1846 US Post Office $10 Draft – Signature Attributed to Cave Johnson #1509

1846 U.S. Post Office Department $10 Draft — Signature Attributed to Cave Johnson U.S. Post Office Department “Transportation of the Mails” payment draft dated February 10, 1846, authorizing payment of ten dollars to Samuel Dudley through the postmaster at Pittston, Maine. The reverse bears an endorsement reading “Samuel Dudley.” This document features an elaborate decorative panel bearing B. Tanner’s Philadelphia imprint, a horseback mail-carrier illustration, ornamental lettering, and handwritten payment details. At the lower right is a prominent “C. Johnson” signature attributed to Cave Johnson, above the printed title “Postmaster General.” A second signature, appearing to read “P. G. Washington,” is positioned above the auditor’s title. Historical Background Cave Johnson served as United States Postmaster General from 1845 to 1849 under President James K. Polk, placing this draft within his administration. During his tenure, the first general-issue U.S. postage stamps went on sale on July 1, 1847, featuring Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. This 1846-dated draft predates that issue and offers a glimpse into the department’s financial administration during the period. It is a payment document, not a document concerning the authorization or production of those stamps. Condition Visible condition includes multiple folds and creases, age-related toning, scattered spotting and staining, small edge tears and fold splits, and minor paper loss along the lower edge. Additional marks and discoloration are visible on the reverse. The decorative printing, payment details, and principal signature remain readily legible. Please examine the photographs of both sides carefully for the document’s complete visual condition. Signature Attribution The “C. Johnson” signature is offered as attributed to Cave Johnson, not as a professionally authenticated autograph. The identification is consistent with the document’s date and printed office title, but those details alone do not establish that Johnson personally signed it. An appealing addition to a collection of U.S. postal history, nineteenth-century financial documents, Maine ephemera, or historical manuscripts, combining decorative printing with handwritten transaction details and a reverse endorsement. The document pictured is the item offered.