2362. [document] Very early Colonial Lighthouse letter dated Treasury Department, Revenue Office, [Washington DC] May 1794.
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2362. [document] Very early Colonial Lighthouse letter dated Treasury Department, Revenue Office, [Washington DC] May 1794.
2362. [document] Very early Colonial Lighthouse letter dated Treasury Department, Revenue Office, [Washington DC] May 1794. Though original letter is not included, this is the free franked stampless cover from Tench Coxe, Commissioner of the Revenue and received and docketed in the hand of William Ellery, Collector of the Customs for the district of Newport, Rhode Island. Tench Coxe [1755-1824] was a merchant, political economist and member of the Annapolis Convention and the Continental Congress of 1788. His promotion of cotton culture in the South earned him the title of father of America’s cotton industry. Coxe was made Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in 1789 and became Commissioner of the Revenue in 1792, in which capacity he signed this cover in lieu of postage [free franking privilege]. William Ellery [1724-1820] was an American patriot and signer of the Declaration of Independence from Rhode Island. In 1776 Ellery succeeded Samuel Ward as a delegate to Congress and noted that when signing the Declaration of Independence which may have been their “death warrant”, all the signers displayed only “undaunted resolution”. In 1790 he was appointed by Geprge Washington as collector of the customs for the district of Newport. It was in this capacity that he oversaw the operation of lighthouses in the district and thus received this note from Coxe. Ellery writes in the upper corner: “Comm of Revenue conc. Inform respecting the [lighthouse] oil on hand. Dated May 4th 1794, Rec. May 9, 1794, Ans’r the 12th, 1794”. EXTREMELY RARE COLONIAL LIGHT HOUSE ITEM WRITTEN IN THE HAND OF SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. Good condition, only light browning at folds, some wear. Excellent penmanship makes this quite readable. An important early Light House Establishment document. $284 net.