This cover is a combination of the 3c 1851 and the second adhesive issued by the Boston Penny Post.
Sent August 27, 1851, the 3c stamp was canceled by a complete strike of the small black Boston PAID in grid and the carrier stamp by a near perfect black “diamond of diamonds”. Despite having no contents or dateline, the year date was determined from the use of the PAID cancel, known used from July 12, 1851 to January 23, 1852. This “Penny Post Paid” adhesive was first issued in October 1850, and was used primarily to pay for either carriage from the sender to the Boston Post Office, or for intracity transmittal from sender to addressee.
