons Listed Cinderella

A delightful artifact from the Victorian-era "wild west" of American philately - an example of the C. & W. Bridge Despatch, printed in brown on green paper, imperforate as produced. This item is officially classified in the Lyons Identifier for Carriers, Locals, Fakes, Forgeries and Bogus Posts of the United States as a Bogus Post - meaning the company itself never existed. It was a pure invention of the 19th-century stamp trade, almost certainly produced in the 1860s-1870s by one of the era's prolific forger-dealers operating in the local stamp market.

Condition note: The reverse shows what appears to be an old hinge remnant consistent with period handling. Gum status is uncertain - the back is aged and the paper shows the soft, fibrous texture typical of 19th-century production. No thins, tears, or creases visible on the front. A clean, presentable example. Buyers are encouraged to examine the scan of the reverse carefully.

The Bogus Local Stamp Trade

The 1860s-1880s were a golden age of stamp collecting in America, and demand for exotic-looking local stamps far outstripped the genuine supply. Entrepreneurial forger-dealers - most famously S. Allan Taylor of Boston, leader of the so-called "Boston Gang" - filled that gap by producing hundreds of invented "local post" labels for companies that never existed, printing them in period-appropriate inks on period paper and selling them directly into the collector trade. Taylor alone is credited with over 700 such productions. Contemporary collectors bought them knowingly to fill album spaces, and today these period bogus labels are a recognized and actively collected specialty in their own right.

The C. & W. Bridge Despatch is one such documented bogus issue, listed and illustrated in the Lyons Identifier - the standard reference for this field - and referenced in the Carriers and Locals Society Farrell Collection at pennypost.org.

Sold as what it is: a period bogus local with Lyons documentation. An excellent addition to any collection of US locals, cinderellas, or 19th-century philatelic curiosities.


We try to name any major flaws in the description that may not be obvious from the images but there could be unobserved or minor flaws that go unnamed. Please look closely at scans to verify condition!

Any catalog prices specified in the title of this listing are from the current Scott catalog.

The item(s) shown in the photo is an unmodified image of the exact item the buyer will receive unless otherwise noted.

For international shipments similar size/weight items ship free if you pay postage for this one.

Please use scans to verify any suggested Scott # as sometimes mistakes are made. If you notice an error please let us know so it can be corrected.

Item will be shipped with plastic wrapping and cardboard to help guard against shipping damage or water damage. No hassle returns available.


Offered by Vegas Stamps and Hobbies, Inc. Of Saint Petersburg, FL. Please let us know if there are any problems with your order and/or if you are not fully satisfied for any reason. If there is a problem we appreciate the chance to make it right for you so you can provide us +++ feedback which we will also do for you! Thank you for your consideration!




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