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

Scott #137L1a is a 1-cent blue local post stamp on bluish paper issued in 1852 by Teese & Co. Penny Post of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This example is a tête-bêche pair — two stamps printed with one inverted in relation to the other — making it a genuinely rare and visually striking philatelic item. The simple typeset design reads "Teese & Co. / Penny Post / Philad'a" and was the only stamp produced by this short-lived carrier service. Genuine examples of this stamp are known in blue only, and the tête-bêche format suggests the stamps were printed in a small format with rows arranged in opposing directions.

Very little is documented about Teese & Co. as a business, but the stamp places the service firmly within the busy world of mid-19th century Philadelphia local posts. The city was home to several competing private carriers during this period, most famously Blood's Penny Post, all of which filled a genuine need for affordable city delivery at a time when the U.S. postal system charged higher rates and did not yet offer free home delivery. Teese & Co. operated briefly in 1852, and covers bearing this stamp used alongside the standard 3-cent U.S. stamp have been documented in the National Postal Museum's collection, confirming its actual use in the mail stream.

Because Teese & Co. operated for such a short period and issued only one stamp, genuine examples are scarce, and the service attracted the attention of well-known stamp forgers of the era including Hussey, Scott, and Taylor, all of whom produced counterfeit versions in various colors. The tête-bêche pair format makes this example even more unusual, as it reflects how the stamps were arranged on the original printing sheet.