1852 1c Teese & Co. Penny Post, Blue on Bluish Paper

Scott #137L1 is a 1-cent blue local post stamp on bluish paper issued in 1852 by Teese & Co. Penny Post of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The imperforate stamp features a simple typeset design reading "Teese & Co. / Penny Post / Philad'a" within a plain rectangular frame. Blue on bluish paper is the only color in which this stamp was genuinely issued, and unused examples in sound condition are scarce. The tête-bêche pair (Scott #137L1a) is even rarer, but this single stamp is itself an uncommon piece of Philadelphia postal history.

Teese & Co. operated briefly in 1852 as one of several private penny post carriers serving Philadelphia during a period when the U.S. postal system had not yet introduced free city delivery. These local carriers stepped in to fill that gap, collecting and delivering letters within city limits for a penny — far less than the government's standard rates at the time. Covers bearing the Teese & Co. stamp alongside the standard 3-cent U.S. stamp have been documented in museum collections, confirming that the service saw genuine use.

Because Teese & Co. issued only one stamp and operated for such a brief period, it attracted the attention of notorious 19th century forgers including Hussey, Scott, and S. Allan Taylor, all of whom produced counterfeits in various colors. Collectors should be aware that genuine examples are blue only, and forgeries appear in red, brown, violet, green, yellow, black, and other colors.